| Notes |
WORK TO BE DONE: Communities In Schools Strategic Business Plan 2018‐2022
FINAL VERSION SEPTEMBER 25, 2017 0
Table of Contents
Executive Summary......................................................................................................................... 2 The Challenge.................................................................................................................................. 3 The Solution .................................................................................................................................... 4
Our Values and Beliefs ................................................................................................................ 5 Evidence of Impact...................................................................................................................... 5 Foundation of Success ................................................................................................................ 6
Our Ambition .................................................................................................................................. 8 The Work......................................................................................................................................... 9 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion...................................................................................................... 11 Sustain........................................................................................................................................... 11
GOAL 1: Enhance Operations.................................................................................................... 12 Increase efficiency and effectiveness at national, state and local levels ................................. 12 Goal 2: Diversify Revenue ......................................................................................................... 12 Secure greater and more reliable public funding and introduce earned income .................... 12
Deepen .......................................................................................................................................... 13 Goal 3: Drive Greater Impact .................................................................................................... 13 Deploy research and enhance innovation capacity to create positive student outcomes ...... 13
Grow.............................................................................................................................................. 14 Goal 4: Expand Reach ............................................................................................................... 14 Serve additional students with the CIS model.......................................................................... 14 Goal 5: Create Favorable Policy Environments......................................................................... 16 Expand the case for ISS as an essential component of public education................................. 16
Timeline and Key Milestones ........................................................................................................ 17 Benchmarks and Metrics .............................................................................................................. 18 Financial Implications.................................................................................................................... 20 Risks and Mitigation Strategies..................................................................................................... 22
Appendices................................................................................................................................ 23
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Executive Summary
Communities In Schools (CIS) matches at‐risk students with the specific resources they need to beat the odds and stay in school. We have been perfecting this work for four decades. In 1977, CIS began with less than 3,000 students; this year, CIS will be a beacon of hope in the lives of 1.5 million students.
Even with this tremendous growth, millions of students remain without the support they need to succeed. Despite the nation’s higher‐than‐ever 83 percent graduation rate (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017a), more than half a million students drop out of school every year (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017b). Poverty is a major contributing factor. According to the most recent data, 24 percent of public school students attend high‐poverty schools (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017c)—almost doubled since 2000 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017d). As the number of these schools continues to grow, the need for Integrated Student Supports (ISS) becomes more important than ever.
We began on the streets, hardly more than frontier folk blazing a trail to stem the dropout crisis and enable student success through caring relationships. Over the years, we settled into the role of leading an evidence‐based movement that would come to be known as Integrated Student Supports. As we celebrate our 40th anniversary this year, we have looked inward to understand what we must do to further hone our craft—while still burning with the passion to help all kids unlock their potential. More than 40 years of lived experience and six months of strategic planning work have gone into the preparation of this outline for the next chapter of CIS history.
We remain committed to the promise to do more—and better—by all our students. It is therefore imperative we:
Sustain: enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness and secure greater and more reliable funding to ensure the sustainability of the whole CIS organization;
Deepen: deploy research and enhance innovation capacity to drive greater impact; and
Grow: meet our moral obligation to serve more students and expand the case for Integrated
Student Supports as an essential component of public education.
This document details the goals and corresponding initiatives necessary to deliver on these three strategic pillars. It is a document, like its underlying promise, grounded in the imperative of building a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. Nine interrelated initiatives, each with targets, metrics, and a sequenced timeline of activities, will guide our work, supported by a foundation of evidence‐based practice and brand communications. These initiatives were the result of rigorous vetting, risk analysis, and financial forecasting by nine working groups, national board liaisons, a steering committee, network listening sessions, expert consultants, and an affiliate advisory committee.
Through this five‐year plan, we will improve organizational operations, hone our craft, and directly serve at least 300,000 more students with the CIS model. As we turn our attention outside the footprint of our affiliated network through sector entrepreneurship, innovation, and professional development, we will pave the way for a system that indirectly serve thousands more. In five years, we will be closer to a future in which every school district and national charter management organization in the highest‐ needs communities in America will have access to resources that foster Integrated Student Supports inside schools.
This is the work to be done.
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WORK TO BE DONE: Communities In Schools Strategic Business Plan
2018 – 2022
“Without ambition, one starts nothing. Without work, one finishes nothing.”
‐ Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Challenge
Despite the nation’s higher‐than‐ever 83 percent graduation rate (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017a), recent data indicate that over half a million students drop out of school every year (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017b).
Poverty is the major contributing factor: students from low‐income families are two times more likely to drop out than their higher‐income peers (Institute of Education Sciences National Center for Education Statistics, 2016). For millions of students living in poverty, the barriers to attending school range from needing appropriate shoes or clothes, to staying at home to watch younger siblings, to lacking mental health services to address trauma.
This is the harsh reality for far too many kids in the United States, as a staggering 14.5 million children under the age of 18 are living below the poverty line (U.S. Census), and over half (25.6 million) of all public school students are eligible for free or reduced‐priced lunch (National Center for Education Statistics, 2016). In 2009‐2010, 56,000 public schools across the United States used Title I dollars to support more than 21 million struggling and low‐income students (National Center for Education Statistics, 2015). According to the most recent data, 24 percent of public school students attend high‐poverty schools (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017c)—almost double the number in 2000 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017d).
Issues of race go hand‐in‐hand with issues of poverty in America: since people of color are more than twice as likely as Caucasians to live in poverty (U.S. Census Bureau, 2016), more children of color struggle with barriers to success outside the classroom. In 2014‐2015, only 75 percent of Black students and only 78 percent of Hispanic/Latino students graduated on time, as compared with 88 percent of their White peers (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017a).
Teachers are doing their best, but they simply lack the time and resources required to meet the needs of low‐income students. Schools in poor neighborhoods often lack tutors, computers, laboratories, after‐school programs and extracurricular activities. Not surprisingly, these are the schools where kids drop out the most, perpetuating the cycle of poverty for another generation.
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The Solution
Fortunately, there are signs of hope. Since 1977, Communities In Schools (CIS) has ensured that children in poverty have
the support they need to stay in school and achieve in life. Today, we are the nation’s largest and most effective dropout prevention network.
Driven by a belief that poverty should
not be a predictor of success, we connect
the power of local community resources to
the students who need them most. From the frontlines of over 2,300 schools, we work alongside educators to help every student we meet see and activate their potential on a path to graduation—and beyond.
We’ve been showing up in schools for our students, every day, for 40 years—and we stay with them through their successes as they lead the way to stronger communities for generations to come.
CIS matches at‐risk students with the specific resources they need to beat the odds and stay in school. From basic needs like food and shelter, to academic needs like mentoring and college preparation, we coordinate with the community to provide life‐changing support. We focus on helping kids stay in school, because we know that graduation is a beginning to meeting their full potential.
Through this plan, we will continue to build and sustain the organization that delivers on that work. Our vision for the next chapter of CIS history is to serve exponentially more students and continue to prove that our work profoundly impacts individual lives, school environments, and whole communities. Our collaborative partnerships with other organizations enhances this work at its impact. We offer a model for sector entrepreneurship that will makes it possible for schools across the country to address many of the barriers to student success.
As an organization rooted in equity, we look ahead to the time when thanks to our work and the work of others like us, at‐risk students have the same opportunities to unlock potential as their peers. We aspire to a time in America when every student, regardless of circumstance, has a community of support in and outside the classroom. We believe in a ripple effect—one life changing countless others, and CIS changing the system of public education itself through collaboration, leadership, advocacy, and hard work.
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Mission: Our mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.
Vision: Every child in need in America will have a community of support in and outside the classroom.
Our Values and Beliefs
CIS is grounded in a set of Core Values that define our work, inform our decision‐making, and serve as a touchstone for our culture:
Accountability
Integrity
Excellence
Collaboration
Equity
In turn, the development of this plan has been guided by certain foundational beliefs:
1. We believe that every child in America deserves a seamless system of support so they can stay in school and graduate with the knowledge, skills, values and dispositions they need to achieve in life.
2. We believe that poverty, racism and bigotry are barriers to student success and that we play a role in ensuring equity and inclusion are achieved in school.
3. We believe that a caring adult relationship in the life of every child is the key to ultimate empowerment and success.
4. We believe that the CIS network—the combined power of national, state, and local teams –is the flagship dropout prevention organization in America, operating inside schools with our proven model of Integrated Student Supports.
5. We believe that through partnerships, training, public policy, and a focus on evidence‐ based program quality, we can assist in the growth of many other providers delivering Integrated Student Supports in a manner that ensures positive outcomes for young people.
Evidence of Impact
Through a school‐based coordinator, we bring community resources into schools to empower success for all students by removing barriers for vulnerable students at risk of dropping out, keeping kids in schools and on the path to graduation, and leveraging evidence, relationships and local resources to drive results.
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THE CIS MODEL
A site coordinator at each school assesses students’ needs and then identifies and connects students to resources that meet these needs.
Through strategic partnerships with local providers, CIS site coordinators bring together various community supports to provide integrated student services benefiting an entire student body (Tier I).
Simultaneously, site coordinators work with school leaders to identify a subset of the most at‐ risk students, who then receive targeted and/or individualized interventions (Tiers II & III) based on their identified needs.
Our model integrates supports around each student—and it works. A 2010 study found that schools where the CIS model was implemented with fidelity experienced more favorable schoolwide outcomes than similar schools without CIS. CIS model schools experienced lower dropout rates, higher promotion rates (moving up to the next grade), and higher on‐time graduation rates (ICF International, 2010).
Additionally, CIS case‐managed students report improved relationships with adults, better quality relationships with peers, and improvements in their engagement with school, their educational attitudes, and their belief that education has value for their futures—all important outcomes that research links to future success (MDRC, 2017). For our case‐managed students in 2015‐2016, 91 percent of our seniors graduated or received a GED, 88 percent of our students met or made progress towards their academic improvement goals, and 99 percent of our students stayed in school.
Not only is CIS a good investment for these students, it’s a good investment for these communities. In 2012, the economic modeling firm EMSI calculated that every dollar invested in CIS creates $11.60 in economic benefits for the community (Communities In Schools, 2012).
Foundation of Success
We continue to build on the legacy of our founder Bill Milliken, whose transformational ideas about dropout prevention evolved to the essential principles of our national network.
