New Book: Community Schools In Action

May 12, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Ellen Lubell, 212-949-4938 or 917-854-6864 or Emily Crossan, 917-286-1548 or 201-344-5742

New Book from Oxford University Press Provides A Decade’s Worth of Lessons From the Front Lines of The Children’s Aid Society’s Community Schools Experience

NEW YORK, April 2005 – The first 10 years of The Children’s Aid Society’s (CAS) experience in developing a much-adapted model for community schools, which has had an impact on hundreds of schools across the nation and around the world, are being detailed for the first time in a book published this week by Oxford University Press.

Community Schools in Action: Lessons from a Decade of Practice provides a comprehensive analysis of one of the most important developments in public education today. Co-edited by Jane Quinn, CAS’ Assistant Executive Director for Community Schools, Joy Dryfoos, a recognized authority on community schools and on adolescents, and Carol Barkin, a freelance editor and writer, the book closely examines every aspect of public community schools in chapters written by the Children’s Aid experts and leaders who have created this model and helped it grow.

Based on the simple ideas that learning does not occur in isolation from the rest of a child’s life, and that many children need supports to help them come to school each day ready to learn, The Children’s Aid Society’s community schools effort began in 1992 with the opening of its first community school in Washington Heights, New York City.

“We had a vision of transforming struggling public schools into vital community institutions that would help children succeed,” said Philip Coltoff, CEO of The Children’s Aid Society. CAS now works in partnership with the New York City Department of Education in 13 public schools in Washington Heights, East Harlem and the Bronx, and its model has been adapted in hundreds of schools across the U.S. and in other countries.

CAS community schools bring a host of needed services (services children require to grow, develop and learn) directly into the schools: medical, dental and mental health services, social services, extended-day learning opportunities including after-school, evenings, weekends and summers, adult education and opportunities for expanded parental involvement in their children’s educations. Community-based organizations partner with the local education departments to bring these added services into the schools. In CAS community schools in New York City, the CAS school directors work side-by-side with the school principals.

Parents’ questions answered
Community Schools in Action is designed primarily for a professional audience – for educators, legislators, policymakers and advocates who are working to bring community schools to their communities. But there is a great deal in its pages for parents.

Parents need the additional supports and services offered by community schools to help them work more productively and help their children learn more successfully. In addition, there is a great deal of public support for after-school programs, a key component of community schools. “Parents and other informed citizens are confused about what really makes a difference and about what is really good for children (in their education),” said Jane Quinn, co-editor of the new book. “Our book provides answers to these questions.”

“Community Schools in Action responds to the achievement gap by providing information about a proven strategy for addressing both the academic and non-academic needs of children to make sure we really leave no child behind,” said Quinn. The book also responds to the current economic environment through its discussion of efficient use of public resources: why should the most expensive public facility in a community be open only six hours a day and serve one segment of the community in a narrow way?

“The most important lessons for educators and parents in Community Schools in Action is that there is a proven model for addressing the well documented needs of children, both academic and non-academic,” said CAS’ Quinn. “These lessons are relevant to communities all across the country, and in fact, in other countries as well.”

Community Schools in Action: Lessons from a Decade of Practice is an invaluable tool for educators and parents about the CAS approach to community schools. The book was published on March 4 and costs $35. It may be ordered by calling 1-800-451-7556 toll free, or visiting the Oxford University Press website, www.oup.com/us and inputting promo code 24451.