The general assembly finds and declares that:

(1) All children are capable of success;
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 49-6-2402

  • Community school: means a public and private partnership to coordinate educational, developmental, family, health, and before-school and after-school-care programs during school and nonschool hours for students, families, and local communities at a public school with the objectives of improving academic achievement, reducing absenteeism, building stronger relationships between schools, students, parents, and communities, and improving the skills, capacity, and well-being of the surrounding community residents. See Tennessee Code 49-6-2403
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(2) Schools are the centers of vibrant communities;
(3) Strong families build strong educational communities;
(4) Children succeed when adults work together to foster positive educational outcomes;
(5) Schools work best when families take active roles in the education of children;
(6) Schools today are limited in their ability to dedicate time and resources to provide a wide range of educational opportunities to students because of the focus on standardized test outcomes;
(7) By providing learning opportunities outside of normal school hours, including programs on life skills and health, students are more successful academically, more engaged in their communities, safer, and better prepared to make a successful transition from school to adulthood;
(8) A community school is a traditional school that actively partners with its community to leverage existing resources and identify new resources to support the transformation of the school to provide enrichment and additional life skill opportunities for students, parents, and community members at large. Each community school is unique because its programming is designed by and for the school staff, in partnership with parents, community stakeholders, and students;
(9) Successful community schools currently exist in this state. Such schools should be models for replication;
(10) Research shows that community schools have a powerful positive impact on students, as demonstrated by increased academic success, a positive change in attitudes toward school and learning, and decreased behavioral problems;
(11) After-school and evening programs offered by community schools provide academic enrichment consistent with state standards and general school curriculum; an opportunity for physical fitness activities for students, fine arts programs, structured learning “play” time, and other recreational opportunities; a safe haven for children and teens; and work supports for working families; and
(12) Community schools are cost-effective because they leverage existing resources provided by local, state, federal, and private sources and bring programs to the schools, where the students are already congregated.
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