A Community School Reform Initiative for Middle Grades Urban and Newcomer Students: Using Mixed Methods to Examine Student Academic and Nonacademic Outcomes Over Time and Compared to a Matched Sample

Abstract

In recent years, community school (CS) reform efforts have been established and implemented as a method of realizing comprehensive school reform in under-performing school districts. This study investigates the impact of one CS initiative in a middle school on student academic and nonacademic outcomes over time and compared to a propensity score matched sample. Significant quantitative findings were found related to an increase in CS students’ GPA over time and in comparison to their matched peers. Additionally, significantly more CS students met GPA college readiness benchmarks and significantly less at-risk indicators compared to the demographically similar comparison group. Qualitative explanations indicated CS student growth and differences found were largely due to specific school goals, relationships and partnerships between the school, family and community members, safe/supportive learning environments, and a deliberate focus on newcomer services.