Monica Medina

Changing demographics and socioeconomic factors challenge public schools in urban cities across the nation. Community schools are used by many urban cities to address these challenges. Community Schools are collaborative partnerships that lead to improved student learning and healthier neighborhoods. Community-based partners, along with educators and families, create a school climate that is supportive, respectful, and conducive to learning. A particular strength of the community school model is local decision-making and a collaborative evaluation process. Site leadership teams- community school coordinators, parents, residents, teachers, staff, and students – make school-based decisions for school improvement. Site leadership teams also focus on making decisions that fulfill the needs of students, families, and the immediate community, while aligning those needs with academic goals.

Through mixed methods and participatory design, Dr. Monica Medina and her team engage in a process to assess school and community needs and present their findings to the larger community. Since 2008, Dr. Medina’s research has supported three community school grants awarded from the U.S. Department of Education in nine Indianapolis Public Schools.

Dr. Medina’s work to strengthen community schools is another example of how IUPUI faculty are TRANSLATING RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE.