Texas CIS Affiliates Highest Performing in National Network
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Communities In Schools the nations leading organization dedicated to empowering students to stay in school and achieve in life today released the results of a five-year comprehensive longitudinal evaluation conducted by one of the nations foremost social science evaluation firms.
After five years of detailed evaluation underwritten by The Atlantic Philanthropies the evaluation concluded that Communities In Schools model resulted in the strongest reduction in dropout rates of any existing fully scaled dropout prevention program that has been evaluated; that Communities In Schools is unique in having an effect on both reducing dropout rates and increasing graduation rates; and that the Communities In Schools model is effective across states school settings grade levels and student ethnicities. Importantly analyses indicate that the more fully and carefully the model is implemented the stronger the effects.
The study revealed that across the national Communities In Schools network Texas has the largest percentage of high implementers" schools implementing the Communities In Schools model with the greatest fidelity. In addition the randomized control trial conducted in Austin produced results almost three times the U.S. Department of Educations standard for effectiveness.
The study the largest and most comprehensive evaluation of dropout prevention programs ever completed was designed with eight distinct interlocking phases including:
- An implementation study that examined results from 1766 Communities In Schools sites nationwide;
- A quasi-experimental study that compared results from 602 Communities In Schools sites against 602 matched sites without a Communities In Schools presence;
- A deep dive" study of 368 Communities In Schools sites to identify best practices; and
- Three randomized controlled trials the gold standard in social science evaluation studying 573 students at nine sites.
In comparing the results to over 1600 studies screened by the Department of Educations What Works Clearinghouse the evaluation concluded that the Communities In Schools model is associated with the strongest reduction in dropout rates among all existing fully scaled dropout prevention programs in the United States. Specific findings included:
- Communities In Schools positive effect on both dropout rates and graduation rates is unique among dropout prevention programs;
- The higher the level of fidelity to the Communities In Schools model the greater the effects which validates the power of the model;
- Positive effects accrued to schools across states settings (urban suburban rural) grade levels and ethnicities; and
- The Austin randomized controlled trial which demonstrated a reduction in student dropout rates that was nearly three times the What Works Clearinghouses threshold for substantively important" effects.
Im proud that in the very challenging area of dropout prevention Texas organizations are setting the national standard for effectiveness." said Lt. Governor David Dewhurst. I have spoken personally with Commissioner Scott about working with us to find ways to continue dropout prevention programs like Communities In Schools that have proven results."
The results from the evaluation are already being translated into improved service delivery by Communities In Schools local affiliates. Based on the mid-point results from the Implementation Study and the Quasi-Experimental Study Communities In Schools codified a set of program and business standards that the research revealed had the greatest effect on student improvement and then drove those practices back into the network through an accreditation process. Approximately 108 affiliates have been accredited or are in the process with all affiliates on track for accreditation by 2015.
The research findings have fueled an even greater sense of urgency within our network a commitment that we need to bring the strongest most evidence-based and rigorously evaluated practices to the young people we serve and that we need to do it immediately" said Daniel Cardinali president of Communities In Schools.
N.B. In conducting this research the evaluators adhered to the approach of the What Works Clearinghouse in measuring program effects which recognizes the practical importance of understanding the magnitude of effects (as measured by effect size) as opposed to relying solely on statistical significance.
A copy of the final evaluation report is on our website at:
http://www.communitiesinschools.org/about/publications/
About Communities In Schools
Communities In Schools surrounds students with a community of support empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Through a school-based coordinator Communities In Schools connects students and their families to critical community resources tailored to local needs. Working in more than 3400 schools in the most challenged communities in 25 states and the District of Columbia Communities In Schools serves nearly 1.3 million young people and their families every year. It has become the nations leading dropout prevention organization and the only one proven to both increase graduation rates and reduce dropout rates.
In Texas there are 27 local Communities In Schools affiliates working in 875 school sites statewide. During the 2009-2010 school year Communities In Schools served almost 700000 Texas public school students through the efforts of 1400 paid staff 160 Americorps members and more than 11500 volunteers.
Visit our website at
www.communitiesinschools.org
