Communities are a rich, but often untapped, resource for schools. In many schools education is limited to the classroom, where teachers teach and students learn. But reforms in education have revealed the power—and importance – of making learning relevant to students’ lives by creating connections between the classroom and the community through experiences such as internships, service learning, and public exhibitions of work. Small schools rely on the community not only as the source of learning opportunities, but as partners in designing the school’s vision, curriculum and programs. These schools recognize that community members are vital to their success.
Why do small schools build community awareness and engagement?
- Education is everyone’s business. Whether or not community members have school-age children, education affects everyone. Students ride public transportation, frequent local stores, gather in coffee shops and otherwise encounter community residents on a daily basis. These same young people are potential future employees, tenants and regular customers. Communities with high achieving schools attract new businesses that build stronger local economies. Everyone in the community is a stakeholder in education and should have opportunities to discuss and understand the mission, vision and goals of the school.
As with all stakeholders, community engagement begins with assessment—what do people think about local schools? What do they think about the community in general? By linking what is happening in schools to public concerns, the relevance of education becomes evident. When people understand the urgency of getting involved with schools as a way to support what they know and care about in the community, they are motivated to get informed and take action. A challenge for all schools is to ensure that a representative group of community members participates and that equitable communication provides a safe environment in which to share ideas.
The risk of not involving community members is great. Community members react with skepticism when educators offer solutions without first defining the need for change and canvassing for input. A move away from familiar large, comprehensive schools to small, personal ones will seem like just another fad. For the mission and goals of small schools to be understood and supported, community members need to be involved in the conversations from the earliest design phase.
How can small schools engage community members in a meaningful way?
- Host targeted forums. Successful small schools recognize that community members are not a monolithic group and engage them on issues that have particular meaning to them. Meetings that target subgroups in the community—such as local union representatives, retailers, social service agency staff—allow small schools to speak to the concerns and interests of specific segments of the community. Community members appreciate recognition of, and the opportunity to share, their unique perspective on school issues.
- Develop meaningful, working partnerships with employers. Employer partners are a source of valuable expertise and input. Working with teaching teams, employers can help schools develop authentic learning experiences (such as job shadows and internships) that bring a school’s vision for rigorous and relevant learning to fruition. Employers contribute real-world perspectives to designing curriculum and evaluating student work, and crafting the school’s vision and policies. They bring unique insights to school planning and program development; their ability to articulate the knowledge and skills required by careers underscores the importance of all students achieving at high levels. Employers also have political leverage in the community, making them powerful champions for small schools.
- Include community partners in school decision-making. Community members can play a variety of roles in helping shape both the structure and culture of the school. As voting members on oversight committees and other leadership bodies, community members can inform decisions on staffing, budgets, space and scheduling. The autonomy of small schools allows them to involve community partners in leadership roles that would not be possible in a school with top-down management.
- Involve community partners in assessing public opinion and developing a strategic communication plan. With training, community partners can design survey questions, facilitate focus groups and lead inquiry groups to assess parent, student and public opinion on education and local schools. With a deep understanding of the issues that they gain through such experiences, community partners become valuable resources for how and when to communicate the vision and mission of small schools. Their “insider” perspective on the realities and priorities of businesses, organizations, and public service and policy agencies is pivotal when trying to communicate to, and engage the support and involvement of audiences not traditionally connected to schools.
- Involve community partners in curriculum design. Community partners can serve as excellent “consultants” in designing curriculum and assessment. The emphasis small schools place on personalizing and customizing learning means there is greater opportunity to incorporate real-world issues and problem-solving into the curriculum. Community partners are valuable resources for building professional-level expectations and standards into projects and can help create dynamic learning experiences inside and outside of the classroom. Community members are also effective members of assessment teams to review portfolios and serve as panel members at exhibitions. Their ability to view student work through the lens of real-world standards is invaluable.
Review this element on the Oregon Small Schools Initiative School Change Rubric Self-Assessment Tool.
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