Frequently Asked Questions — Using American Rescue Plan Funding to Support Full-Service Community Schools
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A document of frequently asked questions from the U.S. Department of Education, dated July 2021 under Secretary Miguel A. Cardona, on using American Rescue Plan funding to support full-service community schools and related strategies. A banner states that the document has been formally rescinded by the Department and remains on the web for historical purposes only. The contents list questions such as what a full-service community school is, whether ARP ESSER funds may be used to support existing and new ones, and how funds might support integrated student supports, collaborative leadership and expanded learning time. Only the front matter and contents were read.
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“Frequently Asked Questions — Using American Rescue Plan Funding to Support Full-Service Community Schools.”
Original at www.ed.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/department-of-education-english-www-ed-gov-ba0b215f49/
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Rescinded: This document has been formally rescinded by the Department and
remains available on the web for historical purposes only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Using American Rescue Plan Funding to Support
Full-Service Community Schools & Related Strategies
1
U.S. Department of Education
Dr. Miguel A. Cardona
Secretary of Education
July 2021
This report is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted.
While permission to reprint this publication is not necessary, the citation should be U.S.
Department of Education, Frequently Asked Questions: Using American Rescue Plan Funding to
Support Full-Service Community Schools & Related Strategies, Washington, DC, 2021. This
report is available on the Department’s website at 21-0138-ARP-Community-Schools-OMB-and-
OS-Approved-1.pdf.
Availability of Alternate Formats
On request, this publication is available in alternate formats, such as Braille or large print. For
more information, please contact the Department’s Alternate Format Center at 202-260-0818
or via e-mail at alternateformatcenter@ed.gov.
Notice to Limited English Proficient Persons
If you have difficulty understanding English, you may request language assistance services for
Department information that is available to the public. These language assistance services are
available free of charge. If you need more information about interpretation or translation
services, please call 1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800- 872-5327) (TTY: 1-800-877-8339), email us at
Ed.Language.Assistance@ed.gov, or write to U.S. Department of Education, Information
Resource Center, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20202.
2
Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 4
Frequently Asked Questions ........................................................................................................... 6
1. What is a full-service community school and what makes it evidence-based? ......................... 6
2. Is there evidence that full-service community schools improve student outcomes? ............... 7
3. How are full-service community schools responding to the impacts of the COVID-19
pandemic?....................................................................................................................................... 7
4. May ARP ESSER funds be used to support existing and new full-service community schools?. 8
5. How might ARP ESSER funds be used to provide assistance to families and communities? ..... 9
6. How might ARP ESSER funds be used to provide integrated student supports? ..................... 10
7. How might ARP ESSER funds be used to support collaborative leadership and practices? ..... 11
8. How might ARP ESSER funds support effective approaches to expanded and enriched learning
time? ............................................................................................................................................. 12
9. What is the role of community-based organizations in supporting full-service community
schools?......................................................................................................................................... 13
10. May ARP ESSER funds be used to support a site-level community school coordinator?....... 13
11. May ARP ESSER funds be used to conduct a community needs and asset assessment?....... 13
12. What are the roles of the State educational agency (SEA) and school district in supporting
and sustaining full-service community school approaches? ........................................................ 14
13. In addition to ARP ESSER, what federal funds may be used to support and sustain
community school approaches? ................................................................................................... 15
3
Introduction
With the passage of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021, and the previous relief
packages, states, districts, and schools have significant federal resources available to implement
evidence-based1 and practitioner-informed strategies to meet the needs of students related to
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). While the pandemic has impacted all communities, it has
had a more devastating impact on communities of color. For many schools, returning to how
they were designed prior to the pandemic will not address the full impact of COVID-19 on
student social, emotional, physical, and mental health, and academic needs. Fortunately, ARP
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funds provide an opportunity
to make the kinds of investments that build local capacity in ways that sustain meaningful and
effective teaching and learning. If well invested, ARP ESSER funds can help to address gaps in
educational opportunity and outcomes not just through the COVID-19 pandemic, but beyond.
