Community Partnership Schools Archives | �鶹ԭ�� News

�鶹ԭ��, State Universities Partner to Upscale Impact of University-Assisted Community Schools in Florida

Danielle Hendrix ’15 — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 19:12:43 +0000

It’s often said that if you want to go far, go together. That’s exactly the route that universities, school districts and other community partners take when it comes to empowering community schools — public schools that integrate academics with family and community support services.

Now, researchers at �鶹ԭ�� are collaborating with scholars from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU), Florida International University (FIU) and the University of South Florida (USF) in elevating community schools across the state to the next level. Collectively, the four universities were awarded a Full-Service Community Schools grant to enhance and build upon the work of Florida’s community schools.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), the five-year, $50 million state-scaling grant provides necessary capacity to partner universities and school districts, equipping them to leverage institutional resources and support community schools in their regions. A University-Assisted Community Schools approach involves a mutually beneficial partnership between a school or school district and a university or college. The school receives additional resources and support for its students, families and school community. At the same time, the university advances its goals of serving the community while providing its students with further educational opportunities.

“This federal funding allows us to forge interdisciplinary partnerships among community schools, universities across Florida, and nonprofits to empower students to achieve their dreams and uplift families to build a strong community together,” says Eleazar “Trey” Vasquez, professor of exceptional education and the project’s co-principal investigator.

According to data from the Florida Department of Education, about 66% of the state’s K-12 students are classified as economically disadvantaged, leaving them socially and academically vulnerable. Along with helping to provide more resources for high-need districts, the grant will meet the ancillary needs of 16 current community schools — including Community Partnership Schools — and upscale the university-assistance arm to 24 new community schools.

“We can’t expect students to be successful in the classroom if their basic needs aren’t being met,” says , director of and the project’s principal investigator. “Community schools bring needed resources to the schools so students can learn, achieve and reach their greatest potential. The impact of the community-schools model is amplified through community connections and resources; we can’t continue to do our work alone. What we accomplish over the next four years will deepen and accelerate Florida students’ achievements by placing them on a trajectory of lifelong success.”

Each partner university will work with its corresponding school district to invest in unique community needs. Although this grant supports four school districts — Hillsborough, Leon, Miami-Dade and Orange counties — all partner universities will expand on the knowledge and expertise gained to positively impact all Florida community schools. By leveraging existing collaborative efforts, university partners are empowered to scale up to a total of 40 enhanced or newly added University-Assisted Community Schools statewide in their respective regions. The project also scales up technical assistance by creating a statewide training academy that includes virtual learning opportunities, continuous improvement and coaching for participating community schools.

At Florida A&M University, that involves focusing on North Florida regional schools through the FAMU Developmental Research School and Leon County Public Schools.

“I look forward to the impactful changes that will benefit K-12 students and families within our regional community and throughout the state,” says Allyson Watson, provost and vice president for academic affairs at FAMU. “As the only HBCU (Historically Black College and University) partner, we fully understand our responsibility to be a part of solutions that seek to enhance our schools and optimize the academic, social and cognitive abilities of the communities we serve.”

The funding allocated to Florida International University will provide critical funding to scale FIU’s 13-year University-Assisted Community Schools efforts, known as The Education Effect, to a total of 19 schools across six Miami-Dade communities.

“We equally value the opportunity for greater collaboration with Miami-Dade County Public Schools leadership to help ensure that FIU can be a key differentiator in accelerating tangible impact for the nation’s third-largest school district,” says Phillip Lloyd Hamilton, assistant vice president for student belonging and support at FIU. “Together, we are cultivating a statewide movement encouraging the active engagement of communities in the success of children, families, educators, schools and public-school districts.”

USF looks to deepen its partnership with Hillsborough County Public Schools and leverage university resources to support the implementation of programs and services in local community schools.

“Part of our mission is to partner with schools, families and communities to advance innovative participatory research, services and program evaluation,” says Stacy-Ann January, co-director for USF’s Institute for School-Community Partnerships, Integrated Services, and Child Mental Health and Educational Policy. “We are also looking forward to expanding our partnership with the other institutions across the state who are part of the UPI initiative. Engaging in this important work together over the next five years and beyond only strengthens the impact community schools across the state will have in the lives of students and families.”

