Next Generation Community Schools

Public-private partnership enabled New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) to test its hypothesis that community schools can, with the right support and training, amplify classroom instruction, enliven the instructional core, and help every student get the right academic support at the right time.

The NYC Community Schools strategy is grounded in collaborative leadership between schools, community-based organizations, and families, integrating social services and academics to improve student success. To enhance this model, the Next Generation Community Schools (NGCS) pilot launched in the 2022-23 school year in 20 schools across 16 districts to identify promising practices and opportunities for potential replication across the NYC Community Schools network, with a focus on enhancing academics through collaborative leadership development, instructional leadership development, and co-curricular supports. NGCS are a blueprint for amplifying teaching and learning and accelerating academic success for New York City students.

The key levers to improving core instruction include implementing high-quality instructional materials with fidelity and providing strategic and consistent support to district teams, school leaders, and teachers as they adopt and implement new evidence-based practices. Additionally, it is critical to engage families and communities to build a supportive ecosystem for such an initiative and to closely monitor and evaluate implementation efforts to support continuous improvement and successful outcomes.