Community Schools Case Study Project

Introduction

We know that there are many models of innovative learning aimed at systems transformation. This case study series aims to explore the work of community schools, who take a whole-community approach to education that aligns with the goals of competency-based education. Dive into learning with us as we explore two community school models–one in Chicago and another in Winooski, Vermont, in the first year of this project.

Get a glimpse of the student experience and the community-centered and learner-centered approach West Belden takes to support learners in this short video.

Welcome to CICS West Belden, Chicago IL

CICS West Belden, a K-8 charter school in Chicago’s Belmont-Cragin neighborhood, demonstrates how strong community connections enhance personalized learning. Through their Community Schools Coordinator, the school transforms parent-teacher conferences into community resource hubs while addressing student needs beyond academics. This family-driven approach—born from pandemic challenges that revealed hidden student needs—creates a foundation where students feel safe, supported, and ready to learn. Read the first post of the blog series here.

CICS West Belden: For the Community

At CICS West Belden, strong family ties, community support, and a focus on the whole child make all the difference. In this post, we explore the ways in which CICS West Belden enacts the six key practices of community schools: 

1. Powerful student and family engagement
2. Collaborative leadership and shared power and voice
3. Expanded and enriched learning opportunities
4. Rigorous, community-connected classroom instruction
5. Culture of belonging, safety, and care
6. Integrated systems of support

Discover the inspiring work happening at CICS West Belden, from their remarkable successes to the challenges they’ve overcome and their vision for continued growth.

Learners at the Center: Competency-Based Education at CICS West Belden

In this post, we explore the ways in which CICS West Belden is implementing several of the seven key elements that define competency-based education. Although CICS West Belden is still on its journey toward becoming a fully competency-based school, it has established a strong learner-focused foundation that’s yielding impressive results. Dive in to discover how students at CICS West Belden are flourishing in an evolving environment that increasingly emphasizes personalized, competency-based approaches.

Should we feature your school? Let us know!

We are searching for schools that blend community-centered and learner-centered approaches to feature in our national case study project. If your school fits this criteria, we want to hear from you! Please reach out to us here. 

If your school is selected, we’ll send an Aurora team member to visit in person and learn more about your learning community. Your school will be featured on this website, invited to speak at our annual Symposium, and included as a case study in our comprehensive report on the intersections between community schools and competency-based learning models. We may also be able to send a videographer to produce a short video highlighting your work! Please note: we will not be able to select all submitted schools.

Stay tuned for our next study on Winooski Middle High School to be added here. Thank you to the Siegel Family Endowment for supporting this work.