Reduced absences and suspension rates, increased test scores among consistent positive impacts in just one year

SAN DIEGO – California Teachers Association (CTA) educators, education leaders and policy experts joined students and parents at a San Diego Community School today (full video available here) to discuss exciting new findings from a landmark study by the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) that shows major positive impacts of Community Schools on student learning, achievement and well-being.

At a time when public schools across the country are grappling with unprecedented challenges, LPI’s Community Schools Impact on Student Outcomes shares encouraging results from their research of the first cohort of California Community Schools Partnership Program grantees with a full year of student outcome data available – finding significant impacts on students, including reduced chronic absences and suspension rates and improved test scores, with the largest gains among historically underserved students. The evidence shows the state’s investment in Community Schools is already creating transformative change, even in a short time.

CTA President David Goldberg shared at the press conference:

“This report underscores what we already see happening at Community Schools across California – this is a model for public education that works. Our union has been proud to advocate for historic investment in this model that brings educators, parents, students, community organizations, and administrators to the same table to make decisions about their school together. At a time when public education is under attack at the federal level, in California we are investing in models that work and organizing together for the schools our students deserve.”

A Community School is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school, families, and other community organizations with an integrated focus on academics, health and wellness, leadership and community engagement, which can lead to improved student attendance, achievement, and school climate. Community Schools represent a collaborative effort where educators, parents, families, and community groups share decision-making power with school district administrators to best provide the support students and families need every day.  Encanto Community Schools Coordinator Clarissa Elmore said, “Being a community school means inviting parents to the table – not just as participants, but as thought partners and leaders.”

Since they reflect their unique community needs, every Community School is different, with all stakeholders (students, families, community members,  educators and school administrators) having a voice in determining how best to serve students. This shared governance component is crucial to the success of a Community School, and our union has been diligent across the state in fighting to get school district administrators to embrace this crucial collaboration.

“Here in San Diego, we are centering site-based councils and joint leadership structures that ensure educators, families, and community voices shape every step of implementation. This model validates that when stakeholders share decision-making power, schools become more responsive and equitable for our students and communities,” shared Kyle Weinberg, Special Education teacher and President of the San Diego Education Association.

Community Schools are more than just an approach to service delivery; they represent a fundamental shift from traditional factory model schooling toward a whole child, community-engaged approach. Community schools invest in what matters to the community: rich learning opportunities for all students, strong teaching, meaningful family and community engagement and collaboration, a welcoming school climate, and necessary supports that address barriers to learning. When public funds for this work are directed to communities where historical disinvestment has occurred–as California’s grant program has done–community schools can help to redress inequities and strengthen ties between communities and their public schools.

While the Community Schools model has existed for more than a hundred years, the approach gained wider use in California in 2019 when United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) members won funding for 30 Community Schools during their historic strike. In 2021, our union engaged Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature about this opportunity to create transformative change in California public schools for our students and communities, securing more than $3 billion in one-time funding through 2028 to expand Community Schools across the state. At CTA’s urging, this amount was later increased by state leaders to $4.1 billion, while President Joe Biden directed an additional $445 million in federal funds for community schools. NEA and CTA also provided millions of dollars in grants, resources and support to local chapters working on Community Schools efforts to help ensure the work is successful.

Today’s press conference was held at Encanto Elementary School, one of 35 Community Schools in San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) – 10 of which opened this school year. San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Fabi Bagula spoke to how Community Schools not only lead to improved outcomes but also how they support student wellbeing. “Community schools are built on partnerships between community organizations, families, educators, staff, and the district, because it takes all of us to ensure that our children show up to school, to feel the joy of learning, to feel the love and belonging that is necessary for them to thrive. Here in San Diego, as in many places, students and families are dealing with pressures outside of the classroom – food insecurity, navigating legal or immigration systems, the emotional and mental stress that comes with uncertainty – and community schools are one of our strongest tools for meeting those needs. The research shows us what happens when we sustain this kind of work – not only do outcomes improve but the most vulnerable students, those we must reach, get the support they deserve. That makes this investment not only moral and smart but also essential.”

The LPI report shows how California’s investment in Community Schools has significantly impacted student attendance, reduced suspension rates in schools and increased academic achievement scores, especially for students who have been historically underserved including Black students, English learners, and students from low-income backgrounds.

Major findings of the report include:

• Compared to matched comparison schools, Community Schools’ chronic absence rates dropped by 30 percent, suspension rates fell by 15 percent and academic achievement rose.
• Black students and English learners saw gains equivalent to about 43 extra days of learning in math and 36 in English language arts.
• The strongest academic improvements occurred in schools with the greatest progress in attendance.
• Results suggest that Community Schools’ holistic approach can reduce educational inequities and improve multiple student outcomes.

“The early results from the first cohort of schools served by the California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP) are promising,” said Walker Swain, a principal researcher at the Learning Policy Institute and lead author of the new report. “In just the first full year of implementation, CCSPP schools noticeably outperformed similar schools that did not receive grant funding, making significant reductions in chronic absence and suspension rates, along with improvements in student achievement; especially for traditionally, underserved students. Our results echo findings from a similar RAND study of New York City community schools, where larger gains unfolded over a longer period of time. Together, these studies suggest community schools are a scalable tool for addressing educational inequalities and promoting deeper learning. Looking ahead, we plan to track additional cohorts of schools and analyze emerging student and teacher data to better understand the long-term impact of these efforts.”

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The 310,000-member California Teachers Association is affiliated with the 3 million-member National Education Association.