Florida increased its investment in the strategy of community schools over the past decade, and now national support for community schools is catching up. Congress has been increasingly investing in the Full-Service Community Schools grant program for several years, from $10 million in 2013 to $150 million in 2023. Combined, such collaborative efforts enhance existing work and open the door to fast-tracking goals of better student outcomes.

“Upscaling the University-Assisted Community Schools model allows us to build upon our success by partnering with state universities, school districts and other agencies with the purpose of uplifting Florida’s students,” says , dean of the College of Community Innovation and Education. “Universities are important partners in this effort, and we are honored to play a crucial role in expanding upon the foundation that’s already in place with the work of community schools.”

Researcher Credentials
Ellis joined �鶹ԭ�� in 2015 and leads the university’s Center for Community Schools in its dedication to developing and sustaining high-quality community schools that support the whole child. She has three decades of experience in scaling initiatives, honing educational strategies and supporting underrepresented student populations. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership from �鶹ԭ��.

Vasquez is the director of the and professor for the College of Community Innovation and Education’s . He holds affiliate faculty status with , SREAL Synthetic Reality Lab and the �鶹ԭ�� Learning Sciences Cluster. His research focuses on the evaluation of academic and behavioral outcomes for traditionally marginalized populations with executive functioning deficits. His research has been supported with over $85 million from the National Science Foundation, the USDOE Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the USDOE Office of Special Education Programs.

State Funding Increase to Drive Growth in Community Partnership Schools

Mark Schlueb ’93 ’21MA — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 19:31:23 +0000

Orlando’s Evans High School is a shining example of how students benefit when a community pulls together, with rising enrollment and a graduation rate that has soared to 91% — up from 64% a decade ago.

That is in large part thanks to Evans’ teachers and students, as well as Children’s Home Society of Florida, Orange County Public Schools, the �鶹ԭ��, and Orange Blossom Family Health — all of whom collaborated to provide support to students and their families, including affordable healthcare, tutoring, access to healthy foods and more.

Those efforts made Evans High the first Community Partnership School — a designation that has grown exponentially to 43 total sites across the state — including 18 �鶹ԭ��-certified Community Partnership Schools and 25 Community Partnership Schools on their way to certification. Another nine planning sites are scheduled to launch this year through �鶹ԭ��’s , established in 2014 to expand community schools across the state.

Now with over 80 Florida core partners in this work, even more vital services will be delivered to help level up student success — including tutoring, healthcare and mentoring to almost 50,000 students statewide.

Last year, the program’s funding helped schools provide more than 292,000 hours of tutoring, 12,000 behavioral health sessions, and nearly 4,000 dental and vision checkups.

The Florida Legislature’s 2024 funding boost ensures Florida schools have the resources they need to break down obstacles to educational achievement.

That support will continue thanks to the generous investment from the Florida Legislature, whose members recognize the importance of lifting up schools and communities in need to cement Florida as a producer of top-tier K-12 students.

The Legislature’s 2024 funding boost rose from $11 million to $20.1 million, ensuring Florida schools have the resources they need to break down obstacles to educational achievement: wellness supports, family and community engagement offerings, and expanded learning opportunities.

“The increase in funding to the Community Partnership Schools grant program is a testament to its success and the transformative impact it has had on our students’ lives,” says Andry Sweet, president and CEO of Children’s Home Society of Florida. “By fostering a holistic approach to education, this program has not only improved academic outcomes but also enriched the overall well-being of our students.”

Sweet says the increased funding will help expand their reach, allowing them to provide even more students with opportunities they would not otherwise have.

“With this additional funding, we look forward to ensuring that even more students benefit from the support and opportunities they need to thrive,” Sweet says. “We are grateful to �鶹ԭ�� for their invaluable partnership in making this possible.”

Each Community Partnership School brings together at least four core partners — a school district, university or college, community-based nonprofit, and healthcare provider — to work together and pool resources, offering students access to essential services.

