Redwood City community schools fuel improvements in attendance and English proficiency
Since 2006, the Redwood City School District has worked with the Gardner Center to examine annual patterns of program participation across the six full-service community schools' key strategy areas of extended learning (learning outside of traditional school hours), family engagement, and support services.
The challenge
In the Redwood City School District (RCSD), over 50 percent of elementary students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch; most are ethnic minorities; and less than half test proficient in reading and fewer in math. The district recognized that its students needed better academic, health, and social services to reach their full potential.
The solution
The district initiated a community schools model that eased access to important community resources and supports — like mental health services — for students and families and developed new ways to coordinate between and among organizations. The district also teamed up with Stanford’s Gardner Center to understand which approaches yielded the best results. The Gardner Center studies focused on three key areas: extended learning (learning outside of traditional school hours), family engagement, and support services.
Key takeaways
Linking administrative records, program attendance, and survey data, the Gardner Center found that:
A majority of students participated in community school programs, especially low-income students and multilingual learners.
Students demonstrated even better academic outcomes when their families were involved, especially in attendance and English proficiency.
Attendance improved even further when students and their families were involved in multiple programs.
Middle school students’ attitudes toward school gradually improved when they used support services and extended learning programs.
Photo: Redwood City School District