One important allowable use of ARP ESSER funds specified in the statute is to support full-
service community schools. Full-service community schools work with families, students,
teachers, and community organizations to identify the unmet needs of students and families
and develop a plan to leverage community resources to address these needs in the school
building, turning schools into community hubs. Full-service community school approaches can
bring needed support for students and families into our public schools, such as after-school
programs, health and social services, and other comprehensive services. They can therefore
help ensure that no child’s opportunities are determined by their zip code, family’s income,
race/ethnicity, disability status, or other factors. Research shows that evidence-based
approaches to community schools can improve student social, emotional, and academic
outcomes.2 The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) currently offers grants for full-
service community schools to improve coordination, integration, accessibility, and effectiveness
of services for children and families. ARP ESSER funds may be used to replicate, expand, and
scale-up these efforts.
This document includes “Frequently Asked Questions” intended to support state and local
efforts in effectively using ARP ESSER funds to advance evidence-based full-service community
schools and related approaches.
1
The ARP Act defines the term “evidence-based” as having the meaning in section 8101(21) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Accordingly, “evidence-based” includes several tiers of evidence.
Specifically, “evidence-based,” when used with respect to a state, LEA, or school activity, means an activity,
strategy, or intervention that: (1) demonstrates a statistically significant effect on improving student outcomes or
other relevant outcomes based on strong evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented
experimental study (“tier 1”); moderate evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented quasi
experimental study (“tier 2”); or promising evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented
correlational study with statistical controls for selection bias (“tier 3”); or (2) demonstrates a rationale based on
high-quality research findings or positive evaluation that such activity, strategy, or intervention is likely to improve
student outcomes or other relevant outcomes and includes ongoing efforts to examine the effects of such activity,
strategy, or intervention (“tier 4”).
2
Johnston, W.., et al (2020). Illustrating the Promise of Community Schools, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA.
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR3200/RR3245/RAND_RR3245.pdf.
4
Engaging the School Community
As states, districts, and schools work to develop and implement strategies under ARP ESSER,
including full-service community school approaches, engagement with educators, students,
families, and the school community is key and is required under ARP. School representatives
should include, at a minimum, administrators, educators, specialized instructional support
personnel (e.g., paraprofessionals), related service providers, early childhood education
providers, school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, school nurses,
custodial personnel, transportation personnel, food service personnel, and family services
representatives. Strategic planning should include student and family representatives and
individuals and organizations that represent the interests of students, staff, and parents with
disabilities as well as English learners and families needing translation or interpreting services.
To that end, schools and school districts should also conduct active and specific engagement
with underserved students and families – including students and parents of students of color,
Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students, English learners, students with
disabilities, migratory students, students in foster care, students in correctional facilities, and
students experiencing homelessness. This engagement should begin early in any process and
should be ongoing and collaborative.
Legal Disclaimer
Other than statutory and regulatory requirements referred to in this document, the contents of
this document do not have the force or effect of law and are not meant to bind the public. This
document is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements
under the law or agency policies.
In addition, this document contains resources that are provided for the user’s convenience. The
inclusion of these materials is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to
endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered. These materials may contain the
views and recommendations of various subject-matter experts as well as hypertext links,
contact addresses, and websites to information created and maintained by other public and
private organizations. The opinions expressed in any of these materials do not necessarily
reflect the positions or policies of the Department. The Department does not control or
guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any outside information
included in these materials. Inclusion of such information does not constitute an endorsement
by the Department or the federal government, nor a preference/support for these examples as
compared with others that might be available.
5
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a full-service community school and what makes it evidence-based?
A full-service community school is a public elementary or secondary school that uses
established partnerships between schools, families, and community organizations to provide
well-rounded educational opportunities and meet the social, emotional, physical, and mental
health, and academic needs of students.
Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and the ARP Act, a full-
service community school is defined as a public elementary or secondary school that3:
(a) Participates in a community-based effort to coordinate and integrate educational,
developmental, family, health, and other comprehensive services through community-
based organizations and public and private partnerships; and
(b) Provides access to such services in school to students, families, and the community, such as
access during the school year (including before- and after-school hours and weekends), as
well as during the summer.
