Virginia Community Schools

Community Schools partner with families and community organizations to remove non-academic barriers to learning so that every student is prepared to succeed. The Virginia Community School Model is grounded in shared leadership and in four branches of support: basic student needs, emotional and mental health, family and community engagement, and student engagement and motivation.

Implementation Evaluation and Policy Recommendations Report

The first annual report on the Virginia Community Schools initiative, submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly, highlights the early and promising results of Cohort 1’s work — outcomes from 59 schools, chronic absenteeism reduced by nearly a third, and 10 policy recommendations from the interagency Community Schools Task Force.

Read the Evaluation Report

Virginia Community Schools Impact Report

The Community Schools Impact Report provides a closer, school-level look at the work. It profiles each of Cohort 1’s thirteen divisions, drawing on the voices of the coordinators, school staff, families, and students who are shaping this work day-to-day. A final section introduces Cohort 2, bringing the total to more than 100 schools engaged in the Community Schools initiative statewide.

Read the Impact Report

About the Program

The Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Community Schools, housed within the Office of Behavioral Health and Student Safety, administers the Virginia Community Schools program. Its program page provides the complete framework, the designation process, grant history, and a current list of funded divisions and Communities in Schools affiliates.

Learn About the Community Schools Program

Virginia Community School Implementation Toolkit

This six-module series walks division and school teams through the Virginia Community Schools model, from assessing needs and resources to sustaining community partnerships. Each module covers one stage of implementation, and teams can work through the toolkit at their own pace. The implementation guide serves as the foundational handbook, and the stage planners are working spreadsheets that move the model from page to practice.

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Introduction: Understanding the Best Practices for Virginia Community School Implementation

This module demonstrates how school divisions choose to utilize a community school approach tha... View More