Assessment Tools

A RESOURCE GUIDE FOR
UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Using Assessment Tools at Community Schools

October 2012

Prepared by:

Iris Hemmerich
Urban Strategies Council

Using Assessment Tools at Community Schools

Table of Contents
A Resource Guide for Understanding Community Schools .......................................................................... 2
Updating the Resource Guide ................................................................................................................... 4
Additional Community School Resources ................................................................................................. 4
Our Community School work with Oakland Unified School District ............................................................. 5
Community School Assessment Tools: Literature Review ............................................................................ 6
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 6
Review ....................................................................................................................................................... 6
1. What the Tool Measures and How it is Used ................................................................................ 6
2. Logic Model ................................................................................................................................... 7
3. Short vs. Long-Term Assessment................................................................................................... 7
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................. 7
1. Promising Practices ....................................................................................................................... 7
2. Concluding Remarks ...................................................................................................................... 8
Community School Assessment Tools: Annotated Bibliography .................................................................. 9

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©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012

A Resource Guide for Understanding Community Schools
INTRODUCTION

Urban Strategies Council has collected and reviewed more than 175 evaluations, case studies,
briefs and reports for use by those considering or planning a community school or community
school district. Our intention is to provide interested individuals and stakeholders the
resources they need to better understand the unique structure and core components of
community schools. The promising practices, recommendations, tools and information shared
in this document have been culled from documents representing the last 20 years of research
and documentation of community schools across the United States.

We highlighted 11 content areas that we believe to be the most foundational for understanding
community schools. Within each of the content areas, you will find:

1. A literature review: The literature reviews for each content area are organized
around core questions and provide a synthesis of the most commonly identified
solutions and responses to each question, as well as highlights, promising practices,
challenges and recommendations.

2. An annotated bibliography: We gathered and annotated literature in each of the
content areas to underscore key themes, some of which include: best practices,
exemplary sites, models and tools. The annotations vary by content area in order to
draw attention to the most pertinent information. For example, the Evaluations content
area includes annotations of the evaluation methodology and indicators of success.

The 11 content areas include the following:

1. Community School Characteristics
Provides a general overview of the structure, function, core elements, programs and
services of a community school.

2. Planning and Design
Explores the general planning and design structures for community schools, and
discusses the initial steps and central components of the planning and design process, as
well as strategies for scaling up community schools.

3. Equity Frameworks and Tools
Examines literature and tools that can be adapted to an equity framework for
community schools. We included equity frameworks and tools that explore
disproportionality and the monitoring of disparities and demographic shifts.

2

4. Collaborative Leadership
Addresses how to build, strengthen and expand the collaborative leadership structure at
community schools. Collaborative leadership is a unique governance structure that
brings together community partners and stakeholders to coordinate a range of services
and opportunities for youth, families and the community.

5. Family and Community Engagement
Explores how community and family engagement operates as well as the challenges for
actualizing it at the site level. Family and community engagement is a unique
component of community schools in which the school, families, and community actively
work together to create networks of shared responsibility for student success.

6. Data Collection and Analysis
Addresses the outcomes measured at community schools, methods for collecting data
at community schools, and short and long term indicators.

7. Assessment Tools
Includes tools used to measure outcomes at community schools.

8. Community School Evaluations
Provides evaluations of community school initiatives with special attention paid to
methodology, indicators of success, findings and challenges.

9. Community School Funding
Explores how to leverage revenue streams and allocate resources at community schools.

10. Budget Tools
Includes tools that support the process of budgeting and fiscal mapping.

11. Community School Sustainability
Explores promising practices for creating sustainability plans, partnership development
and leveraging resources for the future.

3

UPDATING THE RESOURCE GUIDE

Urban Strategies Council will continue its efforts to update the Resource Guide with the most
current information as it becomes available. If you know of topics or resources that are not
currently included in this guide, please contact Alison Feldman, Education Excellence Program,
at alisonf@urbanstrategies.org. We welcome your ideas and feedback for A Resource Guide for
Understanding Community Schools.

ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL RESOURCES

National:

The Coalition for Community Schools
http://www.communityschools.org/

The National Center for Community Schools (Children’s Aid Society)
http://nationalcenterforcommunityschools.childrensaidsociety.org/

Yale University Center in Child Development and Social Policy
http://www.yale.edu/21c/training.html

Regional:

The Center for Community School Partnerships, UC Davis
http://education.ucdavis.edu/community-school-partnerships

Center for Strategic Community Innovation
http://cscinnovation.org/community-schools-project/about-cscis-community-schools-
project/community-school-initiative-services-coaching-and-ta/’

4

Our Community School work with
Oakland Unified School District
Urban Strategies Council has a long history of working with the Oakland Unified School District
(OUSD) to support planning for improved academic achievement. Most recently, we helped
develop and support the implementation of OUSD’s five-year strategic plan, Community
Schools, Thriving Students. Adopted by the Board of Education in June 2011, the plan calls for
building community schools across the district that ensure high-quality instruction; develop
social, emotional and physical health; and create equitable opportunities for learning. Urban
Strategies Council has worked with the school district, community members and other
stakeholders to support this system reform in several ways:

Community Schools Strategic Planning: Urban Strategies Council facilitated six School
Board retreats over a 14-month period to help develop the strategic plan. As part of that
process, the District created 14 task forces to produce recommendations for the plan, with
Urban Strategies Council facilitating one task force and sitting on several others.
Full Service Community Schools Task Force: Urban Strategies Council convened and co-
facilitated the Full Service Community Schools and District Task Force, which created a
structural framework and tools for planning and implementation, and produced a report
with a set of recommendations that formed the foundation of the strategic plan.
Community Engagement in Planning: Urban Strategies Council partnered with the district
to educate and engage more than 900 school and community stakeholders on how
community schools could best serve them.
Planning for Community Schools Leadership Council: Urban Strategies Council has been
working with OUSD’s Department of Family, School and Community Partnerships to lay the
groundwork for building an interagency, cross-sector partnership body that will provide
high-level system oversight and support, and ensure shared responsibility and coordination
of resources towards the vision of healthy, thriving children supported through community
schools.
Convening Workgroups: Urban Strategies Council continues to partner with the District to
convene and facilitate several workgroups developing specific structures, processes, and
practices supporting community school implementation, as well as informing the eventual
work of the Community Schools Leadership Council.
African American Male Achievement Initiative: Urban Strategies Council is a partner in
OUSD’s African American Male Achievement Initiative (AAMAI), a collaboration supporting
efforts to close the achievement gap and improve other key outcomes for African American
males in OUSD. Urban Strategies Council has developed data-based research; explored
promising practices, programs and policies inside and outside the school district; analyzed
the impact of existing system-wide policies; and developed policy recommendations to
improve outcomes in various areas identified by the AAMAI Task Force.
Boys and Men of Color: Urban Strategies Council is the Regional Convener for the Oakland
Boys and Men of Color site, which adopted community schools as a vehicle to improve
health, education and employment outcomes for boys and men of color.
5

Community School Assessment Tools: Literature Review

Introduction

Assessment tools aid the process of collecting and analyzing data at community school
initiatives. The appropriate assessment tools can be utilized to measure outcomes and reveal
the effectiveness of community school programs, services and operational elements.
Subsequently, the use of assessment tools is integral to the revision and continuous
improvement of the community school strategy. We used three central research questions to
guide the literature review of community school assessment tools:

1. What does the tool measure and how is it used?
2. Does the tool employ a logic model?
3. Is the tool meant for short or long-term assessment?

Published research on community school assessment tools and related education assessment
tools from 2000 to 2008 has been included as part of this literature review. Unfortunately,
there appears to be a dearth of publicly accessible information on assessment tools previously
or currently employed at community school sites. We were only able to identify a few
community school initiatives that had shared assessment tools on their websites.

Review

1. What the Tool Measures and How it is Used

The literature generally identified assessment tools as measuring competencies and outcomes
in the following areas: community school partnerships; programs and services; funding; school
climate; student achievement; family and community engagement; and family, staff, and
student relationships. The San Francisco Beacon Center Assessment Scorecard also included the
category “access and equity”1. Most of the assessment tools were qualitative and formatted as
surveys that assessed a competency or outcome corresponding to a numbered scale. Other
assessment tools took the form of worksheets, checklists, focus groups, and school data
systems that assessed the alignment of results and indicators. The majority of the assessment
tools included qualitative process-type and result-focused questions.