Those partners collaborate to bring opportunities to students and families, such as academic support, health care, clothing, meals, counseling and more — all affectionately known as ‘the HUB’ at Evans. The high school offers a parent resource room and on-site access to public assistance for eligible families. There’s also a robust after-school tutoring program; enrichment activities and resources to address food insecurity, including a food pantry; snack cabinets; and periodic community food distributions.

“The HUB helped me grow the perspective that anyone can be a leader and can voice their concerns to take action to create a world they want to see. At Evans, I felt like I was actively making Pine Hills better. What I have learned from my experiences with the Hub can be applied to have a positive effect on the community,” says Evon Thompson, a 2020 graduate of Evans High School who recently earned his degree in neuroscience from Harvard University.

“… [�鶹ԭ��’s Center for Community Schools’] mission [is] developing and sustaining high-quality community schools.” — Grant Hayes, dean of the �鶹ԭ�� College of Community Innovation and Education

�鶹ԭ��’s Center for Community Schools has acknowledged 18 schools as �鶹ԭ��-certified Community Partnership Schools, ranging from elementary to high school, for successfully aligning with the model’s core components and reaching the implementation benchmarks defined by the �鶹ԭ��-certified Community Partnership Schools Standards. Earning this distinct honor represents years of dedicated work focused on student success and well-being.

“One of our primary goals in the College of Community Innovation and Education is to cultivate partnerships that allow us to collaborate with community stakeholders in creating innovative solutions to complex social issues,” says Grant Hayes, dean of the college. “�鶹ԭ��’s Center for Community Schools not only embraces this mindset but actively works to transform the lives of students and families served through the Community Partnership Schools model. This funding increase is crucial to the center’s mission of developing and sustaining high-quality community schools, empowering both existing and future stakeholders to positively impact an even greater number of students and families.”

7 Florida Schools Receive Funding to Develop Community Partnership Schools

Amy Floyd — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 14:08:25 +0000

The awarded seven schools up to $80,000 each as part of the Community School Grant Program, which was established by the Florida Legislature. Among the winners are Blanche H. Daughtrey Elementary, Caribbean K-8, Colonial Elementary, Jefferson K-12, JFK Middle, Lake Worth High and Pine Forest High.

The Community Partnership Schools model was co-founded in 2010 at Evans High in Orlando by the Children’s Home Society of Florida, Orange County Public Schools and the �鶹ԭ��. With the success of Evans High, the model has been replicated throughout the state. The model is designed to support students and their families through expanded access to health and wellness support, along with a wide range of new and integrated learning opportunities.

This collective work is grounded in collaboration and partnership with long-term support from four or more core partners — the school district, a nonprofit organization, a healthcare provider, and a college or university. By leveraging the social and institutional capital of their partners, schools are better equipped to offer resources and services in response to emergencies or enduring challenges.

In Lee County, Colonial Elementary is the third school — after Franklin Park Elementary and Fort Myers Middle Academy — to become a Community Partnership School. Both elementary schools feed into the middle school, benefiting students and families by providing a continuity of services, according to Angela Jackson, vice president of Community Partnership Schools for United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades counties.

Between classes, students at Fort Myers Middle Academy have a chance to reminisce with their former principal at Franklin Park Elementary, along with their current principal.

“All three schools serve the same population with similar needs and more familiarity with the resources and services offered,” says Jackson, “ultimately helping students and families more easily navigate the school system with confidence.”

Community Partnership Schools empower school communities to meet the changing and unique needs of their students and families by connecting them to a wide range of resources tailored to the needs of that community.

Many Florida communities were severely impacted by Hurricane Ian, including those in Lee County.

Lee County was hardest hit by Hurricane Ian, but this didn’t stop the three schools from coming together to help students and families weather the storm and mobilize recovery efforts.

The Community Partnership School team at United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades hosted a Hurricane Ian Recovery Pop-Up for over one hundred staff members and families of Franklin Park Elementary, Colonial Elementary and Fort Myers Middle Academy. The Pop-Up provided toiletries, home cleaning supplies, clothing, home goods, food, and much more, all donated from community agencies and businesses.

Along with core partners Florida Gulf Coast University, Lee Health, the School District of Lee County, and United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades, and other local partners, the schools offered students and families guidance on hurricane preparedness and served as shelters for displaced residents. As recovery efforts progress, the schools have leveraged partnerships with local organizations to offer students and families food, clothing, healthcare, counseling, housing support and more.

