Investigating the Promise of Integrated Student Supports: An Evaluation of the Community School Model in Tennessee

Abstract

Although the community school model—under which schools form partnerships with community organizations to provide targeted extramural opportunities and support to students—continues to grow in popularity, rigorous evidence of its impacts, particularly when implemented at scale, remains limited. We conduct a statewide evaluation of the model, leveraging transitions in community school status within schools over time across Tennessee to identify subsequent average, dynamic, and heterogeneous changes in a broad set of student and teacher outcomes.

Key Findings

1. Adoption of the model is followed by small but significant increases in English language arts test performance, declines in suspension and mobility rates, and reductions in teacher turnover relative to other schools in the same urban districts, with patterns most evident after 3 years of implementation
2. There is no change in math performance, grade progression, or dropout rate and a surprising increase in chronic absenteeism.
3. Estimates are largest for middle schools and among schools led by external nonprofit organizations rather than those organized under internal district initiatives.

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