A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education today released a case study about Vancouver Public Schools. Developed over the past year, the case study highlights the district’s Family-Community Resource Centers, known as FCRCs, and work with local partners to remove poverty-created barriers to learning that affect more than half of VPS’ 23,500 students.

The review details staffing, public and private sector partnerships, services, data use, funding and progress indicators. It also describes state and federal policies that have supported and constrained FCRC growth.

A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education is a national campaign to advance strategies that address poverty-related disadvantages. Its study of VPS is one of six in-depth examinations of the strides to equalize the educational playing field. VPS is the only West Coast organization to be analyzed to date.

The first FCRC was established in 1999 at Fruit Valley Community Learning Center. Today, 16 school-based FCRCs and one mobile FCRC provide wraparound support district-wide.

“If children are hungry or don’t know where they’ll sleep at night, it likely will impact their ability to learn,” said Superintendent Steve Webb. “We want our students to reach their full potential. FCRC work in concert with our community partners is removing barriers to learning so that all children have opportunities to succeed.”

Recent data demonstrates that VPS’ comprehensive effort, including FCRCs, to boost student achievement is paying off. For example, the four-year on-time graduation rate has risen from 64 percent to more than 80 percent since 2010.

The FCRC model has received numerous national recognitions and awards, most recently a 2015 Magna Award from the National School Boards Association for a back-to-school-readiness festival, a 2015 case study by the Urban Institute and a 2014 District of Distinction award from District Administration magazine.