Welcome to Kent School Services Network

Bringing support and services directly into school buildings through the power of partnerships

Click here to read a letter from our

Executive Director, Carol Paine-McGovern

WHo we are

WHAT IS A COMMUNITY SCHOOL?

A community school is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. Using public schools as hubs, community schools bring together many partners to offer a range of supports and opportunities to children, youth, families and communities.

Community schools look different based on their unique assets and challenges, but they all share a commitment to community and family partnerships to create and implement a shared vision of student and school success.

OUR CORE: THE FOUR PILLARS OF COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

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About Us More

Meet our Staff More

Our Partners More

Board of Directors More

KSSN’S GOALS ARE TO INCREASE ATTENDANCE and ACHIEVEMENT, SUPPORT students, increase ACCESS AND COORDINATION OF SERVICES, and increase PARENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

our work

We use the Coalition for Community School's Community School Standards as a framework for what we do. The standards are designed to engage and support the community schools movement as an evidence-based strategy to promote equity and educational excellence for each and every child, while strengthening families and community.

Expected Outcomes (Click Here)

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT - Increased number of strategic partnerships formed between the school, faith-based organizations, local businesses, and non-profits.

FAMILY ENGAGEMENT - Family members are empowered to serve as partners — not only in their children's education, but also in school-wide improvement as well.

ATTENDANCE - Decreased truancy, tardiness, and student absences related to health conditions or family function.

BEHAVIOR - Decreased need for behavioral interventions in the school environment.

PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL HEALTH - Increased access to physical, mental, and social/emotional health assistance for students, families, and staff.

ACADEMICS - Improved academics and learning.

Guiding Principles (Click Here)

These seven principles guide the community school approach to school transformation. When used in combination with a clear, strong vision for how students, schools, and communities can thrive — these principles provide a solid foundation for the community school strategy.

PURSUE EQUITY

Educational excellence and equity are inseparable. Community schools work actively to identify and confront policies, practices, and cultures that keep students of different backgrounds from achieving outcomes. Community schools proactively and intentionally empower those typically disempowered by barriers to participation.

INVEST IN A WHOLE-CHILD APPROACH TO EDUCATION

Meaningful teaching and learning embraces core academic subjects — but it also goes beyond mastery of those subjects. It includes youth development principles such as holding high expectations for all involved as well as developing social-emotional, health, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

BUILD ON COMMUNITY STRENGTHS TO ENSURE CONDITIONS

Community schools utilize the assets of the entire community, including the gifts of those who live and work there — parents, families, and community partners — to create the optimal learning conditions.

USE DATA AND COMMUNITY WISDOM

Reliable and community-specific data, coupled with the wisdom of youth, families, and residents, guides how educators and community partners work together to achieve measurable results.

COMMIT TO INTERDEPENDENCE AND SHARED ACCOUNTABILITY

Student success requires explicit investment in collaborative planning and implementation between educators and community partners. Mutually agreed upon results and related indicators — as well as written agreements — enable educators and community partners to hold each other accountable.

INVEST IN BUILDING TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS

Deep collaboration takes dedicated effort and time to becomes ingrained in the daily social exchanges within a school community and between the school and the broader community. Trusting relationships fuel school transformation by creating a nurturing, safe, respectful climate where caring adults, families, and students can rely on each other as part of a shared approach to student success.

FOSTER A LEARNING ORGANIZATION

Improved student learning depends on a school community where educators and community partners work together towards continuous improvement. Time and support are available for individual and collective reflection, as well as shared learning and professional development, to facilitate responsiveness to student needs.