Research shows that there are certain design features that are common across full-service
community schools that improve teaching, learning, and student outcomes. These evidence-
based features (sometimes referred to as “pillars”) include providing (1) integrated supports
(e.g., social and emotional learning, access to health and nutrition services);(2) expanded and
enriched learning time (e.g., after-school enrichment and summer school);(3) active family and
community engagement; and (4) collaborative leadership and practices to support high-quality
teaching. Evidence-based full-service community schools create and implement at least these
strategies as part of a comprehensive set of strategies that are designed to reflect and be
tailored to local contexts.
A school need not be a full-service community school to adopt the approaches that have led
community schools to improve student outcomes. Broadly, a full-service community school is a
partnership among school staff, families, children, youth, and the community to raise student
achievement by ensuring that children are physically, emotionally, and socially supported to
learn. A full-service community school can also serve as a neighborhood center or hub by
providing access to such critical programs and services as health care, mentoring, expanded
learning programs, adult education, and other services that support the whole child, engage
families, and strengthen the entire community.4 (The questions that follow describe
approaches and strategies that full-service community schools commonly implement and that
3
Section 4622 of the ESEA.
4
Coalition for Community Schools, “What Is a Community School?” webpage, undated. As of June 5, 2017:
http://www.communityschools.org/aboutschools/what_is_a_community_school.aspx.
Dryfoos, J.G., and Maguire. S. (2002), Inside Full-Service Community Schools, Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin.
Warren, M. (2005), Communities and Schools: A New View of Urban Education Reform, Harvard Educational
Review, Vol. 75, No. 2, July 2005.
6
schools and school districts that are not full-service community schools might adopt to support
students, their families, and their community as they respond to and recover from the COVID-
19 pandemic.
2. Is there evidence that full-service community schools improve student
outcomes?
Yes, according to a 2020 RAND Corporation Study5 of New York City community schools (the
study uses the term “community school” rather than “full-service community school”), the
approach had a positive impact on student attendance in elementary, middle, and high schools
and across all three years that outcomes were measured (2015–2016, 2016–2017, and 2017–
2018). The study also found positive and significant impacts on elementary and middle school
students’ on-time grade progression and suggested a reduction in disciplinary incidents for
elementary and middle school students. The study found that the community schools had a
positive impact on students’ mathematics achievement in the final year of the study. Further,
based on a comprehensive analysis of 143 studies,6 the Learning Policy Institute concluded that
well-implemented community schools lead to improvement in student and school outcomes
and contribute to meeting the educational needs of struggling students in schools with high
poverty rates.
3. How are full-service community schools responding to the impacts of the
COVID-19 pandemic?
Full-service community schools have been particularly well-positioned to respond to the
impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including by working closely with partner organizations to
address community needs. Strategies to address those needs may include summer
programming, food and nutrition programs, tutoring, mentoring, mental and physical health
services, COVID-19 vaccine access, and family engagement strategies.
For example, at the beginning of the pandemic, the Los Angeles Education Partnership Full-
Service Community School’s teaching and learning coordinators moved quickly to coach and
support teachers, including by producing templates for shifting to digital instruction. 7
Additionally, the coordinators led professional development and self-care activities and
facilitated instructor-led training for decision-making on school schedules, instructional norms
and expectations, and data analysis. The coordinators took attendance to help counselors reach
5
Johnston, W.., et al (2020). Illustrating the Promise of Community Schools, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA.-
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR3200/RR3245/RAND_RR3245.pdf.
6
Maier, A., Daniel, J., Oakes, J., & Lam, L. (2017). Community Schools: An Evidence-Based Strategy for Equitable
School Improvement. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute.