We have invested millions of dollars and countless hours of research in building an evidence‐ based model for Integrated Student Supports and a Total Quality System for ensuring its
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delivery with fidelity. We continue to support our network and are working toward tiered supports to meet the range of affiliates needs.
We fought hard for federal legislation in support of ISS, and in 2015, Congress passed a federal education law known as The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) recognizing that students need precisely the kind of academic and non‐academic supports that CIS provides and brokers. ESSA now declares that ISS is an appropriate intervention, paving the pathway for access to public dollars to fund this critical work. Though many states are focusing on ISS‐related indicators under this law, we have more work to do to secure federal funds and capture the promise of ESSA.
We have a communications campaign underway to tell the story of CIS and ISS in a way that engages students, parents, and educators as part of the solution. Millions of dollars and countless hours of technical assistance pass from the national office to the network each year. And we continue to partner with others to deliver lasting collective impact and results for our students.
The CIS national board recommitted to this foundation in 2017 by establishing a programmatic center of excellence in the national office: The Milliken Center for Innovation and Student Success, named for our founder. The Milliken Center ensures funding for ongoing programs that support school programming and site coordination, as well as public policy and advocacy. An initiative in this plan will add an Innovation Lab component to the Milliken Center’s portfolio. The Milliken Center is expected to launch publicly in spring 2018 and will have increasing public profile as the focus of new thinking and improvements to the field of Integrated Student Supports.
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Our Ambition
Over the next five years, we will serve at least 300,000 more students with the CIS model— reaching 270,000 within the footprint of our affiliate network and impacting the lives of at least 30,000 more through an initiative to pilot licensure with other providers. We are targeting Title I schools with low graduation rates, high dropout rates, and high rates of chronic absenteeism. These investments will be in high‐visibility communities where the impact of CIS is clearly demonstrated and where there is great potential for scale. We will also invest in initiatives to prepare for broader impact in the future through a suite of ISS‐related products and services, and by fostering positive public policy environments for growth.
To ensure the longevity of this movement, CIS will begin to generate earned income during this period. We ultimately (ten years from now) seek to derive a steady state of 10 percent of the national office budget from income earned, beginning with professional development for ISS practitioners. While this is a new way of thinking for us, progress toward the 10 percent goal will be realized in this five‐year plan, and as the national budget is adjusted to an appropriate scale through efficiency initiatives in the plan. This strategy will require consistent monitoring and decisions about viability of the earned income projects.
As a thought leader, CIS—through partnership and collaboration with educational and policy institutions at the local, state, and federal levels—will advocate for the systemic reform necessary to remove poverty and race as barriers to academic achievement.
How will we know we have been successful?
We will help our students stay in school, improving
graduation rates, dropout rates, and attendance,
behavioral and coursework indicators. We will foster
and measure social, emotional and academic development, and relationships with caring adults and others.
Ultimately, our mission includes more: we aspire for all students to achieve in life, measured in part by postsecondary enrollment, persistence and completion. Steps during these next five years will measure and monitor this ultimate success, and help make necessary adjustments to the way we work based on what we learn about our alumni in the postsecondary environment.
This work is about driving change in order to move beyond our organizational footprint. By 2022, we strive for the CIS network—national, state and local—to be stronger than the sum of its parts, and for ISS to be visible and available in the highest‐need communities in America.
Theory of Change:
If we invest in organizational sustainability, continually improve the quality of our work and innovate new ways of helping students, and grow with quality...
Then every school district and national charter management organization in the highest‐need communities in America will have access to Integrated Student Supports inside schools.
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The Work
There is work to be done for CIS to deliver on this promise.
We have a practical need to achieve a financially sustainable CIS network. As a learning organization, we have a responsibility to continue to deepen our understanding of what works to drive positive outcomes for students. And we have a moral imperative to grow with quality to serve more students. These are the strategic pillars of the work ahead. Though each has distinct goals, these pillars are inter‐related; one cannot exist without the other two.
There is also an over‐arching imperative that frames our work. CIS serves all of the students who need our help, regardless of family background or life circumstances. The vast majority (over 80 percent) of students we serve are children of color. More than half (51.9 percent) of our students are female. Nearly 1,000 students at 236 different sites identify as LGBT. We know that 18 percent of our case‐managed students are English Language Learners (ELL); 7 percent of our case‐managed students qualify for special education services; and there are likely more that fall into these categories. To fully represent all the children we serve, we must also focus on infusing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in all aspects of our work.
Within the strategic pillars and supported by the DEI imperative are five goals which must be met in order to achieve our ambition. Nine initiatives outline the steps we will take over the next five years. Taken together, these components represent the work to be done—an integrated plan that focuses the organization on shared outcomes. In addition, work at the national office will continue to support the “sustain, deepen and grow” pillars through quality assurance, brand communications, collaborative fund development, and collective impact partnerships. These pillars are detailed in the sections to follow.
[NOTE: A detailed list of suggested activities for each initiative is contained in Appendix A.]
As noted below, much of the work of CIS will continue: brand management, quality assurance, philanthropy, advocacy, collective impact partnerships, and technical assistance are core services the national office provides to state and local affiliates. Through the initiatives of this plan, these core services will be streamlined and improved, resulting in better service and cost‐ savings to launch new initiatives contemplated in this plan.
The outline for the next chapter of CIS history can be found on the next page.
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
As a continuous learning organization, CIS holds ourselves accountable to the communities we serve and we are not afraid to ask the hard questions and put ourselves under a microscope to examine all aspects of our work. CIS was born on the streets of Harlem, and our founder was one of the early visionaries who recognized public education as the great civil rights issue of the age. Forty years later, the case for change has never been clearer. Racial tensions, inequity, and the achievement gap are regularly front‐page news.
Over the course of the past decade, CIS worked strategically and systematically to accumulate and analyze the outcomes data that proves Integrated Student Supports can be effective across subgroups – including race—in mitigating the effects of poverty so that students can focus on school. As we enter the next chapter, it is time to write an even clearer narrative that “all” means all.
While individual activities of this plan or the existing
body of CIS work may advance Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion (DEI), this statement of a cross‐cutting
imperative more broadly impacts the way we work as CIS enters its next chapter. It is designed to inform and elevate the full scope of activities of our national, state and local offices and boards.
Promote and embed diversity, equity, and inclusion as our way of working: Building on recent steps taken by the national board and staff to deepen our understanding of these issues, the CIS national office will move forward with a dedicated team to design a DEI strategy. We will apply this thinking to: determine research priorities that will guide our equity work and improve our outcomes, deepen our practice around DEI and build a movement within our network to achieve more equitable outcomes; and review and update policies and practices at the national office to ensure our operations and programmatic goals reflect our values. We will begin by establishing benchmarks in the FY 2018.
Where we’ll be in five years as a result: CIS has in place metrics and accountability measures to ensure we attract and retain a diverse staff representative of, and with the cultural acuity to serve, our student population; policies, practices and training will exist at all levels of the organization; and a culture/climate survey and DEI competencies measurement instrument is used annually for boards and staff at all levels of the organization.
Sustain
The national office, state offices, and particularly local affiliates are challenged by fluctuating and often scarce revenue. Moreover, unlocking ESSA funds has proven more challenging than anticipated, with variable state‐level implementation to date. We must invest in organizational and financial sustainability, so the needed resources are in place to fully deliver our strategy and pursue our vision. As a result, we have set goals to enhance operations and diversify
Race/Ethnicity of CIS case‐managed students:
Hispanic/Latino – 45.6%
Black – 34.1%
White ‐15.2%
Two or more races‐2.8%
Asian – 1.2%
American Indian – 0.7%
Other – 0.3%
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revenue. In addition to the initiatives outlined below, we will continue and enhance organizational development/technical assistance activities, including pass‐through grants and fundraising capacity‐building across our network.
GOAL 1: Enhance Operations
Increase efficiency and effectiveness at national, state and local levels
1. Improve organizational efficiency via restructuring and alignment strategies: We will improve the efficiency of the CIS network by: 1) streamlining the national office organizational model; 2) creating a framework for a nationally‐driven shared services model; and 3) providing affiliates tools, resources, and incentives for restructuring.
Where we’ll be in five years as a result: Across the network, there is a demonstrable decrease in duplicated administrative costs, while sustaining or increasing revenue and the number of students served with quality. (A specific goal will be established in 2018.) The national office budget and organizational structure are aligned with the target outcomes set forth in this plan and an earned income strategy. TQS business standards have been adjusted to reflect changes in network structure. Funds have been saved and growth in expenses have been slowed to that dollars could be invested in new areas.
2. Develop and implement a human capital strategy for site‐level practitioners: We cannot sustain the work and ensure positive student outcomes without creating a pipeline of highly‐qualified practitioners to serve schools. We will work with the affiliate and state office network to identify human capital priorities and implement programming to recruit, develop, and retain program and school‐based staff through effective talent development strategies with a clear focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. School‐level and program‐focused training will be our highest priority.
Where we’ll be in five years as a result: CIS has launched a national recruitment program at 10 pilot sites representing a range of affiliates to build a pipeline of future site coordinators. We are measuring (benchmarks set in FY18) the outcome of a comprehensive strategy for increasing employee engagement, building professional development skills and competencies, and retaining high performing site‐level practitioners.
Goal 2: Diversify Revenue
Secure greater and more reliable public funding and introduce earned income
3. Co‐create technical assistance on public funding to bolster network‐wide revenue sustainability: The national office, supported by affiliates already conducting strong resource development strategies, will create and provide technical assistance such as proposals, webinars, trainings, and technical support on accessing and braiding multiple funding streams available in the public sector.
Where we’ll be in five years as a result: A 10 percent increase in affiliate funding from non‐educational public revenue, and an overall increase in the network’s revenue of 4 percent.
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4. Create and deliver professional development and other fee‐based resources for practitioners of ISS: Through a blend of in‐person and online learning curricula, the professional development offerings will focus on components of the CIS model of ISS implementation. Supplemental fee‐based resources will be offered as stand‐alone or add‐on tools/resources. Mechanisms will be created for monitoring fidelity, renewing any certifications, and evaluating impact. If we cannot sell and deliver the curricula in this way, partners for a different model more closely resembling direct licensure of intellectual property and content will be pursued. Our initial analysis indicates that our first year of work, in addition to curriculum development, needs to focus on determining the right model for earning income AND delivering knowledge.
Where we’ll be in five years as a result: The CIS national office is providing training, technical assistance, and fee‐based resources in all 50 states (including CIS affiliate markets), and is earning a profit annually. Ideally, annual revenue to the national office equal to $1 million or 2.5 percent of the anticipated total office budget is realized by the end of year five. [NOTE: if by the end of year two we do not find a credible path for delivering professional development with quality and for a reasonable profit margin, this initiative may be altered or terminated entirely.]
Deepen
We must continuously deepen our understanding of how to most efficiently and effectively deliver the CIS model to achieve optimal results for schools and students. At the same time, we must develop a capability that allows us to be systematically at the forefront of product and service innovation in the ISS sector. This is all with the goal of improving outcomes and driving greater impact for our students.
In service of this pillar, we are investing in strategies to improve the delivery of our model through better, more focused research. (Data collection, TQS/accreditation, and vetting of evidence‐based service provider partners will continue, as will the existing work with three Impact Communities and smaller research‐to‐practice grants.) We are also investing in an Innovation Lab to leverage our experience to create new revenue‐generating products and services and remain the field leader in ISS. The Innovation Lab will help reinforce a culture of invention and ingenuity that will unlock new ways for CIS to reach more students and deepen our practice for greater impact, while eventually yielding earned income to further advance our work.
Goal 3: Drive Greater Impact
