Our Unique Model
THE CIS MODEL (download pdf)
Many students and their families have a hard time accessing and navigating the maze of public and private services. There may be ample resources in a community, but without someone on the ground who is able to connect these resources with the schools and students that need them most. Through a school-based Site Coordinator, we bring community resources into schools to empower success for all students by removing barriers for students at risk of dropping out, keeping kids in schools and on the path to graduation.
INTEGRATED STUDENT SUPPORTS
CIS’ Integrated Student Supports Model is a school-based approach to develop academic success by tackling academic and non-academic barriers. CIS serves students of all ages from K-12. These supports are provided by our CIS Site Coordinators who assess a student’s needs, and then provide direct services and/or make referrals to community partners to ensure a student has everything they need to succeed in and out of the classroom.
The key elements of the CIS Model include:
1. CIS Site Team
The CIS site team is led by a CIS Site Coordinator responsible for planning and managing all CIS operations at the site. The site coordinator works closely with school administrators, staff and teachers in this effort. The remaining part of the team may include varied combinations of additional CIS staff, reassigned or repositioned staff, partners and volunteers, each with defined roles and responsibilities based on CIS site operations plans.
2. Annual Needs Assessment
Each year CIS identifies needs based on multiple sources of data. These may include data collected by school districts and schools as part of overall school improvement initiatives, surveys and discussions with staff, parents and students, and evaluation results from the previous year. Needs are prioritized in consultation with school administrators and are used as the foundation for site operations planning.
3. Annual Site Operations Planning
Each year the CIS site team develops a comprehensive site operations plan to address identified needs. The plan includes measurable objectives, as well as procedures for delivering Levels One and Two services, monitoring and adjusting services, and evaluating and reporting effectiveness.
4. Delivery of Evidence-Based Services
According to the site operations plan, widely accessible Level One services are provided to help address identified school-wide needs or to build and reinforce student assets. Targeted and sustained Level Two services are provided for specific students who are identified as having the greatest risk of eventually dropping out of school. Level Two services are provided based on individualized assessments and plans. CIS Total Quality System standards define the frequency and saturation levels of services required for full implementation of the CIS Model.
5. Monitoring and Adjusting Services
According to the site operations plan, the CIS site team regularly monitors and adjusts services as needed to maximize effectiveness and impact. The team also provides regular progress reports to school and affiliate leadership.
6. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Services
According to the site operations plan and the affiliate’s uniform data collection system, the CIS site team implements a systematic data collection plan to evaluate the effectiveness of services on achieving school-wide goals and addressing the needs of individual students.
7. Annual Reporting
The CIS site team provides annual end-of-year reports to school and affiliate leadership. These reports are instrumental in planning site services for the following year, as well as contributing to affiliate level reports for partners, the state office (if appropriate) and the national office.