“The entire CPS team heeded the call to action.” — Angela Jackson, vice president of Community Partnership Schools for United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades counties.

“The entire CPS team heeded the call to action. Their determination and faithfulness are unwavering,” says Jackson.

Along with in-person outreach, nonprofit core partner United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades set up the SWFL Hurricane Ian Relief Fund, along with an for the United Way School Resource Center.

Students and families at Blanche H. Daughtrey Elementary, Manatee County’s newest Community Partnership School, are facing food insecurity based on multiple factors. Most of the school community lives over half a mile from the nearest supermarket and all students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. With support from their core partners — including Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County, Children’s Home Society of Florida, MCR Health, the School District of Manatee County and the University of South Florida — the school plans to build an accessible hub that is student-centered, family-focused, and equipped with school-based wraparound services designed specifically for students and their families.

Colonial Elementary has plans to address food insecurity, as well as access to school uniforms. Through existing partnerships with Franklin Park Elementary and Fort Myers Middle, the school will already have frameworks to improve the school’s Food Pantry and Clothing Closet, while still mapping out their Community Partnership School in the planning stage. Other priorities for the school include implementing a tutoring program and increasing classroom support services.

The envisions a world of equitable communities, supporting the needs of the whole child with resources that redefine and expand student success. The �鶹ԭ�� Center serves as a comprehensive resource for best practices in the advancement of community schools through technical assistance, assessment and evaluation, and university assistance, driving continuous improvement and better outcomes for students, families and communities.

Evans High School Becomes 1st �鶹ԭ��-Certified Community Partnership School

Camille Dolan — Thu, 24 May 2018 19:40:45 +0000

�鶹ԭ�� has been helping to build a new model of community school for children in grades K-12 for nearly 10 years. As a result, there are 16 registered Community Partnership Schools in Florida. Of those 16, Evans High School in Orlando recently became the first to be a �鶹ԭ��-Certified Community Partnership School.

The school recently celebrated this achievement at a community event at which a banner announcing its new status was unveiled.

“Being a �鶹ԭ��-Certified Community Partnership School sets us apart from all others,” says Rolondo Bailey, principal of Evans. “Not only have we been doing the work of empowering students and families, but now we have been rigorously assessed to validate the work.”

C.A. Weis Elementary School in Pensacola also was recently certified.

To ensure consistency of quality programming, strategy and framework fidelity, the �鶹ԭ�� Center for Community Schools, along with partners across the state, developed a process of certification that reflects best practices in the field of community schools.

And according to David Bundy ’97, the importance of a certification process was discussed prior to the opening of Evans, the flagship Community Partnership School. Bundy is the president/CEO of the Children’s Home Society of America, and has been involved in the community school initiative since the beginning.

Before the initiative could be funded by the Florida Legislature, Bundy and others had to address concerns that there be quality control over what they had identified as the key elements of a community school model.

“We were proposing to replicate a model developed by the Children’s Aid Society of New York, which has almost 20 years of supporting research,” Bundy says. “The model included core partners, after-school programs, on-site health care, and parent and student engagement that were integral to the success of the model.”

Additionally, Bundy says, “The primary purpose of the certification is to ensure fidelity with a proven model and to protect the use of the Community Partnership School model as one that is consistent and includes a rigorous quality assurance process.”

�鶹ԭ�� provides ongoing technical assistance and training for schools becoming a Community Partnership School, says Amy Ellis, director of the Center for Community Schools. The model requires signed, multi-year commitments from a school district, health care provider, university or college, and a lead nonprofit partner. These partners work together with the school’s leadership, as well as community and student leadership councils.

“All of our partners are deeply committed to our children and their families,” Ellis says. “Why? So they, too, can support families and lift students to new heights of success.” Evans’ other partners include Orange County Public Schools, Children’s Home Society of Florida, and Orange Blossom Family Health.

Since Evans became a Community Partnership School, student test scores and other metrics have significantly increased, Ellis says. Especially notable: Evans’ graduation rate has improved from 64 percent in the 2010-2011 school year (when CPS efforts began) to 87 percent in the 2016-2017 school year. Prior to becoming a Community Partnership School, Evans was labeled a “dropout factory” by Johns Hopkins University.