Deploy research and enhance innovation capacity to create positive student outcomes
5. Execute a comprehensive research agenda: Our five‐year research agenda will align and prioritize research initiatives based on two broad areas of research: 1) core CIS model improvements (e.g., assessments, partnerships, tiered supports); and 2) enhancements for priority populations and targeted outcomes. The agenda will guide research efforts over the next five years in service of creating a more efficient and effective CIS model. [See Appendix B for the full research agenda.]
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Where we’ll be in five years as a result: General enhancements to the CIS model are in place and refinements/changes to the CIS model for priority populations and outcomes have been implemented as a result of research findings, further opening doors for braided funding. In addition, our research agenda has been successfully executed and, we are ready to launch a culminating school‐level randomized control trial evaluation of the impact of our refined/redesigned model.
6. Create an Innovation Lab to develop, pilot, and launch new products and services: We will undertake three primary objectives: 1) stand‐up a new team to create and develop CIS' first‐ever Innovation Lab; 2) create an Innovation Process to build a pipeline of ideas, refine that pipeline, and launch pilots to generate learnings; and 3) test and build viable new products and services for distribution within the CIS Network to improve student outcomes and to generate new revenue in the broader marketplace. [See Appendix C for a sample listing of current innovation product and service ideas.]
Where we’ll be in five years as a result: CIS has a fully staffed and fully functioning Innovation team and a portfolio of work sufficient to bring new products/services to market that better enable the practice of ISS to deliver positive student outcomes. We are on the pathway to yield earned income equal to 5 percent of the national office budget annually. [NOTE: if the Lab does not yield income or loses its restricted funding donor base, it will be discontinued.]
Grow
We have a moral obligation to serve more students in need. We must grow directly by serving more students in high‐need communities and we must prepare today for a future in which CIS can make ISS available for all students to dramatically and systemically ensure that more children of color and in poverty have an equitable shot and achieving their dreams. As a result, we have set goals to expand reach and create favorable policy environments.
Through the sustain and deepen initiatives, we will maintain our organic growth rate of 2.5 percent, reaching 150,000 more students over five years. The initiatives in this pillar establish a path to serving an additional 150,000 students in need, while also developing alternative approaches that may unlock significant potential for scale in the future. This growth comes in the context of initiatives that will cultivate a favorable policy environment, expanding the case for ISS as an essential component of public education through advocacy, thought leadership, and influencer engagement at federal, state, and local levels. These efforts will continue to be supported by a unified brand campaign and network communications training, as well as collective impact strategies with collaborative partners.
Goal 4: Expand Reach
Serve additional students with the CIS model
7. Incent affiliate growth: As noted, we believe the network will grow “organically” by 2.5 percent (150,000 students over five years) through other initiatives in this plan and local affiliate work. We also seek to incent affiliates to grow with quality in key markets— where there is need, high visibility for the brand, and sufficient funding for long‐term
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sustainability—selected by the national office. This multi‐pronged effort should yield an additional 2.5 percent growth rate over five years, through these primary initiatives:
a. Complete investments in seven Growth Communities: The CIS national office has already identified seven high performing CIS organizations to expand into ten new schools each over a three‐year period. Over the next three years CIS National will complete its financial investments in these organizations and provide capacity‐ building support to each organization.
Where we’ll be in five years as a result: The seven affiliates are serving an additional 30,000 students, and can sustain their work.
b. Challenge the network to expand into 100 more schools: The national office will provide resources for targeted affiliates or state offices in high‐need, high‐visibility areas to hire additional site coordinators in schools and communities with a demonstrated ability to unlock substantial growth and sustain it with quality.
Where we’ll be in five years as a result: The network is serving an additional 55,000 students.
c. Create a pay‐for‐performance affiliate incentive: Engage the network in sharing the national office’s growth goals by developing a pay‐for‐performance incentive program that rewards affiliates who reach ambitious stretch growth targets (over those contemplated in this plan) that increase the number of students served with quality.
Where we’ll be in five years as a result: An increased number of affiliates (15 percent) are engaged in growth efforts that result in growing by more than 5 percent of students served per year, and we will serve an additional 10,000 students overall.
d. Create new CIS affiliates in target markets: CIS will launch at least three new CIS affiliates in communities where there is no CIS organization. As with the new round of growth communities, the new affiliates will be launched in target communities that offer the greatest potential impact:
those that are high‐need, with high
visibility and that have a high likelihood
of reaching more students sustainably.
Where we’ll be in five years as a result: The new affiliates are serving an additional 25,000 students.
8. Explore licensing school districts and
nonprofits to deliver the CIS model:
Because affiliate growth cannot effectively
reach all states and jurisdictions in the
foreseeable future, the CIS national office or
CIS state offices (on an opt‐in basis) will
conduct licensing pilots for high‐need school districts and like‐minded nonprofits to
STUDENT GROWTH TALLY: Building upon the expected addition of 150,000 students through organic growth, our Expand Reach Initiatives will add 150,000 students:
Growth Communities: 30,000
Challenge Schools: 55,000
Pay‐for‐Performance: 10,000
New Affiliates: 25,000
Licensing Pilots: 30,000
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implement the CIS model. The licensees will be in regions without a CIS affiliate structure but with a political, educational, and nonprofit landscape conducive to CIS. For a fee, the CIS national office will license the use of the CIS brand to the district and nonprofits. CIS national or state offices will train district administrators and nonprofit staff in the CIS model, and provide ongoing training, tools, and resources to the licensee. Evaluations of fidelity and outcomes will determine if licensure can be brought to scale after this five‐year plan.
Where we’ll be in five years as a result: CIS pilot projects have expanded to and retained up to 50 schools served by new school districts or regionally‐ or nationally‐known nonprofits, and these licensees are serving an additional 30,000 students with the CIS model. The pilots will demonstrably yield a pathway for ultimately delivering earned income for the organization in order to advance toward our 10 percent goal stated above. [NOTE: if pilots do not yield appropriate student outcomes or the desired earned income potential, they will not be continued after this plan.]
Goal 5: Create Favorable Policy Environments
Expand the case for ISS as an essential component of public education
9. Mobilize stakeholders at federal, state, and local levels through communications campaigns and collaborative coalitions: Generate and amplify supportive thought leadership to influence national conversations by producing educational briefs, Op‐Eds, educational events, and through engagement in national conferences. Additionally, create messaging, advocacy tools, resources, and training to help the CIS network engage and empower parents, teachers, and principals to advocate for ISS. CIS will also formally engage, train, and mobilize key stakeholder groups to support the creation of favorable policy environments. Activities will vary by group and include: further training and empowerment of current and future alumni, developing and maintaining a network of superintendents, recruiting national opinion‐makers in education and public policy, creating an alliance of evidence‐based ISS providers and other allies of opportunity.
Where we’ll be in five years as a result: Campaigns and coalitions are formalized and ongoing; new policies are being passed at the federal, state and local levels expanding ISS as an essential component of public education.
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Timeline and Key Milestones
The first year is largely a planning year, as we streamline our organizational model, conduct market research for new offerings, conduct exploratory research as part of our research agenda, complete our Growth Communities, and develop innovation capabilities. Key milestones are included below, with a detailed sequence in development for each initiative.
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Benchmarks and Metrics Dashboard
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Financial Implications, Enhancements Only
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Financial Implications, Full Budget
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Risks and Mitigation Strategies
The work of our next chapter does not come without risks. To that end, we have identified some of the potential risks to our plan and suggested strategies to mitigate such risks.
Potential Risks
Mitigation Strategies
Our plan requires changes to the way we work and may result in staffing implications, which may create change management obstacles.
We believe that deep engagement of the staff throughout this process will ultimately enable a smoother implementation discipline. Staff have been engaged from the start through national office working groups and a President’s Affiliate Advisory Committee. Existing affiliate efforts related to these initiatives and champions within the network will be recognized and leveraged to communicate the benefits of change. Ultimately, we will work as one organization to sustain, deepen, and grow.
A focus on growing the overall number of students reached and adding new products or services may compromise fidelity of CIS model implementation.
We remain committed to achieving growth with quality and using our Total Quality System to ensure delivery with fidelity. Moreover, through the deepen initiatives we will invest in a concerted effort to improve delivery of our model.
Limited resources and funding cuts may threaten our ability to sustain our work and implement new initiatives.
We are focused on building a culture of philanthropy at all levels within the organization by engaging the board and staff more fully in private fundraising, particularly from individuals and corporations.
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SEPTEMBER 25, 2017 22
The Crossland Group is engaging with CIS beginning this September to identify required changes to our operating model and to run the process for implementing these changes.
Through sustain initiatives we will bolster our capacity to support and maintain growth so that we continue to achieve strong outcomes for students.
The reality of scarce resources means we can’t do everything at the same time, which is why we are focused on investing in organizational efficiency and we are committed to phasing our work over five years.
Enhanced technical assistance to braid public funding sources as well as our broader advocacy and engagement efforts are priorities to help mitigate this ongoing risk.
Potential Risks
Mitigation Strategies
As we branch into new offerings such as licensing and professional development of other providers, we risk cannibalizing our direct service delivery model and straining the relationship between CIS National and affiliates.
We are committed to transparent communication and collaboration between the CIS national office and affiliates as these strategies are developed and rolled out.
The efforts to innovate and develop new products and to engage different influencers could result in brand dilution.
Innovation makes up a small proportion of our overall efforts and the Innovation Process will be built to "fail fast" to avoid putting substantial funding toward non‐viable new products and services; for each innovation, we will ensure monitoring and quality assurance measures.
New initiatives will overwhelm the existing work and the teams assigned.
We remain committed to TQS and ensuring our affiliates receive adequate support to implement our model with fidelity.
We are committed to pairing the restructuring initiatives with those adding new work; we seek to shift resources rather than assign new tasks to the same teams.
Appendices
A. Detailed activities to support initiatives
B. National research agenda
C. Innovation Lab: Potential products and services
We are offering professional development and licensing strategically to ensure the offering does not compete with affiliate offerings. Specifically, we are piloting in geographies that are outside of the current affiliate footprint.
We are co‐creating tools with the network’s support and ultimately sharing the resources for their own improvement as well.
We will continue to invest heavily in marketing to ensure CIS maintains a consistent, strong and quality brand, and that all innovation efforts are aligned to our North Star.
We are also committed to terminating initiatives earlier than the five‐year mark if they do not yield desired results.
FINAL VERSION SEPTEMBER 25, 2017 23
Appendix A: Initiatives and Activities
Initiative 1: Improve organizational efficiency via restructuring and alignment strategies
Activity
Developefficiency-focusedworkingmodelatnationaloffice
Establishchangemanagementtaskforce/businessunitofnationalofficestaffmemberstodesign,leadandimplement national office human capital strategy
Identifyandformalizenationalofficebusinessunitsandintegrationpoints AssessandidentifyneededbehaviorstopromoteDEIandeffectiveteaming Implementbehavior-ledstrategytopromoteefficiencies,DEIandeffectiveteaming Pilotcross-functional/matrixprojectimplementationstrategies Developtoolsandtrainingtosupportequity-focuseddecisionmaking,effectiveteamingandidentifiedefficiency strategies
DesignandimplementmatrixworkingmodelfortheCISnationaloffice
Improve affiliate efficiency via restructuring strategies
Conductlocal,stateandregionalstudyofbestpracticeforworkplaceefficienciesandsustainabilityincludingcontinued study of Mid-Am and NC direct service models
Formalizerationaleforrestructuringstrategies(fundinglandscape,etc.) Review/reviseorganizationalhealthassessmenttoidentifynetworkaffiliatestrengths Surveyaffiliatestoidentifypotentialpartnershipopportunitiesbetweenaffiliateorganizations Leveragerevisedorganizationalhealthassessmenttoidentifynetworkstrengthsandweaknesses Determineoptimalstaffingstructuresandorganizationalmodelsforregionalmodels Determinewhichofthenewrevenueproductsaresuitableforaffiliatesincludingpricing,termsandconditions Identifytargetstatesandregionsforre-structuringsupport Developafundtoincentivizeaffiliatesandtofacilitatethenecessarypartnershipsorrestructuring. Formulateroll-out,marketingandaffiliateengagementstrategyincludingnationalofficeoversighttodemonstrate value
Formregionalsupportstructure Incentivizeconsolidationamonghyper-localaffiliatesandruralstatenetworks
Implement shared-services model for back-office consolidation and service-oriented partnerships Studysharedservicesmodelsamongcomparablenon-profitsandprivatesectornetworks
SubInitiativeA:
1
2 3 4 5 6
7
Sub Initiative B:
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Sub Initiative C:
20

