New York City Community Schools
The New York City Story
The Community Schools Initiative in New York City was launched in 2014 under the de Blasio Administration as a strategy toward achieving an equitable educational system. In the 2014-15 school year, 45 schools became community schools and served 21,000 students. Since then, the scale and commitment have steadily grown to 421 community schools in the 2022-23 school year, serving 191,000 students.
The community school strategy is an approach to education that addresses the needs of students, families, and communities by providing a wide range of services and supports in and outside of school. NYC community schools collaborate with lead community-based organization (CBO) partners to create welcoming, supportive environments that support the whole child and promote academic success, as well as social and emotional well-being.
The Office of Community Schools mission is to create and sustain school and CBO Partnerships through intentional collaborative leadership that empower students, families, and communities to thrive.
What Have NYC Community Schools Accomplished?
The RAND Corporation conducted two evaluations of the Community Schools Initiative, an implementation study and an impact study.
Released in 2017, the implementation study, “Developing Community Schools at Scale: Implementation of the New York City Community Schools Initiative” found that in two years, NYC launched the largest Community School Initiative in the U.S. and that virtually all NYC community schools successfully implemented the evidence-based programs and structures to support students and families as intended.
In January 2020, the RAND Corporation released the impact study, “Illustrating the Promise of Community Schools: An Assessment of the Impact of the NYC Community Schools Initiative.” The report found that students in NYC community schools are more likely to graduate on time, miss fewer days of school, have improved math scores, and feel safer and more supported.
Watch this video summary of key findings from the impact study from January 2020.
Community Schools in Action
Community schools are based on four core evidence-based features: collaborative leadership and practice, family and community engagement, wellness and integrated student supports, and expanded learning time. Learn more on the Core Features pages.
Watch this video of P.S. 8M, a community school in Washington Heights.