Giving Compass' Take:

• Research shows that "community schools" often do help learning, but in a number of cases they don’t seem to have any effect.

• How can philanthropy support community services to help schools? What are the most effective methods for deciding which services are most appropriate for each location? 

• Here's another article on NYC's community schools. 

New York City has been trying to help struggling schools by partnering them with nonprofits that provide counseling and health services. A Detroit school recently added a washing machine to make sure students have clean clothes. A Tennessee superintendent just petitioned the state for more funding to offer similar help to students and families.

The strategy, often referred to as the “community schools” model or “wraparound services,” has been embraced by districts across the country. It also makes intuitive sense to help kids in class by directly dealing with out-of-school factors, like poverty, that affect learning.

So do school-based efforts to counter the harmful effects of poverty lead to measurable academic gains?

Read more about community schools-based turnaround program by Monica Disare at Chalkbeat.