Initiative 1: Improve organizational efficiency via restructuring and alignment strategies
Activity
21 Collectfeedbackfromnetworkaffiliatesoninterestinsharedservicesparticipationandsetprices
22 Identifytopprioritiesforshared-servicesfunctions(e.g.,HR,technology,insurance,riskmanagement,boardtraining)
23 Reviewcurrentworkproductstodeterminealignmentwithshared-servicesopportunity
24 Determinecapacityneedsandstaffingstructuretoestablishshared-servicesprograms
25 Engageshared-servicesvendorstolineupstrategiesforimplementationandnetworkengagement
26 Pilotsharedserviceswithsmallsubsetofnetworkaffiliates
27 Assesspilotparticipantcost-savingsandsatisfaction
28 Applypilotlessonstolargerimplementationofshared-servicesmodel

Initiative 2: Develop and implement a human capital strategy for site-level practitioners
Activity
1 Conductnation-widecompensationstudy(externalconsultants)toinformthefollowingactivities:
2 Setguidanceforsalaryandbenefitspackagesforaffiliatestaff
3 Developresourcestoallowaffiliatestoaccessreasonablebenefitspackagesforstaff
4 Createcost-modelingguidanceandtoolkitforschoolstaffing
5 Create/pullfromnetworkrecruitmentresourcesforaffiliatesincludinghiringtools,sitecoordinatorcompetencies,interviewand
application rubrics
6 Assessneedforanddevelopandimplementbrandingstrategyforsitecoordinatorposition
7 Launchnationalrecruitmentprogramtotargetuniversities
8 Developandimplementregionaltrain-the-trainerstrategyforprogramlevelstafftodeepencasemanagementandsite
coordination
9 Designdiversity,equityandinclusionstrategyforprogamlevelstaffrecruitmentanddevelopmentto:
10 Developrecruitmentsupportstoattractandretaindiversestaffrepresentiveofourstudentpopulation
11 CreateaccountabilitymeasuresforCISnetworkleadershiprelatedtoDEIstrategiesandgoals
12 CreatelearningopportunitiesforCISnetworkmanagersandleadershiptobuildDEIcompetencies
13 Use"corporateuniversity"modeltoengageaffiliatestaffinin-personandvirtualtrainingcurricula
14 Explore credentialing program for ISS practitioners