“There are other ‘community schools’ throughout the nation, but few if any have all the components and commitment of the Community Partnership School model,” Ellis says. “Achieving status as a �鶹ԭ��-Certified Community Partnership School sets Evans apart from other schools, and represents years of intentional, dedicated work to building partnership and aligning resources to ensure student success and well-being.”

�鶹ԭ�� Helps Bring Community Partners Together to Support New School in Parramore

Karen Guin — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 15:43:39 +0000

The design for a stunning new school opening today in Orlando’s Parramore neighborhood got its start on a napkin in New York City.

Architects for the new Orange County school were touring public “community schools” in New York that had a track record of helping children in poverty succeed and thrive with support from community partners such as the Children’s Aid Society. The community schools offered health care, enrichment programs and other services for students.

The architects were looking for design ideas for a school to be opened in Parramore and were excited by what they saw, said Nancy Ellis, director of the Center for Community Partnerships and a graduate of the doctoral program in public affairs at the �鶹ԭ��. “By lunch they were making sketches on what was handy in one of the school’s cafeteria.”

Ellis and colleagues at the College of Health and Public Affairs, Children’s Home Society of Florida and True Health had already partnered with Orange County Public Schools to develop a community school at Evans High School in Pine Hills that began in 2010.

The high school was seeing a steady increase in its graduation rate and the future seemed promising, so Orange County School Superintendent Barbara Jenkins wanted the new school in Parramore to be a community school too, said Ellis.

Ellis coordinated the 2015 trip for the principal architects from Baker Barrios, the Orlando-based architecture firm hired by the school district, and representatives from the school district, �鶹ԭ�� and Children’s Home Society of Florida.

The following year she coordinated a similar trip for three new community partners now involved in the Parramore school project — Orange Blossom Family Health, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, and the Rosen Foundation. Andrew Rollins, the newly hired principal, went as well.

Both trips and ongoing conversations among the partners have helped the school district reach its milestone today of launching the new OCPS Academic Center for Excellence as a community school for some 1,200 students and their families and community.

The school will serve not only Parramore but also the Callahan and Holden Heights neighborhoods, said school board District 5 representative Kate Gordon at an Aug. 9 sneak peek of the school.

“The parents are excited. The students are excited. We’re going to do great things this year,” said Rollins, who earned two degrees in education at �鶹ԭ��.

OCPS ACE is formally known as a Community Partnership School, the name coined by �鶹ԭ�� and Children’s Home Society of Florida for the school model developed at Evans High.

All community schools foster strong partnerships to support the well-being of students and their families and communities, but the programs and services vary depending on the needs, said Amy Ellis, assistant director of the Center for Community Schools at �鶹ԭ��.

In the case of Community Partnership Schools, four types of community partners are always involved — a school district, a university or college, a nonprofit and a health care provider. Other types of community partners participate, too, and can play a major role.

For OCPS ACE the partnerships are among Orange County Public Schools, �鶹ԭ��, Valencia College, Children’s Home Society of Florida, Orange Blossom Family Health, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, and the Rosen Foundation.

The partnerships mean OCPS ACE can offer tutoring and mentoring programs; professional development for teachers; before- and after-school services; a resource center for parents; onsite medical, dental and behavioral health services; athletic, arts and summer programs; and a high-quality preschool program.

“Community Partnership Schools are among the most comprehensive community schools in the world,” said Amy Ellis, a former community school administrator at Evans who has visited community schools in England and is studying them as a doctoral student in education leadership at �鶹ԭ��.

The Community Partnership Schools model is now recognized as a national community school model by the Coalition for Community Schools in Washington.

The Florida Legislature appropriated more than $4 million dollars during the past four years for the development of Community Partnership Schools across the state.

Currently, eight public schools in Florida have become Community Partnership Schools with state support, including Evans and OCPS ACE in Orlando and schools in Pensacola, Jacksonville, Tampa, Holiday and Cocoa. Five others are implementing the Community Partnership Schools model with support from their local community, and another four are in the emerging phase, said Amy Ellis.

