Communities In Schools of Tennessee
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615-727-1341
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1207 18th Ave. South
Nashville, TN 37212
Organization Details

Programs

Budget
$4,172,761.00
Description
CIS is helping kids stay in school by applying a multi-tiered system of support, led by our school-based Site Coordinators, designed to mitigate the root problem(s) that preclude students from learning and help close the achievement gap. This includes school-wide initiatives, small groups, and the case management of individual students. Our evidenced-based model connects students to caring adults and community resources to transform how they see and experience the world around them. Whether a student is struggling to cope with an emotional stressor at home or is dealing with complex trauma and grief, CIS provides students with mental health and wellness support. Trained CIS professionals provide trauma-informed interventions that alleviate emotional and behavioral challenges, enhance coping skills, improve student social-emotional well-being and in turn academic achievement.
Program Successes
A family had been evicted were sleeping in their car in the Walmart parking lot. The father called the school's principal to explain their situation and ask for
help. The principal connected him with the CIS site coordinator, who was able to secure a room for them at a local motel, then worked with a community partner to
pay for the remainder of the week's motel stay, purchase groceries, and a gas card so the father could look for housing and a job. Today, the family has found a home, and the father has found work as a contractor.

After the sudden death of her father, Morgan began to struggle with depression. She experienced mood swings and self-isolation. Despite her grief, Morgan was determined to pursue her dream of becoming a registered nurse. CIS helped Morgan find a therapist, provided a safe space for her to decompress at school and taught her strategies to manage her anger. Morgan worked hard and finished strong her senior year! Today, she is a nursing major at TCAT.
Category
Human Services  - Children & Youth Services 
Beneficiaries
Families
At-Risk Populations
K-12 (5-19 years)
Short-term Success
For the 2021-2022 School Year, the following outcomes were achieved for our case managed students
70% improved attendance.
85% increased social and emotional learning skills
93% of seniors graduated
97% were promoted to the next grade.
Program Success Monitored By
An independent evaluation of Communities In Schools showed the program's intensive case management approach has produced the strongest reduction in dropout rates of any existing fully scaled dropout prevention program that has been evaluated, and that the CIS model is effective across states, school settings (urban, suburban, rural), grade levels and student ethnicities.

Rigorous third-party evaluations show positive benefits associated with the CIS model, including attendance and graduation gains. A 2008 evaluation of CIS indicated that CIS schools across seven states made statistically significant gains in attendance and 4th-grade mathematics, compared to demographically similar non-CIS schools. Schools in this study that were fully
implementing the CIS model also showed statistically significant improvements in graduation and dropout rates. *
*ICF International. (2008). Communities In Schools national evaluation. Volume 1: School-level report. Arlington, VA: Communities In Schools.
Program Areas Served
15 Counties across Tennessee