Initiative 3: Co-create technical assistance on public fundingto bolster network-wide revenue sustainability
Activity
1 Surveyaffiliatefundingmodelstoidentifycommunitiesofpracticeforpublicpartnershipsandbraidedfundingmodels
2 Reviewpeer-createdmaterialsaroundpublicfunding
3 Determineifpastandcurrentfundraisingtoolsprovidedtothenetworkareusefuland/orutilized
4 Contractwithpublicfundingconsultantsforlandscapereview/recommendationsforbraidedfundingopportunitiestocreatetools
and resources for network
5 Createanddeploytools,modelsandtrainingsacrossthenetwork
6 Evaluateinvestmentintechnicalassistance

Initiative 4: Create and deliver professional development and other fee-based resources for practitioners of ISS
Activity
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12
Survey existing market training and resources to determine CIS competitive advantage and potential market demand and share Analyze the defined marketplace to determine target customers; assess pilots to determine viability and possible market expansion. Review existing CIS training offerings and resources and adapt based on identified needs and marketability
Design training products and supplemental resources that fulfill identified demands and meet CIS-standards for ISS implementation Determine staffing needs throughout development (research to creation to implementation to marketing to evaluation)
Define protocols for engagement with target markets (i.e. threshold, risks analysis, overlap with affiliates, etc.)
Identify and address impact to CIS national business model
Create a marketing campaign designed to sell the fee-based trainings and other resources
Review sales goals and metrics to adopt to market response to offerings
Develop metrics for fidelity and evaluation (if needed)
Launch product
Deliver training and supplemental resources to the targeted market field

Initiative 5: Execute a comprehensive research agenda
Activity
1 Complete Growth and Impact research
2 Use findings from Growth and Impact research to inform areas of focus and research priorities for NRAC
3 Identify and prepare materials and information needed to inform NRAC and research agenda
4 Convene NRAC to discuss next steps in rolling out research agenda
5 Execute the research agenda
6 Conduct initial exploratory research in the network that informs the deeper research of the CIS model
7 Create and execute plan to help affiliates and state offices build capacity to develop an evidence-based culture, ensuring
appropriate collection/analysis of data and use of local evaluation results to improve practice
8 Develop detailed, time-based research plan around different research initiatives
9 Conduct exploratory research with stakeholders and targeted populations for research initiatives
10 Implement feedback loops and adjust accordingly

Initiative 6: Create an innovation lab to develop, pilot, and launch new products and services
Activity
1 AssembleCoreTeamofstafftodevelop,leadandexecuteInnovationLab
2 ConductalandscapereviewofpeerorganizationswhohaveR&Dfunctions/InnovationLabsandlearnfromrelatedfields
3 Createa(5yr)ImplementationPlanfortheInnovationLabthatincludesdefinedgoals&objectivesofLabandotherkey
components and activities.
4 DevelopproblemstatementsandCISchallengesthatwillinviteideasforinnovation
5 CreateInnovationPromotionPlanforCISNationalOffice
6 DesignandForm"RedTeam"
7 Developarobustpipelineofpromisingideastovetandmovetowardsprototype.
8 Prioritzeideas&developfirstroundofprototypes
9 RedTeamReview
10 Developportfolioofprototypes(bringconcepttolifeasquickandcheapaspossible)
11 Redteamreviewofprototypeportfolio
12 Begintestingpilots
13 Aspartofpilotprocess,draftbusinessplansforproduct/service,marketingplansandcostanalysis,etc
14 Completeevaluationsofpilots
15 Initiateconversationswithperspectivefunders,buyers,supporters
16 Determinescaleor"tomarket"strategies
17 Conductnegotiationstotakeproducttomarket
18 Option-handoffproductforNIOtoscaleinCISNetwork

Initiative 7: Incent affiliate growth
Activities
Sub Initiative A: Complete investments in 7 Growth Communities
1 Complete investments and research in 7 growth communities Sub Initiative B: Invest in an additional 7-10 high need communities
1 DevelopRFPprocessfornewcohort:establishselectioncriteria,rubric,duediligence,andinviteaffiliatestoapply.
2 Invest,monitor,andprovideongoingcapacitybuildingsupportinnewcommunities Sub Initiative C: Create a pay for performance affiliate incentive
1 AnalyzehistoricalgrowthpatternsanddevelopPayforSuccesstargetsandguidelines;promotetothenetwork. 2 Launch,monitor,andimplementPayforSuccessprogram
3 Developandimplementresearchmethodologyandextractlessonslearned.
Sub Initiative D: Create new CIS affiliates in target markets
1 Investin1-3newaffiliates;1proactively2reactively
2 Developplantoestablishappropriateaffiliate/stateoffice/nationalstructuretosupportnewaffiliates. 3 Providetraining,capacitybuilding,andtechnicalsupportforeachcommunity.
4 Developandimplementresearchmethodologyandextractlessonslearned.

Initiative 8: Explore licensing school districts and nonprofits to deliver the CIS model
Activity
1 Identifyuptofivedistricts/nonprofitsinterestedinpiloting
2 Developimplementationplanforpilots
3 Hireadditionalstafforconsultantstosupport
4 Researchfoundations,otherswillingtosupport/offsetcosts
5 Monitorimplementation
6 Evaluateimplementation:cost,impact
7 Projectcostoflicensingupto100schooldistricts,basedonthepilots
8 ProvideopportunitiesforCISaffiliatesstrugglingwithsaturationTQSstandardstooptintolicensingmodelas
appropriate and provide technical assistance support

Initiative 9: Mobilize stakeholders at federal, state, and local levels through communication campaigns and collaborative coalitions
Activity
1 Determine/confirmspecifictargetsforquantityandcadenceofthoughtleadershippieces
2 Fortheremainderofthe5yearplan,publishthoughtpiecesoncequarterly;hosttwoexternaleducationalevents
annually; write 1 op-ed in target markets as often as possible (ideally 3 times per year)
3 Aftertwoyears,conductassessmentofCIS’sshareofvoiceontopicsrelatedtoISS;asneededadjustcadenceand
platforms used
4 Trainandcreateresourcesforthenetwork
5 DetermineparametersforaFellowship/CISAmbassadorProgram
6 Identifynewmarketsforlobbyingefforts/contracts
7 CreateanewadvocacytrackforTownHallandavirtualDayofAction/AdvocacyDay
8 Fortheremainderofthe5years,hostaFellowship/CISAmbassadorProgram
9 EvaluatelobbyingeffortsinexecutedmarketsandconductassessmentofAdvocacymoduleandAmbassador
1 Determineobjectivesandgoals
2 Createevaluationplanforinitiative(survey,focusgroup,etc.)
3 Fullydetailresponsibilitiesandfunctionsofwork
4 Identifyandrecruitpotentialcandidatesandaffiliates
5 Executeactivitiesandtrainings
6 Monitoragainstgoals
Superintendents
7 Determineobjectivesandgoalsofasuperintendentsnetwork
8 Createevaluationplanforinitiative(survey,focusgroup,etc.)
9 Createasuperintendentsnetworkengagementplan
10 Identifysuperintendentsaspotentialcandidatesforthenetwork
11 Executenetworkactivitiesandtrainingsandmonitor
Sub Initiative A Communications Campaigns
Create content for communications
Sub Initiative B
Collaborative Coalitions
Alumni

Initiative 9: Mobilize stakeholders at federal, state, and local levels through communication campaigns and collaborative coalitions
Activity
Opinion-makers
12 Determinescope,objectivesandcompositionofgroup
13 Recruitpotentialcandidates,
12 Createvaluefor“membership"
14 Engagewithopinionmakerstoensurerelationshipandbuy-in,monitor
Evidence-based providers of ISS
15 DeterminecompositionofanAlliance
16 Createoutreachopportunities
17 Conveneevidence-basedISSproviders
18 Setcollectivegoalsandpriorities
19 Assignspecificactions,dutiestorelevantpartners;evaluate Allies of opportunity
20 Determinescope,objectivesandguardrailsofrelationships
21 Identifyinternalcandidatestobuild,fosterrelationships
22 Createopportunities&prioritiesforallianceengagement
23 Setmetricsforsuccessandrisk/rewardratio;monitor

