RECENT RESULTS
No non-profit in Chicago matches the breadth and depth of our work promoting graduation.
During the 2018-19 school year:
- Our Partnership Program successfully connected 1,745 services and programs to 70,245 Chicago public-school students, through partnership with 193 community partners.
- CIS of Chicago Partnership Specialists provided programming in behavioral and mental health, the arts, college and career readiness, and health and wellness at no cost to schools or students; School Specialists served 160 Chicago Public Schools.
- Our Intensive Program placed full-time, master’s level professionals, called Student Supports Managers, on-the-ground at 20 schools to provide intensive support to students most at risk of dropout or grade failure.
- Student Supports Managers served a total of 967 targeted students in grades K-12 during the 2018-19 school year. Together, they created a plan to develop the skills and access the resources these students need to reach their full potential. Of those students, nearly 99 percent were either promoted or graduated. NONE dropped out.
- Our direct student support program, STEMpathy, also expanded. Through the program, students hone their STEM abilities through hands-on science lessons, and they build strong interpersonal skills.
- Our flagship volunteer program, InspireU, paired students from two partner schools with 38 mentors. Launched by Capital One, InspireU provides students with knowledge of professional work settings and a range of college and career topics. Mentors logged 371 hours, and students logged 315 hours.
Check out Annual Report 2019 for more information on our recent successes.
MAJOR IMPACT
When we say that we prevent dropout, it’s with a great deal of confidence. A 2015 gold-standard evaluation of our work confirmed that Communities In Schools of Chicago positively impacts students’ course performance.
This two-year study, led by Professor David Figlio of Northwestern University, yielded evidence that our Partnership Program, which connects non-academic support programs and services to elementary schools, improves student achievement in math and reading. Research shows these are leading indicators for high school graduation.