This section is designed to provide you with tools to help your community school succeed, whether your school is just getting started or has been operating as a community school for years. We invite you to look through our tools and forms to see if there is anything that can be of use to you.

Guide to Community School Transformation
Based on best practices, research, and implementation "lessons learned," the Guide to Community School Transformation provides an overview of the community school foundation blocks and pillars, as well as a roadmap for starting community school transformation, including information about convening an advisory board and that team's roles and the responsibilities of the resource coordinator. This Guide is an evolving tool, so to make suggestions or to provide feedback, please contact Melissa Trumbull at melissa@ilcommunityschools.org. Please also check back -- the Guide will be expanded over time to include sample tools and expanded sections. Click here to access the Guide to Community School Transformation.

Resource Binder for Community Schools in Illinois
We hope you find this binder useful in your ongoing work at your community school. The Federation will update this section throughout the year, replacing some components and adding new ones. By working together with the same background of information, we will succeed in changing policies that lead to sustainability and expansion of community schools throughout Illinois, so that children succeed in school and life.

▪     Position Paper: Community Schools - Education Improvement Model that Works
▪     Position Paper: Community Schools - Powerful Out-of-School Time Programming
▪     Position Paper: Community Schools - Improve and Enhance Access to Health Care
▪     Position Paper: Community Schools - Student Overall Classroom Performance Improves
▪     Position Paper: Community Schools - Closing the Achievement Gap for Students
▪     Position Paper: Community Schools - Safe Environments for Children
▪     State Senate Appropriation's Testimony, HR4538
▪     State Senate Resolution, SR727, Task Force on Community Engagement & Schools
▪     Advocacy 101 - How to Guide
▪     How a Good Idea Becomes a Law
▪     Congressional Delegates for Chicago Community Schools
▪     State Senators for Chicago Community Schools
▪     State Representatives for Chicago Community Schools

Chapter 2: Communication

▪     Talking Points on Community Schools
▪     Quick Tips for Contacting Reporters
▪     Education Day Press Conference
▪     Letter to the Editor, 12/14/07
▪     Letter to the Editor, 4/08

Chapter 3: Professional Development

▪ Community School "Parthenon" Graphic - Model Components
▪ Guide to Community School Development, prepared by the Federation's Professional Development Committee

Chapter 4: Research

▪ Research Summary by "Pillars" of Community Schools
▪ CPS Office of Extended Learning's Community School Initiative's Executive Summary

Can't find what you're looking for?
Contact us at anita@ilcommunityschool.org and let us know what tool or form you're looking for and we will be happy to find it and post it on our website.