Appendix B: National Research Agenda
Overview of the Five‐Year Communities In Schools National Network Research Agenda
Purpose: Identifies research priorities to be initiated by CIS national on behalf of the CIS network with the common goal of deepening our understanding of how to most efficiently and effectively deliver the CIS model (and each component of the model) to achieve optimal results for schools and students. Specifically, the research covered under the Agenda will ensure successful delivery on the CIS mission—surrounding students with a community of support to empower them to stay in school and achieve in life.
Research categories: The priority areas for research over the next five years are organized into two categories: 1) CIS Model; and 2) Enhancements for special populations and targeted outcomes.
Priority Research Categories
Priority Research Topics
CIS Model ‐ Refinements/changes to the CIS Model and core components to maximize efficiency, efficacy, and effectiveness
1. Conditions for CIS Model effectiveness (district, school, affiliate, site coordinator, community partners)*
Enhancements for Special Populations and Targeted Outcomes – Supplements/adjustments/add‐ons to the core CIS model based on local need and subgroup populations. Includes ability to identify needs of special populations, engage partners with specialized supports/programming, and track/achieve targeted outcomes
base)
5. Differentiated case management (staffing, caseload size, intensity of supports)* Best practices and evidence‐based approaches (e.g., training, assessments, partners, supports/interventions)
*Represent areas of focus for existing Impact and/or Growth community evaluations and other secured funding (i.e., Ford Foundation)
2. Quality implementation needed to best achieve model fidelity (using data to identify priorities, set targets, and determine progress; aligning needs to goals to supports; modifying assessments and intake/check‐in processes)
3. Model variation across grade levels (Elementary, Middle, and High Schools)* 4. Effective community partners and tiered supports (best practices, evidence
For:
‐ System involved youth (juvenile justice, foster care) ‐ Homeless youth
‐ELL/migrant youth*
‐First‐generation, college‐going students
To address:
‐Social, emotional, and academic development* ‐Attendance/chronic absenteeism* ‐College/career readiness
‐Post‐secondary retention and completion ‐Equity and achievement gap*
How priorities were chosen: Priorities identified in the Agenda were influenced by the body of evidence available for the CIS model, the broader research on integrated student supports and related fields of study, professional input and recommendations from the National Research Advisory Council (NRAC), input from the CIS network, and alignment with national office priorities in policy and reform.
Caveat: The Agenda is intended to serve as the framework (and provide guardrails) for research over the next 5 years. The order of execution of priorities, however, may change over time as a result of funding availability/opportunities, urgency for information, relevance, and findings from exploratory and other emerging analysis and research.
How the work will be done: It is anticipated that the majority of work defined in the Agenda will be performed internally by the CIS national office in partnership with the CIS network and with guidance from the NRAC and CIS Senior Leadership Team. When external expertise and/or capacity is necessary, this will be planned for and built into the design and budget of each project. We will engage a third‐party evaluator(s) to conduct any definitive impact studies that are intended to demonstrate our effectiveness for purposes of influencing/changing policy and/or securing specific funding and/or when required by a funder. Otherwise, the culmination of the collective research will ultimately prepare us for a much‐needed, third‐party, gold‐standard, school‐level, randomized controlled trial study of the impact of implementing the CIS model of integrated student supports on the core outcomes represented in the CIS logic model on the following page. The goal is for the network to be well‐prepared for such a study by fiscal year 2022.
Communities In Schools Logic Model
Manager(s)
• Community partners &
Identify Tiered Supports Aligned with Schoolwide and Individual Student Needs
• Students are engaged in and have positive attitudes toward school
Inputs
• Community partners are connected to schools/students to deliver supports
Outcomes
Contextual Factors
Conduct School Needs Assessment and Create School Support Plan
• Students experience developmental relationships with caring adults
• School Factors
• Individual and Family Factors
• Community Factors
• Policies
Identify At‐Risk Students in Need of Case Management and Conduct Assessments and Create Individualized Plans
• More quality supports are available through the school
• Students show reduction in identified risks
Impacts
Model Inputs
• Students are connected to quality supports that meet their needs (appropriate dosage/frequency)
• Students demonstrate social and emotional competencies/skills needed to succeed in and outside of school
• Students stay in and progress in school
• CIS Affiliate leadership and staff
• Site Coordinator/Case
• Students graduate high school college and/or career ready
Service providers (including volunteers and other organizations in the community)
• Students connected to caring adults
• Students “achieve in life” (Post‐secondary progression/completion; military service; job attainment; social well‐ being)
• School support team
• Funding (public/private,
• Students attend school more regularly
leveraged)
• Access to community/school
Implement School and Student Support Plans
• Other school
support staff
provided • additional
capacity and more
time to serve
students
Students have fewer behavior issues
student data
• Support of principal
Monitoring & Reporting
• Students perform better academically
CIS Model Activities
Outputs
Assessment & Planning
Conduct Ongoing Monitoring and Adjustment of Support Delivery and Assess Progress Toward Goals
• Teachers able to spend more time on instruction
Provide Periodic Reporting to School Leadership
• Parents are more connected/engaged with school/students
• School climate improves
Communities In Schools Model of Integrated Student Supports: Updated 4/10/2017
The framework below illustrates the phased approach that we will adopt for research under this Agenda. Some research, such as the Impact and Growth Community studies, are already underway and will continue to be executed over the next three years. The tables that follow provide examples of how the framework will apply to each research priority category and topic, including the specific questions to be addressed by the proposed research.
Communities In Schools Research Framework
Exploratory Research/ Hypothesis Generation
FY 18 – FY 20
Demonstration & Study Design
FY 18 – FY 21
FY 18 – FY 19
Implementation/ Evaluation/ Refinement
OR
FY 22 – Beyond
Adoption of Best Practices
Integrated Model Redesign & Impact Evaluation
Replication/ Evaluation
FY 19 – Beyond
The tables that follow illustrate how the framework will apply to each research priority category and topic, including the specific questions to be addressed by the proposed research.
Priority Research Category/Topic
Key Research Questions/ Sub‐Questions
Exploratory Analysis/Hypothesis Generating (Phase I)
Demonstration/Study Design and Implementation (Phases II/III)
Adoption of Best/Better Practices (Phase IV)*
CIS Model
Conditions for CIS model effectiveness**
What are the conditions for effective implementation of the CIS model?
Inventory data available from CISDM and/or EOY and accreditations to address research questions and identify data/information gaps
Develop and administer network‐ wide surveys to fill in data gaps (affiliate senior leadership survey, site coordinator/case manager survey, school leadership survey)
Share and use results to inform national/state/local training, organizational development technical assistance, resources/job aids (e.g., readiness assessment, monitoring checklists, sample job requirements) and potential modifications/ changes needed to TQS business and/or student support standards (e.g., criteria for school support agreement)
1. What are the school conditions necessary for CIS success?
‐School leadership
‐Staff buy‐in
‐Time/resource investment
‐School priorities (philosophy re: student supports/equity/non‐academic outcomes) ‐Policies conducive to success (e.g., discipline) ‐Quality of instruction/curricula ‐Administrator/Teacher retention (continuity)
Conduct interviews with sample of CIS network (affiliate board members/senior leadership, site coordinators, school leadership) to generate hypotheses
Merge survey data with CISDM and/or EOY affiliate/school/student data
2. What are the skills/assets/factors related to a site coordinator that are most strongly correlated to CIS success? ‐Background/demographics ‐Education/experience/ training ‐Longevity/tenure
‐Level of responsibility/decision making authority ‐Integration within school
‐Commitment to model fidelity ‐Intentional/transformative alignment of school support plan with other school plans
‐Daily expectations/day to day work (e.g., aligned with or deviation from job description; time on task; administration/coordination versus time with students/support delivery)
‐Relationship with students/parents
3. What are the factors associated with an affiliate that are most strongly correlated with CIS success?
‐Longevity with community/reputation ‐Leadership (board/senior staff)
‐Funding model (e.g., private/public; cost share, braided funding)
‐Staffing model (affiliate infrastructure, site staff)
Analyze data to test hypotheses (correlations, regressions, HLM)
Quality implementation needed for achieving model fidelity (in general)**
What modifications/changes are needed to the model/components to improve fidelity and thus, impact?
Inventory data available from CISDM and/or EOY to address research questions and identify data/information gaps
Refine CIS Model Implementation Rubric to capture better quality and more detailed implementation data and train a sample of affiliates on its administration
Share and use results to determine what changes are recommended to model implementation (if any) to improve fit/relevance, efficiency, and effectiveness
Model variation across grade levels (subset of above)**
Does/should implementation of the CIS model look different across grade levels?
See above
See above
See above
1.
What are/should be the minimum
expectations for how the CIS model is delivered? ‐ TQS standards (below, meeting, above)
‐Level/structure of site staff supervision ‐Availability of staff professional development/training
‐Resources
‐ Beyond standards (e.g., optimal staffing, caseload size, saturation, progress monitoring frequency/intensity, tiered support frequency/dosage)
Analyze a sample of school support plans from CISDM 2.0 and sample of campus plans from Texas affiliates and other data (goals/baseline/targets; progress monitoring; tiered supports; partners; EOY status) to identify existing variations and generate hypotheses for further testing
Conduct natural variation study with sample of network (include schools and students across grade levels) to test hypotheses and identify ideal models of implementation (i.e., best fit, efficiency, and effectiveness)
Refine/develop new training, organizational development technical assistance, and resources/job aids to bring changes/modifications to scale across the network
2. How much variation is there in how the CIS model is delivered across the network?
‐With comprehensiveness and clarity of the needs assessments process?
With comprehensiveness/alignment/quality of support plans?
‐With support/service delivery (alignment with needs/plan, frequency, dosage, type, level of evidence, quality of partners)?
‐With reliability/validity of data used for monitoring progress/determining impact?
‐Across grade levels (ES, MS, HS) (see below)?
Use interim results to inform meaningful variations to test in a controlled setting
2. How does variation affect outcomes? Which practices above are associated with the greatest impacts?
1. What processes/practices are consistent or different across grade levels? If varied, why? ‐School needs assessments
‐School support team composition and engagement
‐Student intake/assessments
‐Targeted goal areas
‐Balance of brokering and direct delivery of supports
Study intentional variation via rapid cycle evaluation
Determine if changes are needed to TQS student support standards (new standard or recommended best practice)

