Leveraging Community Partnerships for Integrated Student Support. Brief No. 14

This brief is one in a series aimed at providing K-12 education decision makers and advocates with an evidence base to ground discussions about how to best serve students during and following the novel coronavirus pandemic. It addresses one central question: What does research tell us about how to use community-based resources to address academic and social gaps resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic? In order to answer this question, the brief breaks down the issue into two points: (1) The pandemic revealed and exacerbated problems that have pushed schools and districts beyond their existing capacity to effectively respond; and (2) Partnerships between school districts and community organizations let schools draw on rooted community assets to confront key areas of concern, including basic family needs, technology access, childcare, and academic enrichment. Based on these points, the brief provides four strategies to consider and three strategies to avoid. [This brief was co-prepared by the American University, School of Education.]