The Community School

Service: NTN 360
Entity Type: Choice Option
Region: Spokane, WA
Grades: 9-12
Number of Students: 165

Spotlight School Focus Areas: Learner-Centered Instruction and Assessment

Transformation should feel exciting and empowering.

The Goal

Team-Taught and Inquiry-Driven Model:

As a small, innovative high school where all core academic subjects are integrated across grades 9-12, The Community School is uniquely positioned to allow students to engage deeply with content while developing essential skills. Through a shared leadership and consensus-driven model, the school emphasizes student agency and voice in shaping their educational experiences.

PBL with an Impact:

The Community School creates learning experiences that challenge students to explore complex issues through projects like the Election Chronicle Project. Students research and report on political issues, create a voter guide, and participate in The Community School (TCS) News Hour, a student-driven news broadcast. Through this project process, students gain a deep understanding of civics, media literacy, critical thinking, research skills and graphic design.

The Work

Refining the Model:

The Community School continues to refine its model by leveraging tools such as the NTN Project Planning Toolkit, NTN Learning Outcomes rubrics, and structured student debriefs.

Recognition for Achievement:

Recently The Community School was recognized by Washington State’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for achievement in English Language Arts, Dual Credit Enrollment, and Graduation Rate. The school has had a graduation rate of 100% for five years in a row.

Unlocking potential, so students can unlock theirs.

Project-based learning at The Community School provides opportunities for students to engage with their community, think critically, and present their findings to real audiences.

Empowered Educators

100%

100% of teachers agree that they have effective processes for learning together

100%

100% of teachers agree that they feel supported in their continued growth as an educator

100%

100% of teachers agree that at this school, they are treated and respected as educational professionals

School leadership has a shared vision for student success

Engaged Schools

88%

88% of students work with community members or experts on ideas to solve real world problems

80%

80% of students work on problems that require knowledge from different subjects (two or more subjects)

83%

83% of students work collaboratively with other students on projects

91%

91% of students make choices on how to do their work

The Community School Says:

“My husband and I both said today we wished we had these experiences when we were in high school. The learning is real and relevant. The experiences our daughter is having are preparing her well for the changing world we live in.”

A TCS Parent

I went to Community School because I really wanted to have a different type of learning experience… I wanted to be able to be out in the community and have a hands-on learning style.”

Lydiah Young

Student

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