The story of Communities In Schools began in the 1970s, when Founder Bill Milliken, then a youth advocate in New York City, came up with the idea of bringing community resources inside a public school building – where they are accessible, coordinated and accountable.

In the span of a little more than 30 years, Communities In Schools has become the nation’s leading dropout prevention organization. We have a unique model that positions a coordinator inside schools to assess needs and deliver necessary resources that remove barriers to success.

Our mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.

Our network is comprised of nearly 5,000 passionate professionals in 25 states and the District of Columbia. We serve the most vulnerable students in the most dropout-prone school districts, nearly 1.3 million young people in more than 3,400 schools.

We are actively engaged with policy makers, school staff, parents and business partners to ensure that Communities In Schools’ services are extended to as many K-12 students as possible and that those students have access to college.

Not surprisingly, it is within the schools where Communities In Schools ultimately has its greatest effect. Communities In Schools is able to bring about needed changes at schools and in the lives of students through the implementation of the CIS model by a trained site coordinator.

Through a comprehensive, rigorous, mixed-method evaluation that included three randomized controlled trials, the National Evaluation team has been able to establish an empirical link between the CIS model and positive outcomes (on dropout, graduation, attendance, and academics), and has been able to systematically investigate whether and how Communities In Schools can lead to successful students and schools. Through Level One services, a large number of students are receiving prevention and early intervention services that promote positive behaviors, provide academic enrichment, and promote the importance of staying in school and getting an education. Additionally, many of these services provide students with the essentials for meeting their basic needs (e.g., food, clothing, healthcare). For those at greatest risk for social and academic failure, Level Two or case-managed services provide a safety net to keep these students from falling through the cracks. For some students, these targeted, sustained services result in positive changes in academic performance and other outcomes; and for others, these services may be the only thing keeping these students in school and their “head above water”. At a minimum, most of these students are able to perform on par with their peers. Regardless of the needs of the students, Communities In Schools is addressing their needs to some degree and with some success.

The ability of Communities In Schools to impact the lives of students is possible as a result of the functions and activities of the local affiliates, the state offices, and the national office. It is the strong business practices of these nonprofit organizations that provide the necessary infrastructure and support to be able to effectively serve students, schools, and communities. It is through strong leadership, partnership development, strategic planning, fundraising, marketing and communication, monitoring and evaluation, and continuous improvement at all levels of the network that Communities In Schools can continue to grow and achieve success. Additionally, it is the support of school leadership and the involvement of principals, teachers, guidance counselors, partner organizations, parents, and students that makes it possible for Communities In Schools to operate in the schools and improve the lives of students.

After five years of data collection and across all of the studies undertaken as part of the National Evaluation, we have generated solid evidence that Communities In Schools works and it works best when it is implemented with fidelity to the CIS model and with intentionality.

Tools & Resources

Our Work in Schools
Many children face challenges both inside and outside the classroom. Through a school-based coordinator, Communities In Schools strategically aligns and delivers needed resources so that students can focus on learning.
Learn more about our PLCs

Our Unique Model
Our evidence-based approach, adapted to meet each community’s unique needs, is the basis for our success.
Learn more about our model.

Contact Information

Arleen Peterson, Director Education Initiatives
petersona@cisnet.org
1-800-CIS-4KIDS