Early-outcomes data is impressive. Evans’s graduation rate has increased from 64 percent in 2011 to 88 percent in 2017. C.A. Weis Elementary School in Pensacola began offering behavioral health services when it became a Community Partnership School in 2015. Since then more than 100 children have been referred to behavioral health care and 81 new cases have been opened, according to school director John Sherman. Student referrals dropped 43 percent and suspensions dropped 50 percent in the first year.

Sherman’s position as director is one of four staff positions found at all Community Partnership Schools – a director, an after-school coordinator, a health programs’ coordinator and a parent resource coordinator. The positions are partially supported with legislative funding.

Shannon Currie has been on board as the Community Partnership School director at OCPS ACE since last year. She is an employee of Children’s Home Society of Florida, works closely with the school principal, and receives training and technical support from the Center for Community Schools at �鶹ԭ��.

“It’s an amazing experience to be a partner and to understand what it takes to support a school holistically,” Currie said. “I’m doing what I love to do – to serve people. What I want them to know is that they have access to support. If they know that, then we’re doing our job.”

�鶹ԭ��, Evans High School Team Up to Show the Way to College

zkotala — Wed, 14 Oct 2015 16:34:54 +0000

Earning a higher education can transform lives. It can lead to a career designing cool video games, engineering innovative prosthetics for children, healing illnesses, performing on stage in front of thousands, launching a business or perhaps even curing cancer.

Getting high school students to dream is not the problem. Getting them excited and ready to start their careers in college is, and that’s why �鶹ԭ�� and Evans High School ● A Community School are teaming up at �鶹ԭ�� Takeover Week Oct. 12-16.

�鶹ԭ�� students, faculty, administrators and volunteers will spend time at Evans this week helping students envision college as part of their future and then showing them the tools and roadmaps to get there.

Organizers are also delivering another message: College can be fun.

Knightro, �鶹ԭ��’s mascot, the �鶹ԭ�� cheerleaders and the band will all perform at Evans as a way to showcase the fun side of college life. More than 30 student organizations will talk to students about the kinds of clubs and activities they can pursue from dance to engineering. Evans students also will get an opportunity to listen to �鶹ԭ�� admissions and financial aid officers talk about getting ready for college, successfully navigating the admissions process, and payment options.

“This is about connecting with students and families in our community and making sure they know that higher education can very much be part of their future,” said Michael Frumkin, dean of the �鶹ԭ�� College of Health and Public Affairs. The college played a major role in organizing the event along with �鶹ԭ��’s Student Development and Enrollment Services division. “We want all students to know we are here for them and to help them best prepare for a successful journey to college.”

Last year, 15 �鶹ԭ�� students were volunteer mentors to ninth-graders at Evans, offering the teens support and guidance for success in life. �鶹ԭ�� Takeover Week is another way to introduce more �鶹ԭ�� students to Evans. Organizers hope the event will also inspire them and others in the community to become mentors and to continue delivering the message that college is accessible.

And because getting to college isn’t just up to students, �鶹ԭ�� is also hosting a parent-information session at Evans from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15.

During the session parents can watch several panel presentations about the admissions process, paying for college, and the benefits of alternative pathways to college, such as ROTC and DirectConnect to �鶹ԭ��.

Students and parents also will get the opportunity to see some of the innovative things students at �鶹ԭ�� are doing, including designing computer games, engineering devices that help the disabled, and much more.

A schedule of events:

Monday

11-12:30 p.m.: Kickoff with performances by Knightro, �鶹ԭ�� cheerleaders and dance team

2:30-4:45 p.m.: Cultural fair featuring 12 �鶹ԭ�� clubs including Black Student Union, Colombian Student Association and Giving Back Evans Alumni.

Tuesday

11-12:30 p.m.: Outreach and mentoring of students

2:30-4:45 p.m.: Nine different sessions on everything from undergraduate admissions to academic resources at �鶹ԭ��

Thursday

11-12:30 p.m.: Greek organizations

5-7 p.m.: Parent information session

Friday

11-12:30 p.m.: Student leadership opportunities at �鶹ԭ�� and performance by �鶹ԭ�� Band.