Community Schools Grant Reporting

GRANT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

All individual school sites that received Community Schools grant funding must meet these requirements. All required deliverables outlined below for each grant type must be included in the Strategic Plan.

1. Family Engagement Initiatives (Grant Amounts $25,000 and $35,000)

Required Deliverables: Add all required deliverables into your updated CS Strategic Plan

• Formation of a Site-Based Leadership Team (SBLT)
  • The SBLT must include the principal, Community School Coordinator (if applicable), teachers, school staff, families, community partners, tribal partners, nonprofit organizations, unions, and neighboring residents to guide collaborative planning, implementation, and oversight.
  • The SBLT must meet at least twice a month and document its composition, meeting frequency, and role in developing and executing the Needs & Asset Assessment.
  • Micro districts may have one SBLT covering multiple school sites.
• Utilization of the Community Schools Section in MLSS – Schools must set goals and outline a plan to integrate the Community Schools section of MLSS into their future planning and implementation efforts. This includes documenting how MLSS will support their strategic priorities, resource allocation, and continuous school improvement efforts.

Optional Deliverables:

Schools may also choose to include the following optional deliverables in their Strategic Plan:

• Part-time Community School Coordinator (optional full-time) – Responsible for implementation, integration, alignment, and coordination of the Community Schools strategy at the site level.
• Needs & Asset Assessment – Identifies key academic and non-academic challenges, assets, and community resources.
• Root Cause Analysis – A systematic process to determine the underlying causes of school and community challenges.
• Community Schools Strategic Plan – Defines the academic and non-academic supports that will be delivered to students and families based on the Needs & Asset Assessment.
• Sustainability Plan – Schools must develop a plan for sustainable funding through braided, blended, and leveraged sources.
• Focus Areas in the Strategic Plan – The plan may include how the Community School Strategy is being used to improve outcomes in the following areas:
  • Chronic Absenteeism – Strategies to increase student attendance and engagement.
  • Reading Scores & Literacy – Literacy-focused initiatives to support student reading proficiency.
  • Graduation Rates (if applicable) – Efforts to enhance student retention and completion.
  • Culture of Belonging, Safety, and Care – Steps taken to create an inclusive, supportive, and trauma-informed school environment.

2. Community School Initiatives (Grant Amount $75,000)

Required Deliverables: Put all required deliverables into your updated CS Strategic Plan

• Full-Time Community School Coordinator – Responsible for implementing, integrating, aligning, and coordinating the Community Schools strategy at the site level.
• Site-Based Leadership Team (SBLT) – An interdisciplinary team that includes the principal, Community School Coordinator, teachers, school staff, families, community partners, tribal partners, nonprofit organizations, unions, and neighboring residents to guide collaborative planning, implementation, and oversight.
• Needs & Asset Assessment – Identifies academic and non-academic challenges and assets within the school and community using qualitative and quantitative data.
• Root Cause Analysis – A systematic investigation of the foundational causes of challenges identified in the needs assessment.
• Community Schools Strategic Plan – Developed by the SBLT, the plan must define a blend of academic and non-academic supports to meet the identified needs.
• Alignment with the Community Schools Section of the MLSS Framework – Schools must set measurable goals and outline a plan for utilizing the Community Schools section of MLSS to inform future planning, guide implementation, and monitor progress. Schools must demonstrate how MLSS will be integrated into their overall strategy.
• Funding & Sustainability Plan – Includes strategies for sustainable funding through braided, blended, and leveraged funding sources.
• Focus Areas in the Strategic Plan – The plan must explicitly address how the Community School Strategy is being used to improve outcomes in the following areas:
  • Chronic Absenteeism – Strategies to increase student attendance and engagement.
  • Reading Scores & Literacy – Literacy-focused initiatives to support student reading proficiency.
  • Graduation Rates (if applicable) – Efforts to enhance student retention and completion.
  • Culture of Belonging, Safety, and Care – Steps taken to create an inclusive, supportive, and trauma-informed school environment.

3. Accredit Community Schools (Grant Amounts $75,000, $35,000, $25,000)

Required Deliverables: Put all required deliverables into your updated CS Strategic Plan

• Community School Coordinator Requirement:
  • $75,000 Grant: Full-time Community School Coordinator required.
  • $35,000 and $25,000 Grants: Part-time Community School Coordinator required.
• Formation of a Site-Based Leadership Team (SBLT) – The SBLT must include key school and community stakeholders and guide collaborative planning and implementation.
• Community Schools Strategic Plan – Defines the academic and non-academic supports that will be delivered to students, families, and the school based on the Needs & Asset Assessment.
• Utilization of the Community Schools Section in MLSS – Schools must set specific goals and outline a plan to integrate MLSS into their ongoing planning and implementation efforts. This includes demonstrating how MLSS data and reporting tools will guide decision-making.
• Focus Areas in the Strategic Plan – The plan must explicitly address how the Community School Strategy is being used to improve outcomes in the following areas:
  • Chronic Absenteeism – Strategies to increase student attendance and engagement.
  • Reading Scores & Literacy – Literacy-focused initiatives to support student reading proficiency.
  • Graduation Rates (if applicable) – Efforts to enhance student retention and completion.
  • Culture of Belonging, Safety, and Care – Steps taken to create an inclusive, supportive, and trauma-informed school environment.

Submission Requirements & Deadline

Each school must:
✅ Incorporate these requirements into their Strategic Plan
✅ Upload the Strategic Plan into MLSS – The Strategic Plan will be uploaded within the Community Schools section of the MLSS Self-Assessment in NM DASH.
✅ Complete and submit the MLSS Self-Assessment – A link to the MLSS Self-Assessment will be provided soon.

The deadline for both the Strategic Plan and the MLSS Self-Assessment is June 30, 2025.

Key Progress Indicators for Community Schools

We are now partnering with NMSU SOAR to better understand how the CS strategy can help schools to improve across the four key progress indicators:

1. Chronic Absenteeism
2. Reading Scores and Literacy
3. Graduation Rates
4. Culture of Belonging, Safety, and Care

Regional QMCs are available for support if you have questions about these four indicators and the community schools strategy. For questions or assistance about content, please contact the Quality Management Consultants (QMC) team. For questions or assistance about MLSS, please contact Chris Vian at christopher.vian@ped.nm.gov. We look forward to supporting your school in implementing the Community Schools strategy and ensuring a successful 2024-2025 school year!