Communities in Schools of the Midlands

Infobox NPO
organization_name = Communities In Schools of the Midlands
organization_
organization_motto =
organization_type = Non-profit
founded = 1987
location = Columbia, South Carolina
key_people = Bill Milliken
fields = Education
services =
num_members =
homepage = http://www.cisnet.org/Midlands

Communities In Schools of the Midlands is an independent, local 501 (c)(3) organization in Columbia, South Carolina that works to address the dropout epidemic in the local community. The organization identifies and mobilizes existing community resources and fosters cooperative partnerships for the benefit of students and their families. [http://www.cisnet.org/midlands Communities In Schools of the Midlands] serves as a bridge between schools and businesses, faith groups, and other nonprofit agencies, identifying and mobilizing local resources to provide a range of services such as: mentoring, tutoring, health care, summer and after-school programs, family counseling, and service learning. Communities In Schools of the Midlands, founded in 1987, is a member of one of the largest dropout prevention organizations in the United States. Its mission is to champion the connection of needed community resources with schools to help young people successfully learn, stay in school and prepare for life. [Maureen Salamat, ed. “2007 Annual Report: 30 years of Keeping Kids In Schools,” Communities In Schools National Office, p.1. Found at: http://www.cisnet.org/media/pubs.asp]

History

In June of 1986 the South Carolina Department of Youth Services received a one year grant to promote social and economic self sufficiency of disadvantaged youth in Columbia, South Carolina where 353 students dropped out of Richland One School district during the 1985-86 school year. During this time, several community leaders who were familiar with Cities In Schools, requested to bring the concept to Columbia. In October, several community representatives from Columbia went to Atlanta, Georgia to review the Cities In Schools concept; by January 1987 the Richland One school board approved a feasibility study for the project. That spring, the Junior League board approved a motion to fund the Cities in Schools, Columbia project Director for one year in order to build that program. In August of 1987 Rick Noble was selected as the Executive Director for Cities In Schools Columbia, INC, and on November 6th CIS Columbia was officially founded as the 23rd Cities In Schools program in the nation. That March, 5-points high school opened its doors at the recreation center in Martin Luther King Park, and the following September moved into its own building in downtown 5-points. Within two years, 5-points school was recognized as one of the ten best alternative schools in the country. The program quickly expanded and in 1999 Communities in Schools (a revised national name) Columbia officially changed its name to Communities In Schools of the Midlands to better reflect its mission to serve the needs of the greater midlands area.

Community

ites Served

:*CIS at the Department of Juvenile Justice:*Dent Middle School:*E.L. Wright Middle School:*Olympia Learning Center

tatistics

During the 2006-2007 school year: :*75% of CIS of the Midlands students improved their attendance over the prior year :*69% of CIS of the Midlands students improved their overall academic performance :*93% of CIS of the Midlands students in grades 9-11 stayed in school :*75% of CIS of the Midlands seniors graduated from high school :*67% of CIS of the Midlands students tracked for disicplne problems had fewer incidents of dicipline :*67% of CIS of the Midlands students had fewer suspensions than in the prior grading period :*71 volunteers contributed 3,013 hours of service worth over $54,234 of support

Leadership

Board of Directors

2008-2009

:*Janet Bailey, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of SC - President:*Joe Benton, - Vice President:*Emily Brannen, South Financial Group - Secretary:*Brandon Whitacre, First Savers Bank, - Treasurer

:*Jennifer I. Cooke, Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough, LLP:*Lori Marrero, E.L. Wright Middle School:*Therese Griffin, SCANA:*Anthony Hargrave, IBM Corporation:*Charlene Perry, AT&T:*W. David Keller, Southern First Banking:*Preston Sabalis, NBSC:*Duane Everett, National Direct Home Pharmacy:*Julie Flaming, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough:*Stuart M. Lee, Rogers, Towsend & Thomas:*Susan Porter, Office of the Attorney General:*Archie Maddox, Commission on Children and Youth-Immediate past President

