When looking at large, urban school districts across America, one may observe many common issues that act as limitations for students. However, when taking a closer look at the data, each district and school has unique barriers that impact students and families. This study focuses on Buffalo City School District (BCSD), the second largest school…

Children develop within a context, and the nature or dynamics of a child's context can change the trajectory of their development. According to Bronfenbrenner (1979), children are affected and are impacted by individuals within various systems or environments. One of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems is the microsystem, in which children…

After a sharp decline associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, 2023 marked two consecutive years of increase in the number of freshman and high-school dual enrollees, with under-18-year-olds driving a disproportionate share of this growth. The rising importance of this latter student group presents new opportunities for colleges as well as…

This mixed-methods case study was designed to examine the sense of community of an LCMS church in partnership with a Title I public school for 10 years. The sense of community evaluates the level of membership, influence, fulfillment of needs, and emotional connection that the church stakeholders have to the mission of the community partnership.…

Since at least the 1960s, federal and state policymakers have debated how best to hold public schools accountable for producing graduates who are prepared to fully participate in our democratic society. Since that time, reform efforts have led to Texas' current test-based A-F accountability system. This qualitative case study explored how one…

For more than three decades, educational professionals and researchers have warned about the impending teacher shortage in America's public school system. As we are currently in the midst of the shortage, school districts are facing the reality of fewer qualified teachers and filling the teaching gaps. This is especially evident in high-poverty…

Focusing on family and community partnerships in schools is an important aspect to culturally responsive education, yet it is often an overlooked area. Educators must consider new models to engage community and family members to become partners in schools. This study presents finding from a mini-ethnographic case study and explores various…

TandemEd facilitates Black communities to create campaigns that highlight their positive racial identity and self-defined educational purpose. This article examines the leadership of the initial implementation phase of the TandemEd community initiative in relationship with the Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS), focusing primarily on the interactions…

Utilizing critical geography, critical history, and critical educational studies as guideposts, this article examines community organizing and school district partnerships as relevant to improving urban public education reform efforts and schooling practices within the United States. Proceeding in four parts, part one discusses the kinds of…

Abundant research has covered the benefits of and barriers to partnerships between schools and community-based organizations (CBOs; Sanders, 2001; Valli et al., 2016). The aim is for schools and CBOs to come together to foster student growth, particularly during out-of-school time. If two independent organizations, such as a school and a nonprofit…

Neoliberal ideology and an overemphasis on generating quick results dehumanizes higher education community engagement by overlooking the multiple roles and identities of boundary spanners, individuals engaged in community-based scholarship. If university-community partnerships are to prosper and be sustained, their human aspect deserves more…

Public schools are a major provider of mental health services for children in the US. Mental and behavioral health services range from universal programming to individualized clinical supports to address student needs. These services in schools are delivered by various professionals including non-teaching and teaching school personnel,…

After receiving a multiyear federal grant, an urban school district and community agency that focused on family literacy implemented a comprehensive school reform initiative called Providence Full Service Community Schools (PFSCS). A host of community partners collaborated to develop the PFSCS model with the broad goal of strategically connecting…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how secondary school administrators describe their professional learning and productive partnerships in special education to lead in inclusive schools in public schools in the Northeast Region of the United States. The conceptual framework for this study is the Star Model developed…

In 2022, seniors studying horticulture at Montana State University (MSU; Bozeman, MT) had the opportunity to participate in a unique community-based learning project in collaboration with the newly built PreK-12 public school in the rural town of Winifred, MT, to establish the greenhouse infrastructure to be used in curriculum at the school. The…