CIS is the nation’s leading community based organization helping more than two million young people each year to stay in school and prepare for life.

Administered by the Texas Education Agency, the Joint Venture of CIS of Brazoria County and CIS, Southeast Harris County is an exemplary stay in school program funded by the Texas Legislature, various state and federal grants and the local independent school districts.. Our CIS programs are 501 (c)(3) non-profit organizations established to support schools by working with at-risk students and their families to succeed in life.

CIS helps at-risk students improve in academics, attendance and/or behavior encouraging more students to stay in school, graduate and prepare for post-secondary life. CIS provides services and resources through community partnership to ensure a comprehensive case-management approach to meet the needs of students.

CIS links school teachers, administrators, government agencies, and community organizations in partnership for students and at-risk youth.

History

Communities In Schools, Southeast Harris County, was established in 1987 and Communities In Schools of Brazoria County was established in 1992. Both entities are 501(c) 3 non-profit organizations. Additionally, both agencies entered into a joint venture formation agreement in June 2000 for the purpose of consolidating their functional, administrative and economic resources. Both entities are governed by a Board of Directors that oversees their operations.

Communities In Schools has been operating nationally for over three decades. In Texas, it has been the most successful “stay in school” program for over two decades and currently serves students in 27 communities.

Mission

The Communities In Schools’ mission is to champion the connection of needed community resources with schools, in order to help young people stay in school, successfully learn and prepare for life.

Philosophy

The philosophies of Communities In Schools is based on the idea of keeping students in school by directly addressing all of the problems and concerns that cause children to not do well in school, or to consider dropping out. Communities In Schools’ comprehensive programs provide students with the opportunity to overcome obstacles; thus, making it easier for them to stay in school, successfully learn, and prepare for life.

Objectives

The long-term goal of Communities In Schools is to keep students in school until they graduate, which will increase their opportunities for employment and their ability and desire to obtain a college education or vocational training. Ultimately, Communities In Schools works with students so that they can become successful, contributing, self-sufficient adults.

Communities In Schools' objectives include:

• To enhance educational, personal and social development
• To improve youth’s self-esteem and job skills
• To improve school attendance and reduce the number of dropouts
• To encourage parental involvement in the education of their children
• To reinforce socially acceptable behavior in the classroom, at home, and in the community
• To coordinate and integrate the timely delivery of human services to at-risk youth and their families within the educational setting.

The "Five Basics"

Communities In Schools believes that every child needs and deserves:

• A personal, one-on-one relationship with a caring adult (such as mentors, tutors and parental involvement programs)
• A safe place to learn and grow (to include after-school and extended-hours programs)
• A healthy start and healthy future (to include mental health counseling, family strengthening initiatives, drug and alcohol education, physical and dental exams, eye care and immunizations, help for teen parents)
• A marketable skill to use upon graduation
• A chance to give back to peers and community (such as service opportunities, Junior ROTC Programs, etc)

The Problem

This problem was stated in the publication “Reaching Out to Youth,” a report of the Commission on the Mental Health of Adolescents and Young Adults by the Hoggs Foundation: “Many youth fail to obtain the help they need for dealing with drug and alcohol abuse, pregnancy, trouble with friends, concerns about school-work, and other personal problem because they are scared, uncomfortable, or don’t know where to begin… many perceive the traditional service delivery system, if they are aware of it at all, as virtually inaccessible due to distance, hours of operation, or cost. Despite the fact that a majority of youth spend most of their days in school, few services are offered in the setting.”

This report specifically cites Communities In Schools as one of the few effective school-based services available to students and their families

The Approach

Our approach is simple, yet revolutionary – and it works! An assumption of the Communities In Schools' approach is that most of the human/social services necessary to help at-risk youth and their families are already in place – but in the wrong place. Troubled children, youth and their families are being asked to seek out the help they need from a confusing variety of sometimes-disconnected agencies scattered throughout a typical community. Communities In Schools insists that it is the community’s responsibility to bring helping resources to children, not the children’s responsibility to “figure out” where the community has located these resources.

Communities In Schools coordinates the delivery of services for the benefit of individual children based on an analysis on what the child needs. Our goal is to reverse the current practice, which requires students to search for help outside the system, and arrange instead for outside help and/or the Campus Coordinators to serve alongside teachers and school counselors as a coordinated team to keep children in school and succeed. Services are provided during the school day or afternoon at the student’s respective school. The school environment is the most neutral and familiar setting, outside of the family, for prevention/early intervention activities.

The Programs

Communities In Schools promotes and facilitates the coordinated delivery of community social services, as well as health events, educational programs and other warranted services by partnering with local agencies such as: businesses, organizations, churches, fraternities/sororities, clubs and individual volunteers. With the assistance of our supporters, Communities In Schools stands as an aid for at-risk youth and their families (those students who are “at-risk” of dropping out of school or engaging in delinquent behaviors and their families).

The Communities In Schools program is an “in-school” (8+hour days, 5-days a week, year round) multi-disciplinary approach designed to increase each participating student’s opportunity to be successful in school, which is accomplished by increasing the stay-in-school rate and improving attendance, academic performance and behavior. The program encompasses and encourages partnerships with federal, state and local social services agencies, as well as private and community-based organizations, local colleges, the private business sector, the community, churches, and public schools. Communities In Schools programs promote and facilitate the coordinated delivery of existing health, social, education, community, and other support services on elementary, middle schools and secondary school campuses for the benefit of young people and their families.

The Benefits

Some of the Benefits of Communities In Schools include:

• Increase positive self image for students
• Increase productive time for the students and teachers in the classroom.
• Increase/improve levels of academic performance
• Increase/improve levels of attendance (reduce truancy and tardiness)
• Improve student physical, emotional, family, and social health