The CIS Model

1. CIS Site Team

The CIS site team is led by a CIS site coordinator responsible for planning and managing all CIS operations at the site. The site coordinator works closely with school administrators, staff and teachers in this effort. The remaining part of the team may include varied combinations of additional CIS staff, reassigned or repositioned staff, partners and volunteers, each with defined roles and responsibilities based on CIS site operations plans.

2. Annual Needs Assessment

Each year CIS identifies needs based on multiple sources of data. These may include data collected by school districts and schools as part of overall school improvement initiatives, surveys and discussions with staff, parents and students, and evaluation results from the previous year. Needs are prioritized in consultation with school administrators and are used as the foundation for site operations planning.

3. Annual Site Operations Planning

4. Delivery of Evidence-Based Services

According to the site operations plan, widely accessible Level One services are provided to help address identified school-wide needs or to build and reinforce student assets. Targeted and sustained Level Two services are provided for specific students who are identified as having the greatest risk of eventually dropping out of school. Level Two services are provided based on individualized assessments and plans. CIS Total Quality System standards define the frequency and saturation levels of services required for full implementation of the CIS Model.

5. Monitoring and Adjusting Services

According to the site operations plan, the CIS site team regularly monitors and adjusts services as needed to maximize effectiveness and impact. The team also provides regular progress reports to school and affiliate leadership.

6. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Services

According to the site operations plan and the affiliate’s uniform data collection system, the CIS site team implements a systematic data collection plan to evaluate the effectiveness of services on achieving school-wide goals and addressing the needs of individual students.

7. Annual Reporting

The CIS site team provides annual end-of-year reports to school and affiliate leadership. These reports are instrumental in planning site services for the following year, as well as contributing to affiliate level reports for partners, the state office (if appropriate) and the national office.

The CIS Model Works

CIS WORKS

• CIS is among dropout prevention programs listed in the Department of Education’s “What Works Clearinghouse”, Communities In Schools is one of a small number with scientifically-based evidence proving it keeps students in school, and is the only one to prove that it increases graduation rates, graduating students on time with a regular diploma.

• When implemented with high fidelity, the CIS Model results in a higher percentage of students reaching proficiency in fourth- and eighth-grade reading and math.

• Effective implementation of the CIS Model correlates more strongly with positive school-level outcomes than does the uncoordinated provision of services alone.

CIS IS ACCOUNTABLE

CIS affiliates are accountable on many levels, with several points for measurement and evaluation. This accountability includes measuring students’ academic results, behavior, promotion to the next grade level and attendance. Local and state CIS networks’ and affiliates are accountable to the national office. They report data annually in compliance with national CIS standards. These standards are based on research from best practices in accordance with a study by the National Dropout Center at Clemson University and evaluated by a third party evaluator.