Communities in Schools Dallas

Program Description

Communities In Schools of the Dallas Region, Inc. (CISDR) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded locally in 1985. The CIS intervention is an evidence-based best practice of the community school model, with trained staff embedded on campuses to provide daily intervention to high-need students and families. The focus is on the lack of basic needs and/or social emotional deficiencies that hinder their ability to perform in school. Once addressed, alongside behavioral issues via counseling and guidance, CISDR is able to re-direct these K-12 children towards improved attendance and academic outcomes in a coordinated, caring and cost-effective way.

In partnership with nine area school districts, CISDR is housed on a total of 66 Elementary, Middle and High School campuses to address the issues that place a child on the Texas Education Agency's statewide "at-risk" list. These indicators measure a student's potential academic success based on a series of key points in the child's history (failed standardized test, failed core subjects, limited English proficiency, etc). Many of these markers are beyond the students' control (foster care, family crisis, etc), but based on TEA metrics, it places them at a higher risk of dropping out of school, retention, and failure to complete high school in four years.

Demographics

Populations Served

• Academically At-risk

First-Generation

• Less than 25%