Children living in poverty face many obstacles outside the classroom that can hinder their success in the classroom. Unaddressed health care needs interfere with learning and cause low attendance. Inadequate and inconsistent housing may deprive students of a safe and quiet place to study. The advent of accountability-based school reform has pushed many high-poverty schools to focus on providing effective instruction and meeting high academic standards. Numerous schools have made progress in these areas but few have been adequately equipped with the tools needed to confront external learning obstacles related to poverty. A small but growing number of "community schools" have bridged the gap between the provision of antipoverty services and an excellent academic program. They capitalize on the school's physical space and access to students and families in order to deliver much-needed services in a central, accessible location. This report will provide an overview of community school strategies in the United States and how community schools can decrease poverty's detrimental effect on students. There are many examples of community school initiatives--from national models to local school district initiatives. This report highlights the examples where research shows community schools have had the most success. It will also review England's extended school model and suggest how the United States can expand community schools based on England's experience. (Contains 76 endnotes.) [Support for this publication was provided by JP Morgan.]