7
The Los Angeles Education Partnership’s (LAEP) “community-school model leverages and aligns community
resources and school assets to build collaborative, problem-solving systems that address barriers to learning and
create ways to address the opportunity gap. LAEP’s community-school coordinators work with educators,
nonprofits, government agencies and businesses to transform the schools into hubs for integrated services for
students and families, as well as culturally vibrant educational centers.”
7
absent students, and they helped staff engage all students, including through specific strategies
for English learners, students with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations.
Additionally, the goals of the Berea Independent School District’s Full-Service Community
Schools in Berea, Kentucky are to provide evidence-based interventions, such as summer
learning, extended-day comprehensive after-school programs, and programs that respond to
students’ academic, social, and emotional needs. These programs as mentioned in their
program application address the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
underserved students, including students experiencing homelessness and youth in foster care.
Their plans included providing interventionist support for reading and math; professional
development for elementary school teachers in reading instruction/concepts; and closing the
gap of learning lost through multi-tiered systems of support.
4. May ARP ESSER funds be used to support existing and new full-service
community schools?
Yes, ARP ESSER funds may be used to expand existing full-service community schools and to
implement the model in new schools. In addition to ARP ESSER funds, states and districts have
the flexibility to use ESSER or Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds under the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Coronavirus Response and
Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act to support full-service community schools as
part of their efforts to address the impact of COVID-19 on student social, emotional, mental
health, and academic needs. Additionally, districts may use funds to develop or expand in-
school student support centers that provide mentoring, counseling, and social and emotional
learning supports to students in individual or group sessions. These uses of funds are consistent
with the mission of many full-service community schools which is to provide an integrated focus
on academics, health and social services, youth and community development and community
engagement in effort to lead to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier
communities.8
Further, the ARP Act requires that states and districts reserve a portion of their ARP ESSER
funds to address the academic impact of lost instructional time through evidence-based
interventions that respond to the social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs of all
students, and particularly those students disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19
pandemic, including students from low-income families, students of color, English learners,
children with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, children and youth in foster
care, migratory students, and youth who are incarcerated. An evidence-based full-service
community school approach is specifically identified in the ARP Act as an allowable use of ARP
ESSER funds and may be a key component of these efforts. Research shows that full-service
community schools that improve teaching and learning provide integrated student supports,
8
Coalition for Community Schools, “What is a Community School.”
http://www.communityschools.org/aboutschools/what_is_a_community_school.aspx.
8
access to expanded learning time opportunities and support strong family and community
engagement and collaborative leadership and practice.
5. How might ARP ESSER funds be used to provide assistance to families and
communities?
Providing assistance to families and communities is beneficial in all schools and an approach
present in evidence-based full-service community schools. For example, any school receiving
ARP ESSER funds may use these funds to provide resources on how parents and families can
effectively support students and their reengagement and success in school. Schools may also
partner with community-based organizations to support parents and communities by:
• Providing information on access to meal programs and other programs and services that
meet basic student and family needs;
• Developing and implementing parent-teacher home visit strategies by educators and
other education professionals;
• Providing adult education, including integrated English literacy and civics instruction
programs, financial literacy education, programs that lead to a high school diploma or its
equivalent, career training, or credit recovery programs;
• Providing workforce development activities, including career readiness and
employability skills training, job search and preparation services, work-based learning
connections, and career advancement activities;
• Developing and implementing programs that aid family and community well-being,
including accessing homeless prevention services;
• Developing and implementing programs that promote parental involvement and family
literacy and provide volunteer opportunities;
• Providing digital literacy training and technical support for families to effectively use
technology to improve parent-teacher engagement, information sharing, and support
for student learning;
• Providing supports for children and young people involved in the child welfare system;
• Providing higher education preparation courses; and
• Developing and providing child abuse and neglect prevention activities.
As part of these efforts, schools should provide family members with resources and strategies
to support their children’s learning. Any information must be communicated to limited English
proficient parents in a language they can understand. In addition, schools should effectively
communicate all this information to parents with disabilities.