Partners

:*Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina:*Central Carolina Community Foundation:*City of Columbia:*Communities In Schools, Inc.:*Communities In Schools of South Carolina:*Elliott Davis and Company:*Epworth Children’s Home:*John S. and James L. Knight Foundation :*The Nord Family Foundation:*PSARAS Foundation:*Richland County Council:*Richland School Districts One and Two:*SCANA:*Sisters of Charity Foundation:*South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice:*South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse

pecial Events

:*Oyster Roast

Dropout Epidemic

Dropout Statistics

:*One million American students drop out of school each year :*Nearly half of all dropouts ages 16-24 are unemployed:*An estimated 67% of prison inmates are high school dropouts:*Graduation rate nationally is around 70%, declining to 50% in some urban areas [ Jay Mathews, “Dropout-Prevention Program Sees to the Basics of Life,” "Washington Post", Dec. 10, 2007; page B01.] :*Every 29 seconds another student gives up on school:*dropouts earn $9,200 less per year than high schools graduates and more than $1 million less over a lifetime than college graduates:*the government would gain $45 billion in extra tax revenues and reduced costs in public health, rime, and welfare payments if the number of high school dropouts among 20-year olds in the US today were cut in half [“Statistics and Facts About High School Dropout Rates,” "Ending the Silent Epidemic", http://www.silentepidemic.org/epidemic/statistics-facts.htm]

Philosophy

[http://www.cisnet.org/midlands Communities In Schools of the Midlands] believes that caring, one-on-one relationships between adults and young people make the crucial difference. Their philosophy is based on the notion that programs don’t change kids – relationships do. In order to help kids, Communities In Schools identified and developed the Five Basics as guiding principles. The Five Basics grew out the organization’s collective experience during the first two decades of its existence. Communities In Schools sees each basic as critical to keeping kids in school and helping them prepare for life. [ Note: The Five Basics have also been adopted by America’s Promise, an alliance working to solve the dropout crisis, which calls them the “Five Promises.” For more information see www.americaspromise.org]

First Basic

:*A one-on-one relationship with a caring adultThis first basic is a response to the breakdown of traditional communities and family structures of the past. Communities In Schools believes that due to the breakdown of these traditional support systems children are not receiving the support and building strong relationships with caring adults that children of past generations have received.“Communities In Schools’ Formula for Success: ‘The Five Basics’,” "Communities In Schools National Office", Fact Sheet, http://www.cisnet.org/library/download.asp?file=CIS_FS200605_5_basics.pdf] A caring adult is defined as someone who serves as a guide, a mentor and a role model for young people.“The Five Promises”,"America's Promise", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americas_Promise] CIS believes that the loss of such a relationship with a caring adult will greatly impede a child’s chance for success in school and in life. :*One-third of teenagers (more than 8 million) and one-fifth of younger children ( around 5 million) are reported to not have high-quality relationships with their parents "Every Child, Every Promise: Turning Failure Into Action", "America’s Promise Alliance", 2007, p.12,http://www.americaspromise.org/APAPage.aspx?id=6584 ]

econd Basic

:* A safe place to learn and growThe second basic is also a response to the breakdown of traditional communities, and the loss of a safe environment within schools and communities. Communities In Schools feels that many communities and schools are not secure and safe; instead violence, drugs, gangs, unemployment and multigenerational poverty are sometimes commonplace in communities across the nation.what this should work] CIS believes that each child deserves a safe place to learn and grow. A safe place is seen by CIS as a place with constructive activities that gives youth an alternative to street corners, gangs and other harmful environments. According to CIS a safe place will nurture young people's skills and interests, enrich their academic performance and give them opportunities to contribute to their communities.same source] :*Between one-forth and one-third of all young people “never” or only “sometimes” feel safe at school and in their communitiesagain same thing]