1
Social Policy Research Associates. “Evaluation of the San Francisco Beacon Initiative.” November 13, 2008.
Appendix C. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://www.sfbeacon.org/00_Evaluations/Evaluations/2008_Beacon_Evaluation_Report_SPR_Full_Report.pdf>.
6

2. Logic Model

The bulk of assessment tools were not rooted in a particular logic model. The only literature we
found that addressed the need for a logic model was the “Community Schools Evaluation
Toolkit” developed by the Coalition for Community Schools. In the toolkit, the Community
Schools Logic model undergirds the entire evaluation process. The purpose of the logic model is
to demonstrate how results are expected to drive the decisions about which inputs and
programs will constitute a community school initiative2.

3. Short vs. Long-Term Assessment

Overall, the tools did not specify whether they were intended for long or short-term
assessment or if they were intended for a specific stage of implementation. The San Francisco
Beacon Center Assessment Scorecard did identify a brief one to three year timeline for
achieving goals. The Coalition for Community Schools “Community Schools Evaluation Toolkit”
provided a more general guide to the types of assessment tools available and discussed the
results and indicators for both short and long-term assessment.

Conclusion

1. Promising Practices

The “Community Schools Evaluation Toolkit” provided the most comprehensive set of
assessment tools. The toolkit identified a four-part, nine-step process for planning and
conducting an evaluation at community school sites. Although not specifically referring to
assessment tools but rather the entire evaluation process, there were nine steps were
identified as critical to creating a successful evaluation of the community school strategy. The
nine steps include: (1) develop results around the Community Schools Logic Model; (2) make
sure you have what you need to conduct a successful evaluation; (3) know what you want to
evaluate; (4) align the evaluation to the Community Schools Logic Model; (5) develop the
questions you want your evaluation to answer; (6) decide what data to collect; (7) collect data;
(8) make sense of or interpret data; and (9) use your findings strategically3.

2
Shah, Shital, Katrina Brink, Rebecca London, Shelly Masur, and Gisell Quihuis. “Community Schools Evaluation
Toolkit.” Coalition for Community Schools, 2009. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://www.communityschools.org/assets/1/AssetManager/Evaluation_Toolkit_March2010.pdf>.
3
Shah, Shital, Katrina Brink, Rebecca London, Shelly Masur, and Gisell Quihuis. “Community Schools Evaluation
Toolkit.” Coalition for Community Schools, 2009. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://www.communityschools.org/assets/1/AssetManager/Evaluation_Toolkit_March2010.pdf>.
7

2. Concluding Remarks

Developing and utilizing the appropriate tools to assess each stage of the community school
strategy informs the revision and improved coordination of existing programs and services.
Assessment tools should be tailored in order to fit the specific context and vision of each
community school, but the literature suggests they should all provide a set of indicators,
outcomes and a process for improvement. If developed and used with intentionality,
assessment tools can contribute to the community school mission to improve student learning
while building stronger families and healthier communities4.

4
Coalition for Community Schools. “What is a Community School?” Coalition for Community Schools, 2012. Web.
24 April 2012. <http://www.communityschools.org/aboutschools/what_is_a_community_school.aspx>.
8

Community School Assessment Tools: Annotated Bibliography
Community Schools Evaluation Toolkit
Shah, Shital, Katrina Brink, Rebecca London, Shelly Masur, and Gisell Quihuis. Coalition for
Community Schools, 2009. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://www.communityschools.org/assets/1/AssetManager/Evaluation_Toolkit_March2010.p
df>.

The toolkit is designed to help community schools evaluate their efforts in order to learn from
their successes, identify current challenges, and plan future efforts. It provides a nine-step
process for planning and conducting an evaluation at a community school site(s). The toolkit
serves as a guide to improve community schools’ effectiveness while also telling a school’s
individual story. Additionally, it offers a menu of data collection tools (i.e. surveys, public
databases) for evaluating whether and how your school is achieving results.