The supports and services that have been provided over the last year to respond to the
COVID-19 pandemic may continue to be provided in the upcoming school year. For example,
throughout the pandemic, in rural Minnesota, the Deer River Community School provided
weekly food deliveries from a local pantry to families that did not have transportation. They
also identified families that had not reached out to the teachers or logged into technology
9
platforms. Home visits at a socially appropriate distance were done to make sure families were
not missed during outreach and engagement efforts. ARP ESSER funds may be used to support
these types of services and family engagement activities.
6. How might ARP ESSER funds be used to provide integrated student supports?
ARP ESSER funds may be used by districts and schools to partner with community-based
organizations and for programs to provide innovative integrated services for students and
families as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Providing integrated students supports is
beneficial in all schools and an approach present in evidence-based full-service community
schools. For example, the City Connects program structures collaborations between school
counselors (or social workers) and instructional staff to develop customized support plans that
address individual student needs. Based on those plans, the program provides enrichment,
offers early intervention services, or, in the case of students in crisis or in need of more serious
intervention, promotes referrals to community resources. The Communities in Schools program
emphasizes dropout prevention and, similar to City Connects, offers both school-wide and
more intensive interventions, including those related to academics, basic needs and physical
health, mental health, and social skills and life skills, among others.
At the REACH Academy elementary school in the Oakland Unified School District, staff were on
high alert for signs of new or deepening mental health issues and trauma due to the COVID-19
pandemic. During check-in calls, staff used a comprehensive questionnaire to determine how
well families were managing stress and referred people for counseling and other services
through their network of local partners.
In Peoria Public Schools, the Panorama Social-Emotional Learning Screener helps teachers and
administrators measure and improve social-emotional learning (SEL) skills and competencies for
their students. The screener measures four competencies for students in second grade through
high school: self-management, growth mindset, self-awareness, and teacher/student
relationships. Data from the screener provides a high-level picture of SEL at each school,
including strengths and opportunities for growth. Educators can use this data to strengthen
students’ individual SEL skills by focusing on social-emotional outcomes using Panorama’s
Playbook platform and resources.
In North Carolina, the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County worked closely with
Asheville City Schools and used funds to host group therapy with local mental health providers
through online video conferencing platforms, like Zoom. Coordinators and teachers held mental
wellness check-ins with their students and parents each day and hosted virtual lunches with
them to maintain social relationships.
10
7. How might ARP ESSER funds be used to support collaborative leadership and
practices?
ARP ESSER funds may be used to support collaborative leadership and practices that include
educators, administrators, and union leaders as schools continue to respond to and recover
from the COVID-19 pandemic. These practices are beneficial in all schools and are an approach
present in evidence-based full-service community schools. Collaborations may be established to
focus on school governance and program planning, the coordination of integrated student and
family services and supports, and the development of strong relationships between school staff
and members of the community. An example of this kind of practice is a site-based team
focused on improving school discipline policy (e.g., implementing restorative justice programs
or strategies for building trusting relationships among students, educators, staff, and families)
and classroom teaching and learning (e.g., incorporating social and emotional learning into
instructional design or providing project-based learning opportunities for students). These kinds
of practices are especially critical as schools work to reengage students and families and
address areas of concern or any distrust that may be preventing a student from returning to
school for in-person instruction. Collaborative leadership and practices can also ensure that any
integrated student and family support services provided are culturally and linguistically
responsive to the student and family needs.
Collaborations that include teachers and unions may provide formal structures for shared
decision-making, treat teachers as true partners in the decision-making, and improve outcomes
for students. These kinds of practices have been shown to improve student achievement and
increase teacher retention.9
Wolfe Street Academy in Baltimore, Maryland has developed strong partnerships with families
and community organizations, which have been critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. For
example, when some parents lost their jobs because of the pandemic, including those without
documentation, they turned to Wolfe Street to help them fill out applications for food benefits
and identify other sources of economic relief. This established trust helped families access
critical services they might have otherwise been reluctant to apply for. The school’s local
community group, the Upper Fells Point Improvement Association, also collected donations to
ensure that families could continue receiving weekly fresh produce, and what had been a
school pick-up for 25 families became a delivery to 100 families in the neighborhood.
