Advancing Evidence in Community School Research and Evaluation

Community schools (CS) have emerged as a transformative strategy for addressing systemic inequities in schools by integrating academic, health, and social supports to meet the needs of students and families. The approach has gained traction across the United States and globally. As CS policy and funding commitments expand, so does a need for more rigorous and comprehensive research and evaluation evidence. While descriptive and case-based studies have highlighted promising outcomes in CS, the field continues to grapple with methodological challenges, including establishing causal links between programming and outcomes, capturing long-term impacts, and disentangling the contributions of integrated services. Building on a growing body of scholarship that emphasizes equity-driven approaches and robust designs, this Research Topic will bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to advance the evidence base on CS effectiveness.

The goal of this Research Topic is to strengthen the field of CS research and evaluation by highlighting innovative methodologies, critical perspectives, and evidence-based insights that can inform both policy and practice. We are looking for studies that move beyond narrow measures of student achievement to consider academic, non-academic, and community-level outcomes. By curating a collection of rigorous and equity-focused scholarship, this Research Topic aims to: (1) address methodological challenges in CS research; (2) elevate approaches that leverage quasi-experimental, longitudinal, and mixed-methods designs; (3) foster cross-sector dialogue between researchers and practitioners; and (4) inform the scaling, sustainability, and accountability of CS initiatives both within and outside the U.S. The collection will provide guidance for how the CS movement can continue to advance educational equity, improve student outcomes, and strengthen communities through high-quality evidence.

We welcome manuscripts that examine CS implementation, outcomes, and policy impacts using diverse but rigorous approaches. Submissions may include empirical studies (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods), methodological papers, literature reviews, and research-policy-practice commentaries. Potential themes include: equity-focused evaluation frameworks; causal inference and quasi-experimental designs; longitudinal analysis of student and/or community-level outcomes; case studies of robust research-practice partnerships; neighborhood and systems-level impacts; and innovations in measuring academic and non-academic indicators. Authors are encouraged to situate their work within broader debates about educational equity, accountability, and evidence use in policy.

We are seeking to engage a wide range of contributors, including but not limited to; early career scholars, established researchers, policy influencers, community activists, and youth - in order to advance the rigor, relevance, and impact of CS research and evaluation work.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Advancing Evidence in Community, School Research and Evaluation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.