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Oakland Unified School District

Community School Managers

CSM Page

Stanford's Gardner Center has found that in Oakland Community Schools, "the community school manager plays a critical role in integrating the partnership work of the school with its academic mission, serving as a high-level administrator managing, leading, and coordinating the community work to support school and student needs."

Read the research brief; find out more about CSM duties below. 

View our list of CSMs and their school sites

In OUSD, CSMs are responsible for the following five focus areas.

Community Schools Champion

Introduce the community school model and the CSM role to the greater school community.
  • Orient site leaders and partners to community schools.
  • Develop communication materials that highlight community schools' efforts and success in schools.
  • Share the importance of community schools and their work with school and district stakeholders.

Needs Assessment

Conduct ongoing needs assessment in order to identify gaps in programs and services, as well as capacity and assets.
  • Review existing data/information & plan needs assessment process.
  • Conduct key stakeholder interviews, surveys, focus groups, community resource mapping, program evaluation, and ongoing quality improvement.
  • Actively share information gathered during needs assessment.

Partnership Development

Establish and implement protocols to manage and maintain quality partnerships so the entire school site is working towards common goals for student success and wellness.
  • Strengthen existing partnerships.
  • Utilize data from needs assessment and cultivate new partnerships that address service gaps.
  • Manage site-based Letters of Agreement (LOAs) & Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs).

Student & Family Support Service Design/Coordination

Support programs - external and internal - related to student & family support and the core mission and priorities of the school and students.
  • Establish or refine Coordination of Services Team (COST).
  • Provide strategic support around Community School Core Elements: School Culture and Climate, Health and Wellness, Expanded Learning, Family Engagement, Youth Leadership, Academic, Social Emotional Learning, and School Readiness and Transitions.

Collaborative Leadership Development  

Support the integration of youth, family, and school staff engagement and leadership throughout all Oakland Community Schools efforts.
  • Deepen personal leadership skills via professional development.
  • Participate on school leadership teams & facilitate community and school engagement in developing the SPSA.
  • Support the development of parent leadership bodies.