At the Mendez High School community school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, in
advance of the 2020-2021 school year, administrators created opportunities for families, staff,
and students to plan together for the coming year. Staff members surveyed students and found
that the six-course schedule in the semester system was overwhelming to students during the
COVID-19 pandemic. The Local School Leadership committee (made up of students, parents,
teachers, community partners, and the principal) and its scheduling subcommittee proposed
9
McCarthy, J. and Rubinstein, S. (2017). National Study on Union-Management Partnerships and Educator
Collaboration in US Public Schools, ILR Cornell University and Rutgers University.
11
switching to a quarter system in the fall that would give students and teachers fewer
concurrent classes to manage and provide more opportunities for student support.
8. How might ARP ESSER funds support effective approaches to expanded and
enriched learning time?
ARP ESSER funds may be used to increase student access to expanded and enriched learning
time. Providing expanded and enriched learning time is also an approach present in evidence-
based full-service community schools. In addition to using funds under the allowable use of
funds to support evidence-based full-service community schools, section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP
Act requires districts to reserve not less than 20% of ARP ESSER funds to address the academic
impact of lost instructional time (i.e. learning loss) through the implementation of evidence-
based interventions – such as summer learning or summer enrichment, extended day,
comprehensive after-school or extended school year programs – and ensure those
interventions respond to students’ social, emotional, and academic needs, and address the
disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on underrepresented student subgroups.
For example, funds may be used to provide the following through expanded and enriched
learning time:
• Before- and after-school and summer learning programs;
• Additional academic instruction and high-quality, evidence-based approaches to
academic tutoring (see page 20 of Volume 2 of the ED COVID-19 Handbook: Roadmap to
Reopening Safely and Meeting All Students’ Needs for additional information on
evidence-based approaches to tutoring);
• Mentorship programs;
• Workforce development activities for students, including career and technical
education, career counseling, internships and other work-based learning, pre-
apprenticeship programs, and service-learning opportunities;
• Restorative justice programs and other initiatives that are responsive to student social
and emotional well-being;
• Student support services for children with disabilities; and
• College access support, including earning college credit while in high school, summer
bridge programs, college counseling, or other services geared towards college success.
For example, Cincinnati, Ohio used CARES ESSER funds to offer students summer learning
programs that address the impact of lost instructional time due to the COVID-19 pandemic and
provide learning opportunities that could be sustained when schools resume in the fall. These
summer learning programs include weeklong enrichment activities in the afternoon after the
morning academic classes. Mental health partners have been integrated into the summer
session and will be working closely with the teachers on supporting social and emotional
learning. Access to the health centers, dental and vision services, and college preparation
programs will continue to be provided through the summer.
12
9. What is the role of community-based organizations in supporting full-service
community schools?
Community-based organizations play a critical role in providing supplemental support services
that cannot be provided by the school. These services, in the form of enrichment programs,
physical and mental health services, and recreational programming, are critical to the academic
success of students. Community-based organizations can also support schools by providing
resources and supports to families in their home language. As an example, one community-
based organization, the City Connects program, intentionally structures collaborations between
school counselors (or social workers) and instructional staff to develop customized support
plans that address individual student needs. Based on those plans, the program provides
enrichment, offers early intervention services, or, in the case of students in crisis or in need of
more serious intervention, promotes referrals to community resources.
10. May ARP ESSER funds be used to support a site-level community school
coordinator?
Yes, ARP ESSER funds may be used for a site-level community school coordinator who helps
coordinate and lead partnership and engagement efforts and the integrated services that the
school provides, including services to respond to the needs of students as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
A site-level coordinator plays an integral role in implementing the community schools model
with fidelity, often serving as the lead facilitator and recruiter for programs tailored to the
school community using data obtained from community and assets assessments. At one
elementary school in Milwaukee, a full-service community school coordinator worked with
families to make sure 100% of assignments were complete online. In addition to supporting
families online, the community school coordinator made home visits using social distancing
guidelines to check in on students and their families. Another example is the Binghamton
University Community Schools Network, where community school coordinators, through their
regional technical assistance center, provided drop-in coffee hours for teachers and
administrators to get tips and training around COVID-19 pandemic responses in community
schools.
