A Strategy to Expand Community Schools in Oklahoma
Advocates for Oklahoma Community Schools (AOCS) is a bipartisan group of Oklahoma legislators, educators, nonprofits and private citizens working to help pass a bill that would provide enabling legislation for a statewide community school demonstration program. This program would build on the success of this model in Oklahoma’s Union District and in twelve other states that have passed similar legislation. Because of this success, Union has gradually expanded the number of their community schools to 10. Their district has a graduation rate of 90% with over 50% of students going on to postsecondary programs at technical schools and two or four-year colleges despite Union being a Title1 district serving low-income families where 68% are minorities. It is important to note that 60% of Oklahoma school districts are Title 1 and consequently the legislation would impact a majority of the students in our pubic schools.
Raising the percentage of students going on to some kind of postsecondary training is an important metric. The Oklahoma Department of Labor is projecting the percentage of jobs available to high school graduates will drop from 49% today to between 25% - 30% by 2030 as advancing technology will affect the workplace for both blue and white collar jobs.
The Community School model is more successful than traditional schools in Title 1 districts because it address a variety of needs beyond the classroom, creating support systems that enhance student engagement and parental involvement—aligning closely with the Oklahoma Department of Education's goal to increase parental engagement and improve overall educational outcomes. “In Title 1 districts with a high percentage of low-income students and minorities, community resources and support structures can transform educational experiences,” said Bill Langdon, a representative of AOKCS. “Unlike other models like charter schools, community schools also operate within existing schools public schools, making them accessible even in rural areas where transportation can be a barrier.”
Another reason the community school concept should be a funding priority, Union's community schools have proven more effective at improving student outcomes than charter and home schools for most families. While Union has a 90% graduation rate with over 50% going on to postsecondary programs in the trades or college. the most recent report on charter schools by the OK Department of Education produced after the 2021 school year shows only about 16% are performing above basic proficiency. There is also no published data on those going on to postsecondary programs for charter or home schools students. The few charter schools that are performing well academically and have high postsecondary enrollment also have high entrance requirements like public college prep and magnet schools and serve only a small portion of the 59% of students attending public schools that receive Title 1 funding. Furthermore, parents often must drive their children to and from a charter school if there is no bus service. This has proven to be a limiting factor to the expansion of charter schools in rural districts and also a limiting factor for many parents in our cities where parents are not able to drop off and pick up their kids because of their jobs. Since an existing school can be upgraded to a community school, there are no transportation issues.
Representative Tammy West is an educator who understands how community schools can improve outcomes and authored HB 3374 in 2022 to start demonstration programs in additional districts. Her bill was cosponsored by a bipartisan group of House members and passed with only two dissenting votes. But the bill stalled in the Senate. AOCS is working with the legislature to update the budget documentation that includes specific projections on the cost for an individual school moving to a community school model and estimates of the federal funding available.
Up until this year, Federal funding to support the community school model is part of the Title 4 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) where additional money is given to Title 1 schools to encourage adoption of the model. But this money may be eliminated or turned into block grants according to Ryan Walter in a letter he sent to superintendents after the presidential election. Because 59% of our schools are Title ! because of the high level of poverty and low average family income, Many districts would have been eligible to apply for ESSA grants through Oklahoma’s Department of Education if the OK Legislature passed enabling legislation like HB 3373 and Title 1 funding remained in place. But if Title ! money does go to the states as grants or is entirely eliminated, we believe writing and funding a bill like HB 3374 that would support expanding an initial demonstration in both rural and urban areas should be a funding priority.
Since we should expect as a minimum federal funding for education to be reduced, spending
our education budget on proven programs will become more important than ever, Being proactive in this legislative session to back a proven strategy that will help reverse the downward trend in educational achievement and key measures of our citizen’s wellbeing. Oklahoma is the 42nd poorest state based on family income, 49th in education, 45th in health and ranks 44th in the United States for life expectancy, with an average of 76.1 years versus the national average of 79. Addressing both personal wellbeing and academic achievement with the community school model is a positive step for reversing these trends in the key metrics that will drive the success of our state's economy as our students get smarter and healthier.
The Four Pillars of Community Schools
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1. Integrated Student Supports
• Wraparound services such as health care, mental health counseling, and social services are provided to address non-academic barriers to learning. These services are often delivered through partnerships with community organizations, health providers, and social service agencies.
• The goal is to meet students’ basic needs, improve their well-being, and ensure that they are ready to learn. For example, schools may provide access to healthcare, dental services, or counseling right on campus.
2. Expanded and Enriched Learning Time and Opportunities
• Community schools extend learning beyond the traditional school day, offering additional academic support, tutoring, and enrichment activities such as after-school programs, summer learning, and experiential learning opportunities.
• These activities are designed to enhance the standard curriculum and provide students with opportunities to engage in a variety of hands-on, real-world learning experiences that can spark curiosity and improve academic performance.
3. Active Family and Community Engagement
• Strong family and community partnerships are central to the community school model. Families are engaged in their children’s learning, and the school serves as a hub for community activities and support.
• This involves creating strong lines of communication between schools, parents, and community stakeholders. Schools host events and offer services that benefit families, such as adult education, family counseling, and parenting classes.
4. Collaborative Leadership and Practices
• Schools use shared leadership models that involve teachers, school leaders, community partners, families, and sometimes students in decision-making processes.
• Collaboration fosters a sense of shared responsibility for student success and allows for more effective implementation of community school strategies. Teams of educators, administrators, and community members work together to align resources and develop comprehensive plans to support students’ holistic development.
These four pillars ensure that community schools offer a whole-child approach to education, making sure that students are supported both inside and outside the classroom, and helping to close achievement gaps by addressing both academic and non-academic challenges.
Federal Funding for Community Schools under ESSA
ESSA is part of Title IV, Part A funding allocated to state educational agencies, which then distribute the funds to districts or individual schools. Schools and districts must work with their state to determine eligibility and application requirements. Charter schools receiving Title 1 funding are also eligible.
As a rule of thumb for estimating the amount of a community school grant, it is based on the amount of the district’s Title 1 funding with the allocation typically ranging from 5% to 15% of the Title I amount. The exact percentage depends on a variety of factors, such as the state’s allocation of Title IV funds, the total funding available, and the specific needs of your school or district. So, for every $1 million in Title I funding, a reasonable estimate for Title IV, Part A funding would fall between $50,000 to $150,000. This means that a district like Union that receives $4 million in Title 1 grants could receive between $200,000 and $600,000 while a large district like Tulsa Public Schools that receives $20 million has the potential to receive between $1 and $3 million for community school programs.
Model Bill - Oklahoma Community School Act
AOCS has provided a link to a page on our website with a "Model Bill" based on Community School Legislation developed by the Learning Policy Institute from legislation fro two of twelve other states where their community schools have significantly raised academic performance and graduation rates accross their states.
Since most of the money needed to switch to a community school model comes from donors like food banks and medical service providers, the state's role will primarily be to process the applications for the ESSA grants to pay for a program coordinator at each school and to reimburse teachers for the additional programs for students and their parents after normal school hours.
We do not believe there is any need for separate legislation for just a demonstration program since the Oklahoma Department of Education can set limits on the number of grants it will accept in the first few years of the initial rollout. We are confident the Community School Model that has been so succesful at Union and these twelve other states will be successful in our state after this enabling legislation was passed and grant money began flowing to the schools.
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