Advancing Equity in Charter Schools - Through a Community-Centered, Collective Impact Approach - October 2023

Oct 15, 2026

Advancing Equity in Charter Schools through a community-centered, collective impact approach provides a primer for charter schools seeking to improve outcomes for students and families. It argues that community-centered and collective impact strategies address unmet needs by considering the full context of a child’s experience inside and beyond school walls. The primer outlines a framework for engaging communities, explains collective impact conditions, and uses community schools as an evidence-based model, including funding pathways and actionable steps to begin implementation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Section 1: Why a Community-Centered Approach is Critical

Section 2: Collective Impact as an Approach to Addressing Complexity

Collective Impact Feasibility Framework

Section 3: Community Schools as an Example of Collective Impact

The Learning Policy Institute

Section 4: Funding Streams Supportive of Collective Impact

Section 5: Taking Action Towards a Community-Centered, Collective Impact Approach

Section 6: Additional Resources

Advancing Equity in Charter Schools Through a Community-Centered, Collective Impact Approach October 2023 The National Charter School Resource Center (NCSRC) provides technical assistance to federal grantees and resources supporting charter sector stakeholders working across the charter school life cycle. NCSRC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and managed by The Manhattan Strategy Group LLC, in partnership with WestEd. This report was produced for NCSRC by MAYA Consulting. NCSRC would like to acknowledge and thank the team at MAYA for their contributions to this report. Suggested citation: National Charter School Resource Center (2023). Advancing Equity in Charter Schools Through a Community-Centered, Collective Impact Approach. The Manhattan Strategy Group LLC. This publication was produced in whole or in part with funds from the U.S. Department of Education under contract number GS10F0201T. The content does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the federal government. Table of Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 1 Section 1: Why a Community-Centered Approach is Critical .............................................. 2 Section 2: Collective Impact as an Approach to Addressing Complexity ............................. 4 Collective Impact Feasibility Framework.................................................................................................. 5 Section 3: Community Schools as an Example of Collective Impact.................................... 8 The Learning Policy Institute .................................................................................................................... 8 Section 4: Funding Streams Supportive of Collective Impact ............................................ 11 Section 5: Taking Action Towards a Community-Centered, Collective Impact Approach... 12 Section 6: Additional Resources........................................................................................ 14 i Executive Summary The purpose of the primer is to support charter schools in considering community-centered1 and collective impact2 approaches for improving results. Using the community schools model as an example, the primer makes the case that community-centered and collective impact approaches are ways to address the unmet needs of many students and families, and thereby increase students’ educational outcomes. In Section 1, the primer reviews research that supports charter schools taking an approach that considers the full context of a child’s experience – both within and outside the walls of the school building – to create conditions that enable every student to reach their potential. Section 2 offers a framework for addressing complex systems by utilizing a community-centered and collective impact approach and describeshow to engage the community in order to determine needs. This section includes an orientation to the“Collective Impact Feasibility Framework” as a process for determining the type of approach needed to address complex community needs. The primer then describes the five conditions of the collective impact framework and offers snapshots of the collective impact approach in charter school communities. Section 3 offers readers a more detailed description of community schools as an evidence-based, community-centered approach through which charter schools can apply the principles of collective impact to achieve better outcomes for historically underserved students, including the four pillars of community schools and the list of pipeline services offered by community schools in the Full-Service Community Schools model. Included in Section 4 is an overview of opportunities for financial support for collective impac

FAQs

What is the purpose of this primer for charter schools?

It supports charter schools in considering community-centered and collective impact approaches to improve educational results. It uses the community schools model to show how these approaches can address unmet needs of students and families.

How does the report suggest charter schools engage communities to determine needs?

Section 2 provides a framework for addressing complex systems and includes guidance on engaging the community to determine needs. It also introduces the “Collective Impact Feasibility Framework” as a process for selecting an approach.

How does the report connect collective impact with funding?

Section 4 describes funding streams supportive of collective impact models. It covers opportunities for financial support from the Department of Education through relevant Charter Schools Program and Full Service Community Schools grant competitions and other federal funding streams.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jordan Avery