Now that states have the authority under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to determine how to improve struggling schools, many state chiefs are looking for a whole-child approach with deep community engagement to counter the more technical models required under the previous School Improvement Grants program. In response, the IEL’s Coalition for Community Schools released a brief,  that positions community schools as an effective school improvement strategy for states to consider in their ESSA plans and implementation.  CCS will continue to engage state chiefs through our partnership with the Council of Chief State School Officers, and we encourage you to share this important document with your networks and colleagues. READ MORE…