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Becoming a Community School
 Look Inside: Table of Contents Book (106 pp.) |
Based on a Successful Program at:
Written by teachers: |
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Within the city of Lynn, Massachusetts, the Robert L. Ford School serves one of the poorest communities - 57% of its families speak limited English, 95% are low income. Yet, all 18 elementary schools in the city, the Ford ranked first on several reading tests, despite the fact that several of these other schools serve far less disadvantaged families. On the state-mandated MCAS exams, the school posted among the strongest improvements in the state, dramatically increasing the passing rate of its students.
What is the secret of this success?
Working with Various community partners, the Ford offers
students and families a wide range of educational and social
supports, including literacy and enrichment programs for the
students, family education and life skills programs for their
parents, English language instruction, on-site high school and
college courses, and access to experienced and in-training
teachers, nurses, psychologists, and social workers. These
connections translate into academic success.
At Ford:
- Students have better home support. By providing social services and parent education, the school ensures that children come to school capable of doing their best work.
- Student attendance improves. Families' emotional connections to the school make the school community a nurturing place where students actually want to be.
- Students are serious about their work. The school's place within the community makes children proud and motivates them to succeed.
- Teachers form connections that induce them to stay. Teachers can easily see the rewards of their own efforts through relationships with families that endure for many years.
About this book
In the fall of 2003, The Project for School Innovation worked
with the Ford to better understand this impressive community
school. Ford faculty members outlined the specific practices and
systems designed to give each family access to the resources he
or she needs to improve their lives, a voice in the leadership
of the school, and the motivation to continue to dream of better
opportunities for both themselves and their children. This book
documents lessons that came out of that process.
Major Topics Covered
Parent Involvement
Full Service Schools
Community Partnerships
Table of Contents forBecoming a Community School
Introduction - Imagining a Community School
Why community schools matter: An introduction to the Robert L.
Ford School, an outline of this how-to-guidebook, and four
underlying goals achieved through family and community
engagement.
1. Five Tips for the Principal
Five elements that help a principal build long and
lasting bridges between the school and its families and
surrounding community.
2. Bridges to Families
Two programs that bring families into the school building and
provide an important foundation on which to build trusting
relationships that benefit both adults and children.
3. Bridges to a University
Establishing university partnerships that can help
teachers and families find instructional assistance,
enrichment activities, and educational resources.
4. Bridges to Community Partnerships
Three ways to extend the school's relationship with
community partners to provide for students and families.
Appendix
Sample documents and materials from the Ford School.
Action Plan Guide
A planning tool to help your school team adopt and adapt
community school practices.
PSI Can Help You Implement These Strategies:
e
Customized
Workshops
Ford teachers can help you become a Community School.
School
Visits
We can coordinate a visit to the Ford School, so you can see
their successful strategies first hand.
Planning
Tools
PSI can help you create a personalized step-by-step strategy for
implementing successful hands-on science practices in your
school.