Communities In Schools Praises Mayor Bill de Blasio for Advocating "Community Schools" as Part of NYC School Renewal Program

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Communities In Schools (CIS), the nation's leading dropout prevention organization, dedicated to keeping kids in school and achieving in life, today praised New York Mayor Bill de Blasio for championing the community schools model as part of his plan to turn around schools in New York City. 

Mayor de Blasio made the announcement that community schools would be at the centerpiece of his "School Renewal Program" during an address this morning.

Community Schools are a national movement committed to the idea that schools become the hub of communities. Communities In Schools is the largest organization of its kind, working in urban, rural and suburban school districts across the country to provide students with the resources they need to stay in school and graduate.

Dan Cardinali, President of Communities In Schools, said New York City is among a growing number of school districts across the country that are seeking out community partners to provide this model to students and their families.   

"By tapping into existing community resources, CIS and organizations like it successfully address some of the non-academic barriers students face, freeing up teachers to teach and allowing students to focus on learning," said Cardinali.  "The adoption of this model in New York City is forward-thinking. As the leading national organization proven to effectively decrease dropout rates and increase the rate of graduation, we are thrilled that this model is gaining momentum and that school and district leaders appreciate the full value it can bring to their communities."

Cardinali said community school models need to use proven practices and deliver measured results to ensure that students are supported and taxpayer resources are protected.  This is critical to successfully implementing the model.  Cardinali also said this is the latest example of the increased demand that Communities In Schools is seeing across the country. 

Communities In Schools operates in more than 2,200 schools in the most challenged communities of 26 states and the District of Columbia serving 1.3 million kids every year.  Communities In Schools offers a distinct model known nationally as integrated student supports (ISS) which involves placing trained site coordinators inside schools where they can integrate community services to meet the specific needs of students. 

Studies have shown that among case-managed students, the CIS model has demonstrated 99 percent retention of potential dropouts, propelled 96 percent of eligible seniors to graduation and successfully helped 97 percent of our students continue to the next grade.

About Communities In Schools

Working with both schools and their surrounding communities, Communities In Schools does whatever it takes to help kids stay in school and succeed in life. Based directly inside schools throughout the country, Communities In Schools connects students and their families to basic and critical educational and community-based resources, tailored to each student's specific needs. Operating in more than 2,200 schools in the most challenged communities of 26 states and the District of Columbia, Communities In Schools serves 1.3 million young people and their families every year. As the nation's leading dropout prevention organization, Communities In Schools is the only one proven to both decrease dropout rates and increase graduation rates. For more information on Communities In Schools, please visit:  www.CommunitiesInSchools.org

SOURCE Communities In Schools

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