1 Kevin Graham April 12, 2013 SEC 527 K.

Rashid Community Walk Essay The community walk project completed by my group focuses on Morton School of Excellence. Morton is an AUSL turnaround school and is located within East Garfield Park on Chicagos west side. This community walk project was much different from the previous community walk completed during the summer. The summer community walk that I completed in the summer with my group was much more limited and superficial compared to the community walk that my group completed for this course. The summer community walk focused on a few statistics (crime, income, and demographics) and resources available in the community. There was little connection made between the statistics and resources in the community and the possible effects and impacts on the school within the community. The community walk completed for this course is what the original should have been. This time around, my group focused on the factors that influence the community and linked them back to their implications for the school community. These factors include historical context, demographics, community resources, and school programs. These factors were also linked back to the course readings in order to gain a more critical understanding of how the community can influence a local community school. Through this community walk project, I have learned how a school and its community can become partners in order to improve student outcomes. A local community can have many resources available to the students and their families, such as enrichment clubs, counseling services, charitable organizations, and religious organizations. However, a school needs to build

2 partnerships with these community resources in order to get more student and family involvement. There are also resources that a school can bring in that are catered to the needs of the students and their families. For example, Morton brought in outside resources such as the YMCA, counseling services, and a male mentoring program. These outside resources can be brought in to fill a need in the school community. According to Bryk, "the level of bonding social capital and bridging social capital in a community plays a significant role in the capacity of a local school to improve student outcomes" (Bryk et al. 2010). Both local community organizations and organizations from neighboring communities can be used to better the lives of students and their families within a school community. However, I believe that it is necessary for the local community school to be bridge that connects students and their families with these programs and organizations. When community ties are combined with effective instruction, schools are more likely to positively impact the lives of the students in a community. There are several assets that can be capitalized upon to build a strong classroom and community relationship at Morton. One asset is the male mentoring program at Morton that students can be referred to that builds positive relationships between males at Morton and strong role models. The positive influence of these role models can help build a stronger classroom community and can build ties between role models in the community and students. Another asset is the Girls with a Vision club at Morton that teaches middle school girls to become responsible citizens in the community. This club also helps build a relationship with the community and also helps improve the classroom community. As a teacher, I can encourage students to join these organizations in order to build stronger classroom and community relationships. There are also several barriers to building a strong classroom and community relationship. Parent involvement at Morton for the middle school students is low. It is important

3 to have strong parent involvement at a school because it helps school reform, as well as the classroom and community relationship. One way to try to improve the parent involvement is to invite parents to the school and into classrooms for events. Another barrier is the lack of partnerships between the school and local organizations and resources. As a classroom teacher, one way to begin building these relationships would be to refer students and their families to the available resources along with inviting community and organization members into the school to talk with students and their families. One final barrier is the difference between my background and the background of my students and the school. This makes it even more essential to understand the community so that instruction can be relevant to the lives of the students. This community walk has allowed me to better understand the community and the resources available in the community. An understanding of the community can help make instruction relevant to the lives of students and improve classroom and school community. Forming partnerships with the school and the community can also help build positive relationships while helping improve the lives of students and improve school reform.

4 References Bryk, A., Sebring, P.B., Allensworth, E., Luppescu, S., Easton J.Q. (2010). Organizing schools for improvement. Lessons from Chicago. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.