NYC Department of Education - Office of Community Schools

The Office of Community Schools (OCS) at the NYC Department of Education supports school leaders and partners to ensure that children have opportunities to learn, gain skills, create joy, and have the experiences that ignite curiosity and allow children discover their passions and talents. Community Schools are committed to bringing equity and using a “whole child, whole community” approach – looking holistically at students, families, and communities to ascertain their most pressing needs and decide together which services will best address those needs.

The Office of Community Schools:

• Develops Attendance Policy for all schools and lead a proactive “engagement” approach toward attendance policy and improvement called Every Student, Every Day (ESED)
• Guides and supports schools implementing the Community Schools strategy
• Coordinates CBO-led Expanded Learning Time programs for all schools
• Oversees targeted supports for Students in Temporary Housing and Students in Foster Care in all schools