BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON -- When the entire community gets involved with the schools, interesting things happen. Just take a look at the community school initiative in Covington.
A recent study of the program's impact by Miami University found that student behavior and grades improved. In just two years, parents became more involved in classroom and after-school activities. Teachers extended their programs beyond the classroom.
And attitudes started to change. The school is becoming a community center, owned by everyone who lives nearby.
"As a neighborhood person, a parent and a teacher, I think this is an opportunity for parents to feel like this is more of their school setting than just for their kids," said Debra Fraley, a kindergarten teacher at Sixth District Elementary. "It's such a shame that the school was sealed off at 4 p.m. for so long."
This is what happens when schools are open seven days a week, at all hours, for students, their families and neighbors.
Parent power
The program is designed to help schools expand their reach while giving residents tools to improve community development.
"It's wonderful in itself, but it's also a larger issue of galvanizing the community," said Tom DiBello, Covington Community Center director. "The community can ask, "Who can help us get where we want to go?' "
The partners involved, from the schools to the community center to Thomas More College, then help residents answer their own questions. What happens next is empowerment.
When the community center started at Sixth District Elementary, residents identified the safety of their children as a major issue. Parents planned a safety fair. They contacted 15 agencies, including hospitals, on their own. The fair was held on a Saturday, with free bicycle helmets and safety tips. Parent Debbie Winkler, a trained emergency medical technician and a paramedic, offered first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation classes for children and adults.
This year, parents enrolled in grant-writing classes to find ways of funding even more safety programs.
That type of tangible change is exactly what program facilitators hoped to see.
"It's not like we say, "Let there be community schools,' and there are," said Susan Cook, Covington Schools assistant superintendent. "It doesn't happen in a day. It involves the entire school staff, from teachers and principals to custodians, to make sure they are there when the buildings are open in the evening.
"We want it to be shared ownership and shared responsibility. To bring about those opportunities, we have to build better relationships between parents and staff and the community."
Miami University's 1998 study of the community school initiative's impact at John G. Carlisle Elementary found significant changes. Carlisle was the pilot school for the community school program, started in 1996. The study compared the attitudes and performance of students in the program with students not participating.
In general, the study found that community school participants earned better grades, made more improvements on their school work and had fewer disciplinary referrals than those who did not participate. And vandalism to school property became nearly non-existent.
Wanting the best
According to the study:
- The number of latchkey students at John G. Carlisle has decreased by 59 percent since the start of the community school program. When the project started, there were 227 students who reported going home alone after school. In February, that number was 93.
- On average, students in grades 4-6 did a full letter grade better in academic subjects than non-participants.
- Participants have better attitudes and work habits and higher self-esteem.
- Participants experience better family relations. Participants' family members had more in-person contacts with teachers, while non-participants had more telephone contacts.
"It seems like there are a lot more people involved at school, and they want better things for their kids," John G. Carlisle parent Judy Stickrod said.
Ms. Stickrod said she got involved because she wanted her 9-year-old daughter to become more excited about school. But Ms. Stickrod said her involvement also led to some self-improvement. She said she's learned to become a leader.
When the community school initiative was started, Covington school officials and the Covington Community Center, a United Way agency, agreed to start the program in a new school each year. This year, Ninth District Elementary will go through the six-month process of community forums and evaluations to determine the best way to make the program work in that neighborhood. Next year, the Holmes Junior High School community will do the same.
The idea is to keep creating strong partnerships that will foster community development and volunteerism, said Ellen Muse-Lindeman, the community center's youth development coordinator.
"We're trying to avoid a situation where we need new money. We find where things exist now in the community, whether it's a business or people with special skills, time or talents to offer," Ms. Muse-Lindeman said.
Gordon MacIntosh, principal at Ninth District, said he wants to get parents more involved at school.
"We're looking for people from the community to come in and help as instructors," Mr. MacIntosh said. "And we want activities the parents can participate in with their children and get enrichment also."
Parent involvement is key to the program, said J. Tucker, a parent of two Sixth District Elementary student.
"I notice more people coming to the school for some of the events, especially on Saturday mornings," Mr. Tucker said.
"Rather than thinking of the school as just someplace that's there five days a week for the kids, parents need to think of the schools as an actual community resource."