Third Basic

:* A healthy start and a healthy futureCommunities In Schools believes that a child’s ability to succeed is impeded when they are not receiving the correct health care. CIS believes that children need a healthy start before they begin schooling – prenatal care and early immunizations are vital in a child's first years of life; and that children and adolescents also need accessible and affordable healthcare, including good nutrition; eye, ear and dental checkups; and regular exercise throughout their formative years.again] :*Thirty-four percent of teenagers (nearly 8.5 million) do not have health insurance coupled with annual check-ups with a doctor and a dentist. Twenty-three percent of younger children (nearly 5.75 million) fall into this category also.same]

Fourth Basic

:* A marketable skill to use upon graduationCommunities In Schools recognizes that the American economy has shifted from an industrial-based model to a service-based model. In order for children to be successful, CIS believes that each child should be prepared to work within this new American economy.same] Marketable skills enable young people to prepare for employment in the 21st century. In order for young people to succeed in the American economy, CIS believes they will need to master basic academic and analytical skills, learn workplace etiquette and know how to use new technology, such as computers and the Internet before graduating and entering the market.again] :*More than 40% of parents pf younger children and 66% of adolescents say their schools do not emphasize academic achievementsame old thing again]

Fifth Basic

:* A chance to give back to peers and communityCommunities In Schools believes that community service not only benefits society, it also enriches the lives of people who provide it. Young volunteers have higher self-esteem, perform better in school, build leadership skills and learn how to solve community problems.again] CIS believes that the community must create environments for young people in which everyone’s gifts are nurtured, and service to others is expected and rewarded. :*Half of 6 to 17 year olds experience the civic roles and connections that enable them to make a difference in their communitiessame]

The Model

[http://www.cisnet.org Communities In Schools] seeks to understand and address the underlying reasons why young people drop out. Whether kids need eyeglasses, tutoring, nutritious food or just a safe place to be, CIS works to find the resources and deliver them to young people right inside schools where kids spend their days. The need could be something as simple as getting kids vaccinated to meet school attendance requirements. Or the need could be something more complex. Like helping young people find positive alternatives to joining gangs.Greg Schaler, "Empowering Students for a Lifetime of Success: Performance Learning Centers," "Communities in Schools National Office",2007: p.4]

CIS implements a "community-based integrated student services" strategy, leveraging community resources where they are most needed—in schools. Community-based integrated student services are interventions that improve student achievement by connecting community resources with both the academic and social-service needs of students. Such interventions focus programmatic energy, resources and time on shared school and student goals. Through the efforts of a single point of contact, individual student needs are assessed and research-based connections made between students and targeted community resources. ["A National Educational Imperative: Support for Community-Based, Integrated Student Services in the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act," "Communities In Schools national Office", 2007: p.1] Asset building resources such as health screenings, food and clothing, and assemblies on various topics are made available to all students. Targeted and sustained intervention services are provided to the subset of students most in need, forming the basis of outcome-driven individual student plans. These students benefit from tutors, mentors, after-school programs, academic support and other evidence-based interventions designed to achieve specific outcomes.

Communities In Schools becomes involved at the invitation of the school or school district. The CIS Model is adaptable to all communities— whether urban, rural or suburban— and is tailored to meet the needs of the individual school and its students.

Reference

Further reading

* [http://www.csos.jhu.edu Center for Social Organization of Schools at John Hopkins University]
*Milliken, Bill. "The Last Dropout, Stop the Epidemic," New York City: Hay House Inc., 2007.

External links

* [http://www.cisnet.org Communities In Schools] (National)
* [http://www.cisnet.org/midlands Communities In Schools of The Midlands]
* [http://www.dropoutprevention.org National Dropout Prevention Center/Network]
* [http://www.ed.gov U.S. Department of Education]
* [http://www.nces.ed.gov National Center for Educational Statistics]
* [http://www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/ National Assessment of Educational Progress]
* [http://www.edweek.org/rc/ Editorial Projects in Education Research Center]