Sustaining Full-Service Community Schools: Lessons from the Tulsa Area Community Schools Initiative

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore sustainability of social conditions and achievement outcomes in six full-service community schools (FSCSs) in two districts (Tulsa and Union Public Schools) associated with the Tulsa Area Community Schools Initiative (TACSI). Three questions guided the inquiry: How has TACSI changed over the last 9 years? Have the six TACSI FSCSs in Tulsa and Union maintained strong conditions for learning compared to non-TACSI schools? Have the six TACSI FSCSs in Tulsa and Union maintained better achievement outcomes compared to non-TACSI schools? Findings suggest that FSCSs cannot be separated from the larger district context in which they are embedded. Differences in FSCS implementation and outcomes were visible as the TACSI network expanded, as district priorities shifted, and as leadership changed. Implications of these findings for educational reform, generally, and FSCSs, specifically, are discussed.