Established in 2014, the New York City Community Schools Initiative (NYC-CS) shifted the focus of the New York Department of Education from conventional reform ideas such as curriculum changes towards providing more holistic community services. From 2015-2018, RAND Education and Labor conducted an in-depth study of more than one hundred schools that participate in the Community Schools program and found that this project, which serves more than 135,000 students across the city, succeeded in reducing absenteeism, improving discipline and moving students to the next grade. In a statement announcing the recently published report, Mayor Bill de Blasio proudly declared, “The jury is in – community schools work. Since Day One, we have been on a mission to no longer let zip codes determine academic success, and community schools are one way we are delivering on that promise.”
In 2011, the Elmezzi Foundation sensed a similar need within the community and conducted an 18-month long study to explore the priorities, needs, and assets of LIC/Astoria residents. This initiative, focusing on the highest-risk zip codes of 11101, 11102, 11106, ultimately reported that the community as a whole suffered from inadequate access to essentials such as education and health care, while also coping with other impediments to socioeconomic advancement. Rather than sitting on this data, the Foundation decided to form Zone 126, a collective impact organization with a commitment to increase students’ academic achievement, social-emotional development, and make strong connections between home, school, and work to break the cycles of poverty. Since its inception, Zone 126 has partnered with 10 schools and 12 non-profit and community based partner organizations to provide a variety of in-school, extracurricular, and summer programs for children and families in the zone. In a statistical analysis of the 2016-2017 school year, Zone 126 found that students who participated in their programming were in attendance at school an average of 6 days more and earned about 2 more credits than non-participants. Many Zone 126 participants have noted its positive impacts with some saying that “the program teaches you how to stand up for each other and stand up for what you believe in” and others admitting that “we showed up to school because we were looking forward to it.”
Although a common metric of success is students’ improved test scores, Luis Torres, principal of Benjamin Franklin Elementary School pointed out in a Washington Post article that “when that child is hungry, it’s very hard to focus on academics.” He goes on to explain that “that’s the real power of the community school. You’re not just focusing on academics. You’re focusing on the overall well-being of the child.” As a community anchor, the Elmezzi Foundation aims to do exactly as Torres says by ensuring that people of all ages are on a path to self-improvement and self-sufficiency. By partnering with local schools and organizations, the Foundation is continuing to work on implementing lasting and effectual change in our community.
Announcement from the Mayor’s Office: https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/046-20/mayor-de-blasio-chancellor-carranza-success-community-schools-increased-academic#/0
Washington Post Article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/nyc-community-schools-their-eye-on-child-poverty-notch-success/2020/01/27/8c5793dc-4138-11ea-b503-2b077c436617_story.html
RAND Education and Labor Report: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR3245.html