Synopses & Reviews
In the wake of stringent public school accountability standards, educators are forced to address persistent “achievement gaps” in new ways. Concomitantly, there is growing acknowledgement that factors external to schools critically influence academic success. Full-service community schools attempt to narrow “gaps” by convening comprehensive networks, yet, this contemporary movement also reminds us, “there is nothing new under the sun”. This book contributes to the educational and socio-historical lexicon through an examination of a segregated school exemplifying contemporary “best practices” instructive on multiple levels to schools in the twenty-first century.
Review
“This is a well written and scholarly work on the topic of full service and community schools that should be readable by a general audience. It is an original project that provides an in-depth study into an area of current interest. The Full-Service Community School Movement should have a substantial shelf life because it offers a historical perspective of enduring value with ties to the future.”--Charles J. Russo, J.D., Ed.D., Panzer Chair in Education and Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Dayton
Synopsis
This book contributes in multiple dimensions to the educational literature through an articulation of T.J. and Anita Andersons vision; how the community and faculty adopted the vision; what it meant in practical terms to matriculating students and their families; and, espouses lessons applicable in the 21st Century .
About the Author
Jeanita W. Richardson is Associate Professor in the Division of Public Health Policy & Practice, Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Virginia.
Table of Contents
Full-Service Schools: Their Past, Their Present, and Their Future * The Efficacy of a Community Approach * Pursuing Excellence in a Segregated System * Coatesville: A town of paradoxes * The Cornerstones: The blurred personal and professional lives of TJ and Anita Anderson * James Adams Community School - Manifesting the Vision * In Their Own Words: Reflections from Alumni and Faculty * Looking Backward to Plan Ahead: Lessons for the Community and Full-Service School Movement