It’s often said that if you want to go far, go together. That’s exactly the route that universities, school districts and other community partners take when it comes to empowering community schools — public schools that integrate academics with family and community support services.

Now, researchers at UCF are collaborating with scholars from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU), Florida International University (FIU) and the University of South Florida (USF) in elevating community schools across the state to the next level. Collectively, the four universities were awarded a Full-Service Community Schools grant to enhance and build upon the work of Florida’s community schools.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), the five-year, $50 million Unlimited Potential Initiative state-scaling grant provides necessary capacity to partner universities and school districts, equipping them to leverage institutional resources and support community schools in their regions. A University-Assisted Community Schools approach involves a mutually beneficial partnership between a school or school district and a university or college. The school receives additional resources and support for its students, families and school community. At the same time, the university advances its goals of serving the community while providing its students with further educational opportunities.

“This federal funding allows us to forge interdisciplinary partnerships among community schools, universities across Florida, and nonprofits to empower students to achieve their dreams and uplift families to build a strong community together,” says Eleazar “Trey” Vasquez, professor of exceptional education and the project’s co-principal investigator.

According to data from the Florida Department of Education, about 66% of the state’s K-12 students are classified as economically disadvantaged, leaving them socially and academically vulnerable. Along with helping to provide more resources for high-need districts, the grant will meet the ancillary needs of 16 current community schools — including Community Partnership Schools — and upscale the university-assistance arm to 24 new community schools.

“We can’t expect students to be successful in the classroom if their basic needs aren’t being met,” says Amy Ellis, director of UCF’s Center for Community Schools and the project’s principal investigator. “Community schools bring needed resources to the schools so students can learn, achieve and reach their greatest potential. The impact of the community-schools model is amplified through community connections and resources; we can’t continue to do our work alone. What we accomplish over the next four years will deepen and accelerate Florida students’ achievements by placing them on a trajectory of lifelong success.”

Each partner university will work with its corresponding school district to invest in unique community needs. Although this grant supports four school districts — Hillsborough, Leon, Miami-Dade and Orange counties — all partner universities will expand on the knowledge and expertise gained to positively impact all Florida community schools. By leveraging existing collaborative efforts, university partners are empowered to scale up to a total of 40 enhanced or newly added University-Assisted Community Schools statewide in their respective regions. The project also scales up technical assistance by creating a statewide training academy that includes virtual learning opportunities, continuous improvement and coaching for participating community schools.

At Florida A&M University, that involves focusing on North Florida regional schools through the FAMU Developmental Research School and Leon County Public Schools.

“I look forward to the impactful changes that will benefit K-12 students and families within our regional community and throughout the state,” says Allyson Watson, provost and vice president for academic affairs at FAMU. “As the only HBCU (Historically Black College and University) partner, we fully understand our responsibility to be a part of solutions that seek to enhance our schools and optimize the academic, social and cognitive abilities of the communities we serve.”

The funding allocated to Florida International University will provide critical funding to scale FIU’s 13-year University-Assisted Community Schools efforts, known as The Education Effect, to a total of 19 schools across six Miami-Dade communities.

“We equally value the opportunity for greater collaboration with Miami-Dade County Public Schools leadership to help ensure that FIU can be a key differentiator in accelerating tangible impact for the nation’s third-largest school district,” says Phillip Lloyd Hamilton, assistant vice president for student belonging and support at FIU. “Together, we are cultivating a statewide movement encouraging the active engagement of communities in the success of children, families, educators, schools and public-school districts.”

USF looks to deepen its partnership with Hillsborough County Public Schools and leverage university resources to support the implementation of programs and services in local community schools.

“Part of our mission is to partner with schools, families and communities to advance innovative participatory research, services and program evaluation,” says Stacy-Ann January, co-director for USF’s Institute for School-Community Partnerships, Integrated Services, and Child Mental Health and Educational Policy. “We are also looking forward to expanding our partnership with the other institutions across the state who are part of the UPI initiative. Engaging in this important work together over the next five years and beyond only strengthens the impact community schools across the state will have in the lives of students and families.”

Florida increased its investment in the strategy of community schools over the past decade, and now national support for community schools is catching up. Congress has been increasingly investing in the Full-Service Community Schools grant program for several years, from $10 million in 2013 to $150 million in 2023. Combined, such collaborative efforts enhance existing work and open the door to fast-tracking goals of better student outcomes.

“Upscaling the University-Assisted Community Schools model allows us to build upon our success by partnering with state universities, school districts and other agencies with the purpose of uplifting Florida’s students,” says Grant Hayes, dean of the College of Community Innovation and Education. “Universities are important partners in this effort, and we are honored to play a crucial role in expanding upon the foundation that’s already in place with the work of community schools.”

Researcher Credentials
Ellis joined UCF in 2015 and leads the university’s Center for Community Schools in its dedication to developing and sustaining high-quality community schools that support the whole child. She has three decades of experience in scaling initiatives, honing educational strategies and supporting underrepresented student populations. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership from UCF.

Vasquez is the director of the Toni Jennings Exceptional Education Institute and professor for the College of Community Innovation and Education’s exceptional student education program. He holds affiliate faculty status with Lockheed Martin/UCF Mathematics and Science Academy, SREAL Synthetic Reality Lab and the UCF Learning Sciences Cluster. His research focuses on the evaluation of academic and behavioral outcomes for traditionally marginalized populations with executive functioning deficits. His research has been supported with over $85 million from the National Science Foundation, the USDOE Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the USDOE Office of Special Education Programs.