Best practices:
1. Use the Community Schools Logic Model
2. Make sure you have what you need to conduct a successful evaluation
a. Consider your readiness
b. Plan for success
3. Know what you want to evaluate
a. Identify your results and decide what activities will help you achieve them
b. Know who you want to evaluate
c. Prioritize your Results
4. Align your evaluation to the Community Schools Logic Model
a. Examine your activities and results in the context of the Community Schools
Logic Model
b. Decide which results will be your focus
5. Develop the questions you want your evaluation to answer
a. Two types of evaluation questions
b. Forming your questions
6. Decide what data to collect
7. Collect data
a. Create a detailed data collection plan
8. Make sense of your data
a. Organize your data in a format that is easy for you to use
b. Focus on what is important about your data
9. Use your findings
a. Select your audience and decide what to report
b. Present your data to change day-to-day practice and results-based planning
c. Use data to change policy
d. Use data for funders
e. Share data beyond the stakeholder group

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Exemplary sites:
1. Kent School Services Network, Grand Rapids, MI
2. Mark Twain Elementary School, Tulsa, OK
3. Community Learning Centers, Lincoln, NE
4. Carlin Springs Elementary School, Arlington, VA
Models:
1. Table A: Community Schools Logic Model (pg. 8)
2. Table B: Results and Corresponding Indicators (pgs. 10-11)
3. Organizing and Conducting your Evaluation (pg. 12)
4. Continuum of Results (pg. 17)
Tools:
1. Sample Evaluation Questions Related to the Result (pg. 23)
2. Table E: Recommended Results, Indicators, and Data Collection Strategies for
Students, Families, Schools, and Communities (pg. 26-29)
3. Data Collection Plan Template (pg. 34)
4. Appendix C: School Funding Source-Data Collection Matrix (pg. 42)

Strengthening Partnerships: Community School Assessment Checklist
Blank, Martin J. and Barbara Hanson Langford. Coalition for Community Schools and the
Finance Project, September 2000. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://www.communityschools.org/assets/1/AssetManager/csassessment.pdf>.

The assessment tool contains a series of checklists to aid school and community leaders in
creating and/or strengthening community school partnerships. The “Community School
Partnership Assessment” checklist helps assess the development of the community school
partnership. The “Community School Program and Service Assessment” checklist helps take
inventory of existing programs and services in or connected to your school that support
children, youth, families, and other community residents. The “Community School Funding
Source Assessment” checklist helps to catalogue the funding sources that support these
programs and services.

Tools: Three assessment checklists for strengthening community school partnerships

Connecting Families and Schools Assessment
Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) Service System. Department of County Human Services,
Multnomah County, Oregon, 2011. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://web.multco.us/sites/default/files/sun/documents/connecting_families_and_schools_a
ssessment.pdf>.

The SUN assessment tool is intended to be used as an evaluative measure, a guide to improving
family involvement, and a tool to promote discussion among staff members that are working
with culturally and linguistically diverse students. It is intended for families whose home
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language is not English, as they face larger obstacles than most in order to become involved in
their child’s education. The tool is based on researched best practices on the importance of
family involvement for students who do not speak English at home. It includes worksheets for
improving family involvement and partnership in education.

Tools: Worksheets on:
1. Preconditions for Family Involvement: School Staff and School Environment
2. Familiarizing Families with the System: How Do Schools Work?
3. Families as Partners: Involving Families in Student Learning
4. Parents as Leaders in Education: Developing Leadership Skills in Family Members

Evaluation of the San Francisco Beacon Initiative
Social Policy Research Associates. November 13, 2008. Appendix C. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://www.sfbeacon.org/00_Evaluations/Evaluations/2008_Beacon_Evaluation_Report_SPR
_Full_Report.pdf>.

Appendix C of the Beacon Evaluation provides a sample scorecard for assessing various Beacon
goals such as equity and access, student achievement and accountability.

Tools: Sample Beacon Scorecard to Align with SFUSD Strategic Goals and Scorecard
(Appendix C)

Schools and Community Initiative: Community Assessment Framework
Public Education Network. Public Education Network, 2011. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://www.publiceducation.org/sc_commassess_indicators.asp>.

The article provides sample measures for five core areas of school-community partnerships.
The five core areas include: (1) quality education; (2) family supports; (3) child and youth
development; (4) family and community engagement; and (5) community development. It is
meant to serve as an initial guide for school-community partnerships in order to aid the process
of developing a set of appropriate local indicators.

Tools: Sample Community Assessment Framework

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