(from Nonprofit Quarterly) Part of the agreement that ended the recent Los Angeles teachers' strike was to convert 30 schools in high need areas into "community schools.” While a community school can be a charter school, they are usually regular public schools based around the core idea that schools should be “neighborhood hubs that bring together families, educators, government agencies and community groups and organizations to provide all the opportunities and services young people need to thrive.” Outcomes for community schools, like charters, vary, but data on their overall impact is positive. A research review published in 2017 found that "well-designed community schools are effective in meeting the educational needs of low-achieving students in high-poverty schools.” The nonprofit Coalition for Community Schools estimates that today there are more than 5,000 community schools nationwide.
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