11. May ARP ESSER funds be used to conduct a community needs and asset
assessment?
Yes, ARP ESSER funds may be used by the district or school to conduct a community needs and
asset assessment. Conducting a community needs and asset assessment is a critical step prior
to expanding or starting a full-service community school and can also be conducted by any
district or school. The community needs and asset assessment are a survey of the community
organizations and businesses that can assist the school in determining the needs of students
13
and families and the resources available to help address them. This assessment process can also
inform programming and other actions of a full-service community school.
12. What are the roles of the State educational agency (SEA) and school district in
supporting and sustaining full-service community school approaches?
Both the SEA and school district play a critical role in supporting and sustaining the full-service
community school approach. The SEA may provide state funding and support at the state level
for local districts. The school district directly funds and supervises the work of community
schools at the local level. A number of states and districts have taken steps to support these
community school approaches, with several states already using their federal relief funds to
support and expand access to full-service community schools.
California is providing $45 million, including from its ESSER funding, to start a competitive state
grant program for school districts to support and expand existing community school initiatives.
The state legislature passed a proposal providing the grant program with up to $3 billion in one-
time funding to develop new and expand existing community school initiatives. Schools serving
80% or more of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals would be prioritized. California
is also seeking to establish a network of at least five regional technical assistance centers to
support community school grantees with conducting community needs assessments, improving
family and community engagement and partnerships, developing sustainable funding,
coordinating services across agencies and schools, and combining funding for services from
multiple sources.
Illinois is using more than $100 million of its ESSER funding to support community schools.
Vermont is using $3.4 million in ARP ESSER funds to support community schools including
community school coordinators, collaborative needs and assets assessments, and evidence-
based programming. Vermont’s underlying legislation defines evidence-based pillars of
community schools to support research-based program design and use of funds. Funds are
targeted to schools where at least 40% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. New
Mexico provides technical assistance to,(including working sessions and resources describing
evidence-based strategies that have been vetted) to and conducts annual evaluations of, the 54
community schools in the state, each of which has a full-service community school coordinator;
programming aligned with the evidence-based approaches; and at least 40% of students
qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. The SEA is supported by the New Mexico Community
Schools State Coalition, an appointed body of educators, advocates, and researchers with
community school expertise.
At the school district level, New York City’s well documented and successful10 community
school initiative is being sustained within its Recovery Budget, which will include $10 million in
10
Johnston, William R., John Engberg, Isaac M. Opper, Lisa Sontag-Padilla, and Lea Xenakis, What Is the Impact of
the New York City Community Schools Initiative? City of New York, 2020.
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB10107.html.
14
fiscal year 2022. This funding will help the city work towards its goal of having community
schools in every district and increasing the number of community schools citywide, from 266 to
406. Both New Mexico, as previously described, and New York City, have taken a similar
approach as Vermont by focusing programming and technical assistance on the evidence-based
pillars of effective full-service community schools.
13. In addition to ARP ESSER, what federal funds may be used to support and
sustain community school approaches?
The following are examples of other federal funds that may be used to support and sustain
community school approaches related to providing comprehensive supports to students and
their families:
• Title I, Part A of the ESEA permits a school district to use Title I funds to provide
academic supports to struggling students, which may include expanded learning time,
before- and after-school programs, and summer programs.
• Title II, Part A of the ESEA supports educator professional development, which could
include professional learning related to community school practices such as
collaborative leadership and family engagement.
• Title IV, Part A of the ESEA permits school districts to use funds to support a well-
rounded education and provide other supports to promote the safety and health of
students.
• The 21st Century Community Learning Center program under Title IV, Part B of the ESEA
provides funding to school districts, community organizations, and other entities to
provide before- and after-school and summer academic enrichment activities.
• Title VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act provides support for
students experiencing homelessness.
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