Programs
May 29, 2026
Communities in Schools
Last Revised: May 29, 2026
Program overview
- Preventing dropout through integrated student supports: Communities In Schools (CIS) was established in 1977 to provide whole-school supports and reduce barriers to student learning. CIS places full-time site coordinators in schools to address students’ academic and non-academic needs in collaboration with school staff and educators. As of 2026, the CIS network reaches over 2 million students annually through 63 local affiliates in urban areas (e.g., CIS of Chicago) and rural areas (e.g., CIS of Northeastern Nevada) across the country.
- Providing tiered supports and case management: CIS site coordinators deliver supports in three tiers:
- Tier 1: Whole-school services that foster a positive school climate and address school-level risk factors, such as family engagement events.
- Tier 2: Targeted services to groups of students sharing common needs, such as small-group tutoring.
- Tier 3: Intensive case management for students with specific needs, including mentoring, regular check-ins, and connections to other services.
- Using data to strengthen services: Students can be identified to receive supports through referrals from teachers or staff, or through data on attendance, behavior or academic performance. Site coordinators monitor key indicators, such as students’ number of absences or disciplinary referrals, to continuously assess progress and adjust supports as needed.
- Engaging community partners: The CIS model is founded on the recognition that systemic challenges such as food insecurity, access to transportation, and housing instability can impact success in school. With this in mind, site coordinators maintain referral networks with community partners such as counselors, health care providers, and other nonprofits. Through these partnerships, site coordinators help students and their families connect with services to support their success in and out of the classroom.
- Cost
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$108,000 per school per year on average, translating to approximately $210 per student.
- Location
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As of 2026, CIS is operating at approximately 3,500 schools in 63 regions across the country.
Multiple studies with rigorous designs demonstrate that Communities In Schools is a well-established strategy for improving attendance and academic achievement.
- A 2025 quasi-experimental study found that CIS raises standardized test scores, boosts high school graduation and two-year college enrollment, and improves earnings in adulthood. Long-term impacts are largely driven by short-run improvements in test scores, attendance, and discipline. Students who attended CIS schools for three years are expected to earn more than $36,000 in additional lifetime income, resulting in over $7,000 in additional federal tax revenue (both figures refer to the value as of 2026).
- A 2017 quasi-experimental study found that CIS was associated with increased elementary school attendance, increased high school graduation rates, and reduced high school dropout rates. It did not find evidence of positive effects on middle school attendance or academic achievement across grade levels.
- A 2017 randomized control trial found that case management – a central element of the CIS model – positively influenced non-academic outcomes, including students’ attitudes about school and their relationships with adults and peers. However, the study found that case management did not improve students’ achievement, attendance, or behavior.
- A 2010 randomized controlled trial in Jacksonville, Florida found that CIS was associated with increased reading test scores and student personal responsibility. The study did not find statistically significant effects on GPA, math test scores, disciplinary referrals, attendance, or suspensions.
- A 2010 randomized controlled trial in Austin, Texas found that CIS was associated with increased attendance, grade point average, and credit accumulation in 9th grade. The study did not find statistically significant effects on test scores or disciplinary referrals.
- A 2010 randomized controlled trial in Wichita, Kansas found that CIS was associated with increased attendance and math test scores. The study did not find statistically significant effects on grade point average, credit completion, disciplinary referrals, or reading test scores.
- Tailor supports for students’ individual needs: Site coordinators should tailor their support to each student’s specific needs by prioritizing tutoring, mentoring, behavioral coaching, attendance interventions, and/or referrals to other services. Research shows that CIS services yield similarly positive long-term impacts on high school graduation regardless of whether services are academic or non-academic in nature, suggesting that the highly personalized model effectively matches students with best-fit supports.
- Align individualized student support with schoolwide strategies: Individualized supports are critical but insufficient on their own. Research shows that CIS is most effective when the delivery and monitoring of supports at all three tiers work in alignment to achieve desired schoolwide outcomes.
- Create trusted adult relationships: Site coordinators are meant to be trusted, caring adults that can help students navigate academic and non-academic challenges. One way site coordinators can establish trust and rapport with students is by involving students in the development of their own personalized goals and improvement plans. Positioning the site coordinator as a navigator or liaison can also help students build positive relationships with other adults in the school, such as teachers and counselors. Site coordinators are also trained on the Developmental Relationships Framework to help them cultivate strong relationships with students and help support student developmental relationships with each other.
- Prioritize high-risk schools: Research suggests that the benefits of CIS programming are concentrated among the highest-risk students (that is, high-risk students experience more gains as a result of CIS programming than their lower-risk peers). This information should guide expansion: local affiliates should use data on student-level and school-level risk factors to prioritize prospective school partners. They should also use qualitative and quantitative data to understand local non-academic needs, such as food security or transportation, to guide the local partnership strategy.
- Ensure fidelity to the model: Some implementation research has found that local CIS affiliates vary in the extent to which they implement the CIS national model with fidelity, with higher-fidelity sites experiencing better outcomes. With this in mind, local affiliates should ensure supports are in place to help staff understand and adhere to network-wide implementation standards. The national network offers training and resources to help affiliates meet these standards.