The evidence-based strategies in this volume close the achievement gap among students from all sociological backgrounds. Designed according to local needs assessments, they provide the services, programs, initiatives, and relationships that are crucial for children's success in school and life.These practices and programs include afterschool and summer sessions, early-childhood education, school-linked health and mental health services, family engagement, and youth leadership opportunities. This book addresses the policy and funding requirements that help these partnerships thrive and offers effective counterarguments against those who would question their value. The text describes strategies that work in both rural and urban contexts and includes a chapter evaluating school-community partnerships across the world. Because it involves collaborations across professions and organizations, the book's interdisciplinary approach will appeal to those in social work, education, psychology, public health, counseling, nursing, and public policy.

Foreword                                                                                                                    Introduction1. Making the Case for School-Linked Services2. The School3. School-Linked Services Today4. Working Effectively Across Systems5. Settings6. International Initiatives7. Public Education, School-Linked Services, and Relevant Policies 8. Funding 9. Assessing OutcomesEpilogue: Creating a Successful School-Community Partnership for School-Linked ServicesReferencesIndex