Effective community partners and tiered supports
Which partners and supports are most likely to help us achieve success for schools and students?
Inventory data available from CISDM and/or EOY and accreditations to address research questions and identify data/information gaps
Develop affiliate and partner surveys to administer across the network; consider network analysis in design (e.g., allow for assessment of quality, frequency, and impact of partnerships)
Determine if further testing is required or if best/better practices emerge that can be scaled
1.
How do we identify the most effective partners and supports for our schools and students? ‐Criteria for selection (e.g., shared mission, experience working with similar populations, reputation, evidence‐base for programming/interventions, capacity) ‐Alignment/fit with school and student needs (right supports for the right students at the right time)
3.
Where do we have gaps in our partners and support delivery (brokered or direct) (need exceeds support or no support available to address need)?
2.
How do we get the most from our partners and
‐Need for Tier I, II, and III supports and type of supports
‐Staffing models
‐Case management and caseload sizes
2. What are the benefits/challenges to varying model implementation?
‐Implications for outcomes; staffing; resource/sustainability; growth; training; TQS standards; communications/messaging
‐Evaluation/feedback from stakeholders and analysis of outcome data (which partners and supports yield the greatest impacts?)
Formulate preliminary hypotheses regarding community partners and tiered supports for further testing
Analyze data and test hypotheses; identify characteristics/factors associated with the effective community partners and supports within the network; identify continued gaps that need to be addressed
Establish national and statewide partnerships (where possible) to fill gaps and/or facilitate collaborations at the local level
supports?
‐Roles/responsibilities
‐Brokering (and managing logistics) versus direct service delivery
‐Relationship (value‐add to all parties) ‐Cross‐training/professional development opportunities
‐Shared fundraising
‐Data sharing/evaluation/feedback (bi‐ directional)
‐Communications (frequency, purpose, content, value)
Determine if changes are needed to TQS business standards (new standards or changes recommended as best practice)
‐Geographical gaps?
‐Special populations/needs gaps?
Conduct interviews with a sample of affiliates to fill in data gaps
Administer survey and merge data with CISDM and/or EOY data
Translate practices (and potential policies) into training, organizational development technical assistance, and resources for the network

Differentiated case management**
Should CIS adopt differentiated case management across the network? What are the implications (positive and negative)?
Examine existing CISDM and/or EOY data to identify current practices within the network that resemble differentiated case management
Continue implementation and evaluation of Impact work on differentiated case management in CIS of Charlotte‐Mecklenburg
Determine if further testing is required or if best/better practices emerge that demonstrate impact and can be scaled (and sustained)
‐Age/grade?
‐Targeted outcomes gaps (e.g., attendance or behavior initiatives)
1. What does differentiated case management look like?
Incorporate lessons learned from exploratory phase and Charlotte study into a larger demonstration with a representative sample of the network to include criteria for using differentiated case management, new training and job aids, new data collection, and evaluation (e.g., rapid cycle, CITS)
‐Type of differentiated caseloads (e.g., grade level; outcome‐focused; need‐based; special populations/attributes)
‐Changes to practice required (staffing; logistics; assessments, data monitoring type/frequency, check‐ins, partners; supports (individual/group; type; frequency/dosage); student/parent engagement)
Conduct research literature reviews to identify best practices from other disciplines
Translate practices (and potential policies) into training, organizational development technical assistance, and resources for the network and other ISS providers, where appropriate
2. What are the pros and cons to differentiated case management?
‐Benefits (e.g., targeted focus of site coordinators and delivered supports; greater impact) ‐Challenges (e.g., staffing/capacity; training/expertise; resources/time; sustainability)
Generate hypotheses for testing
*Lessons learned from research will be shared with the CIS network and the larger field of Integrated Student Support (ISS) providers, where appropriate. **Included in studies currently underway or funded
Conduct interviews with affiliates practicing differentiated case management to identify pros, cons, and lessons learned
Determine if changes are needed to TQS student support standards (new standards or changes recommended as best practice)
Priority Research Key Research Questions/
Exploratory Analysis/Hypothesis Generating (Phase I)
Demonstration/Study Design and Implementation (Phases II/III)
Adoption of Best/Better Practices (Phase IV)
Category/Topic
Enhancements for Special Populations
Sub‐Questions
System involved youth (juvenile justice, foster care)
What does it look like to effectively service special populations of students? What do we need to do differently?
Exploratory analysis of existing data (e.g., CISDM) to identify: who we serve, what their needs are, how we serve them, and outcomes
Continue implementation and evaluation of Impact work on case management of ELL students in CIS of San Antonio
Determine if further testing is required to demonstrate impact of enhancements (e.g., RCT) prior to scaling
Homeless students/families
1. What are the needs of special populations of students that we are serving across the network? Who are we serving?
‐Attributes, risk factors/level of need, presence of early warning indicators; baseline (where are they starting in relation to their peers?)
Conduct surveys and/or interviews with network to understand challenges/success with serving special populations
Incorporate lessons learned from San Antonio into the design and implementation of demonstration project(s) to include training on enhancements (e.g., new assessments, partners, programs) representing best practices from current network and research literature
“Package” enhancements as a CIS offering (add‐on to the core CIS model) to include training and job aids, recommended partners, programs and supports, and new/enhanced assessments and measures
ELL/migrant students**
First‐generation, college‐ going students
‐Supports needed (tier, type, intensity) (e.g., reintegration assistance, social services, transportation, mental health/counseling, permanency planning support, legal assistance, immigration assistance, language translation support, FAFSA completion support, SAT/ACT prep, college visits, college application support) ‐Partnerships needed (e.g., juvenile/family courts, probation, detention, CPS workers/social workers, child advocates, homeless coordinator, shelters, legal council/immigration attorneys, community colleges/Universities)
Conduct research literature reviews on best practices for serving special populations
2. How well are we at meeting the needs of special populations of students? What is working for whom?
3. What aspects of our work need to be modified/adapted to better serve special populations? What works “as is”?
‐Staff recruitment (e.g., diversity, experience) ‐Training/professional development (e.g., diversity/equity/inclusion, cultural competency, systems education/understanding)
Partnership with an organization, like College Advising Corps to provide students college readiness, enrollment, and persistence/retention support as part of enhancement for demonstration
‐Student assessments
‐Partner selection
‐Tiered supports
‐Measurement (e.g., new outcomes)
Redesign CIS’ Charting for Success Curriculum to reflect best practices and incorporate into demonstration
*Lessons learned from research will be shared with the CIS network and the larger field of Integrated Student Support (ISS) providers, where appropriate. **Included in studies currently underway or funded
Identify potential partners to provide training/programming/supports addressing needs of special populations
Design and conduct evaluation(s) (e.g., rapid cycle, comparative interrupted time series)
Generate hypotheses for further testing
Partnership with local juvenile and family courts to provide alternative to probation or detention through CIS case management; provide support to youth transitioning from detention back to home school
Sample Demonstrations:
Priority Research Key Research Questions/
Exploratory Analysis/Hypothesis Generating (Phase I)
Demonstration/Study Design and Implementation (Phases II/III)
Adoption of Best/Better Practices (Phase IV)
Category/Topic
Enhancements for Targeted Outcomes
Sub‐Questions
Developmental relationships (DRs) and social, emotional, and academic development (SEAD)*
In what ways does the work of CIS foster DRs for students and promote improvement in SEAD? And why are these important?
Identify gaps in available data needed to address research questions; administer network‐ wide survey to fill gaps
Identify a sample of the network to participate in a demonstration to test the importance and impact of DR and SEAD on more traditional and long‐term outcomes for students (ABCs, college/career readiness, post‐secondary success)
Determine if further testing is required to demonstrate impact of enhancements on targeted outcomes
Attendance/chronic absenteeism
In what ways does CIS impact the targeted outcomes? How effective are we at achieving the targeted outcomes for students and/or schools as a whole?
Identify gaps in available data needed to address research questions and create new assessments/measures
Identify a sample of the network to participate in a demonstration to test enhancements (e.g., new/modified assessments, partners/programs) to determine impact on attendance (specifically
Determine if further testing is required to demonstrate impact of enhancements on targeted outcomes
College/career readiness (CCR)
1. What partners do we have/need to have to impact the targeted outcomes (e.g., Attendance
1. What are we doing to build positive relationships with students? To foster the development of relationships between students and others? To impact SEAD? ‐Training/professional development (e.g., DR Framework)
‐Context/supports conducive to forming DRs and fostering SEAD (e.g., caseload size, site coordinator self‐care, cultural sensitivity, site coordinator/student “fit”)
‐Assessments (e.g., CIS SEAD Survey, DR 360, SC/Student DR)
‐Partnerships
‐Strategies/interventions (tiers, type, frequency, dosage)
‐Progress monitoring/adjustments
Make available to the network the new DR and SEAD assessments/measures, including training on administration and use of results
Facilitate partnerships, identify programming, and develop and deliver training focused on the nonacademic to academic outcome continuum
Incorporate enhancements into core CIS model implementation through standards, training and job aids, and ongoing technical assistance
2. Is there a causal link that we can demonstrate among relationships with CIS site coordinators and students, students’ social, emotional, and academic development, and future academic and life success?
‐What aspects of DRs (e.g., quality, duration, quantity, type) are correlated with/predictive of improved SEAD? How do DRs directly or indirectly impact other outcomes (ABCs, future academic/life success)?
‐How do improvements in SEAD correlate with/predict improved ABCs? Future academic/life success?
Conduct research literature reviews of effective practices in DR and SEAD
Generate hypotheses for further testing
Implement demonstration and conduct evaluation; refine based on interim results (e.g., longitudinal study, RCT or comparative design)

Post‐secondary retention and completion
What are the long‐term impacts of CIS on case managed students? Do we empower students to “succeed in life?”
Conduct exploratory analysis of CISDM and National Student Clearinghouse (post‐secondary) data from SY15‐16 and 16‐17 cohort of seniors
Continue analysis of CISDM and National Student Clearinghouse data for prior and new cohorts
Determine if a longitudinal, comparative study is possible or necessary
Equity and achievement gap*
Does the work of CIS (i.e., integrated student supports) address issues of equity by providing at‐ risk, students of color with the supports they need to address barriers to learning and help close the achievement gap?
Review existing CISDM, EOY and other related data to understand who we serve, how we serve them, and our impact on key outcomes (e.g., ABCs)
Design ongoing analysis plan to allow comparisons of CIS case managed students of color with similar/matched non‐case managed students of color, and white students
Share and use results to determine what changes are recommended to model implementation (if any) to improve our ability to address issues of equity and help close the achievement gap
2.
Are there some case managed students that are more successful after high school than others? What factors are correlated with/predictive of their success?
1.
In what ways does CIS help bring equity to the students it serves?
‐Education advocacy/policy change
‐Student empowerment
Review race equity literature to identify best practices to incorporate/enhance existing CIS network practices
Works, Jobs for America’s Graduates, UAspire, College Advising Corps, AVID)?
Conduct research literature reviews of effective practices in attendance and CCR
Generate hypotheses for further testing
chronic absenteeism at the school level) and CCR
Incorporate enhancements into core CIS model implementation through standards, training and job aids, and ongoing technical assistance
2. What supports (tiers, type, frequency, dosage) do we provide/need to provide to achieve the greatest impact?
Facilitate partnerships, identify programming, and develop and deliver training focused on addressing school‐ and student‐level attendance issues and students’ college/career readiness levels
3. What new/modified assessments/measures do we need to put in place to identify needs and monitor progress?
4. What training do we provide/need to provide to staff to increase their likelihood of impact?
Implement demonstration and conduct evaluation; refine based on interim results (e.g., longitudinal study, RCT or comparative design)
5. In what ways do the enhancements need to vary by grade level and why?
1.
What happens to case managed students after high school? How many follow their High School End of Year plans?
‐Post‐secondary education
Develop and administer survey of CIS Alumni to obtain post‐secondary education, career, and life event data
‐Workforce ‐Military
Identify cohort of students to track longitudinally from ES through HS
Translate lessons learned into training and job aids, programs and practices, and ongoing technical assistance
‐Partnerships/student supports
Design demonstrations to test impact of CIS on closing the achievement gap for students of color
Refine/develop new training, organizational
Generate hypotheses for further testing
Conduct interviews with a sample of CIS Alumni
Merge datasets and conduct regression, HLM, predictive analytics to determine what factors are most associated with students’ “success in life.”

‐Staff professional development and training of others
Survey network to identify current policies and practices in place to address diversity, equity, and inclusion within the school
Sample Demonstrations:
development technical assistance, partnerships and programming, and resources/job aids to bring changes/modifications to scale across the network
2. What are the outcomes for case managed students of color? How do these outcomes compare to non‐case managed students of color? To their white peers?
Identify federal/state/district data sources available for comparative research
Work with a sample of affiliates to replicate a CIS program, like CIS of Central Texas’ XY Zone for male students of color in high school and evaluate impact on DR, SEAD, ABCs, and post‐secondary enrollment
3. What are the conditions for effectiveness (e.g., district/school, site coordinator, students/ families, affiliate, community) needed in order for CIS to be successful in helping to close the achievement gap?
Generate hypotheses
Work with a sample of affiliates to replicate an early literacy, SEAD, and family engagement program similar to the CIS of Charleston’s ForWord program and evaluate impact on preventing/closing the achievement gap by 3rd grade
*Lessons learned from research will be shared with the CIS network and the larger field of Integrated Student Support (ISS) providers, where appropriate. **Included in studies currently underway or funded
Appendix C:
Innovation Lab | Potential Products and Services
Innovation Pipeline Incubator
Creating an Innovation Lab will generate new ideas, create a feedback loop, and prioritize high-potential ideas. This Incubator will house the ideas for consideration as well as capture some that are currently in development. As the Innovation Practice is stood up, and staff and stakeholders across the CIS Network will continue surface new ideas that help CIS generate earned income and reach more students for greater impact. Ideas included below were generated primarily by National Office staff and national board members during discussions planning for the Innovation Lab.
Ideas – In Progress
Description
1. CIS Search Tool
The CIS Search tool allows users to search/filter data across the following three databases maintained by CIS:
1. Affiliate Information – Filter a databases of information (budget size, geography, community type, etc) to identify similar CIS affiliates
2. Partnerships – Filter information about different national partners that have been vetted by CIS national to find programmatic partners working in communities
3. Evidence-Based Programs – Users can enter information about the needs of a student or the school in order to find effective programs to implement that have been vetted by CIS national.
2. Scale XY-Zone and F.A.C.E.S. Take programs to market
XY Zone and FACES are two empowerment programs that were created and designed by CIS affiliates. CIS national can make an investment (additional research, redesign materials, market analysis, etc) and promote externally in order to develop an additional revenue stream.
3. Value of Attendance Calculator
Create a calculator that translate school funding that is lost due to chronic absenteeism. CIS can use the calculator to reinforce our proven ability to improve attendance rates and quantify the financial value to a school and school district.
Ideas – for exploration
Description
1. Arnold Foundation Decision-Tool
Create a tool that recommends programs and partners to broker based on community needs data
2. Children's hospitals – Adapt the CIS Model to serve students receiving treatment
Kids facing serious illnesses are in hospitals resourced to take care of their physical needs but there’s a gap in their academic needs. CIS may have knowledge from our performance learning center initiative that takes modular education/credit recovery capabilities and provides them to students in children’s hospitals.
3. College/Career Readiness Camp targeting rising seniors
Accelerate growth of Alumni Leadership Program by creating engagement opportunity for high school juniors. Model after “Project Success.”
4. Create a CIS School
Apply the CIS model to a turnaround school.
5. Design a CIS Innovation Lab (physical space)
Designate a space to cultivate ideation for the network

6. Dumbledore's Army
Inspired by affinity programs and fundraising principals such as sponsorship and partnership ladders, create a system of engagement that will build on CIS culture.
Leverage principles of gamification and “frequent flier programs” to incentivize stakeholder engagement with the national office and deepen the connection to the movement.
7. Facilitated innovation workshops at Leadership Town Halls
Infuse the entire CIS Network with a culture of Innovation through formal trainings, workshops. Surface new ideas and engage a varied group of professionals.
8. Grad Score/Dream Machine
Create a individually customized “Grad Score” using predictive analytics to determine the probability of a student graduating and graduating college/career ready. The ability to do this should be able to create multiple products including an interactive tech product that could be placed in schools ("The Dream Machine").
9. HGTV-esque Model CIS Classroom
CIS can create a model “CIS Student Supports Classroom” and develop specifications for an ideal Student Supports Classroom that individual affiliates can replicate by developing partnerships or organizing community donations.
10. Host Hack-A-Thon
Quickly develop new prototypes and engage a broad and diverse group of practitioners.
11. Launch an Innovation Challenge with a cash reward
Incentivize staff across the Network to contribute ideas to the Pipeline Incubator.
12. Partner with US Dept. of Education to launch a Challenge.gov competition
Leverage new resources, elevate the CIS brand, and partner w/Ed for thought leadership to drive innovation.
13. Site Coordinators’ Innovation Fellowship
Borrowing from best practices from Teach for America, City Year, AmeriCorps -- develop and test incentive and affinity programs to more effectively recruit, retain, and promote a diverse workforce of practitioners.
14. Virtual Site Coordination
Inspired by Clickotine (smoking cessation/behavior change) App and Telehealth movement. Extend site coordinator support in out-of-school time through a technology platform that connects students to site coordination during vacations, summer break, the gap year after high school, and/or afterschool hours.
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