Communities In Schools

Communities In Schools
Name	Communities In Schools
Formation	1977
Founder	Bill Milliken
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Richmond, Virginia
Region served	United States

Communities In Schools is a United States-based nonprofit organization focused on supporting at-risk students in K–12 schools by coordinating community resources and social services. Founded in 1977, the organization places trained site coordinators into public schools to connect students with mentoring, health, mental health, family support, and college-career resources. Its approach emphasizes dropout prevention, student engagement, and partnerships among schools, nonprofits, businesses, and local officials.

History

The organization traces roots to initiatives in Richmond, Virginia, inspired by education reformers such as Bill Milliken and local leaders collaborating with institutions like Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond Public Schools, and philanthropies including the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Ford Foundation. During the 1980s and 1990s it expanded through networks of community-based groups and city agencies, interacting with partners such as United Way of America, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and municipal entities like City of Richmond and Commonwealth of Virginia. National scaling in the 2000s involved alliances with statewide education associations including National School Boards Association, Council of Chief State School Officers, and federal initiatives tied to the U.S. Department of Education and programs influenced by policies from administrations such as those of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Over time it intersected with national efforts involving organizations like Teach For America, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, YMCA of the USA, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Mission and Model

The stated mission centers on empowering students to stay in school and succeed academically through integrated student supports modeled on partnerships among schools, nonprofit service providers, and civic actors like Chambers of Commerce, Rotary International, and grantmakers including W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Annenberg Foundation. The model employs site coordinators who liaise between districts such as Los Angeles Unified School District, Chicago Public Schools, New York City Department of Education, and community providers including Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Feeding America, and local health systems like Kaiser Permanente. It draws conceptual parallels to social service coordination seen in programs influenced by figures like Jane Addams and frameworks used by Head Start and Title I initiatives implemented under acts such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Programs and Services

Programs include dropout prevention, mentoring, behavioral supports, college and career readiness, health and mental health referrals, and family engagement. Service delivery partners have included national nonprofits such as The Salvation Army, Catholic Charities USA, Salud America!, YMCA, United Way, and service providers like McKinsey & Company for evaluation, and educational partners such as Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Stanford University for research collaborations. Site-level services often coordinate with municipal health agencies like Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiatives, local hospitals including Mayo Clinic affiliates, and workforce agencies exemplified by U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Job Corps programs.

Structure and Governance

Governance has involved a national office with a board of directors composed of leaders from philanthropy, business, education, and government, sometimes including executives with ties to corporations like Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Walmart Foundation, Microsoft Corporation, Google LLC, AT&T Inc., and Ford Motor Company. Local affiliates operate under varying legal structures—independent nonprofit corporations, school district partnerships, or coalitions—interacting with municipal school boards such as those in Houston Independent School District, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and Atlanta Public Schools. The organization has engaged consultants and auditors such as Deloitte, KPMG, and Ernst & Young for fiscal oversight and compliance with regulations including filings with the Internal Revenue Service.

Impact and Evaluation

Evaluations have been conducted by external researchers and institutions including Mathematica Policy Research, RAND Corporation, Urban Institute, Brookings Institution, and university researchers at Duke University and University of Chicago. Reported outcomes have included indicators like improved graduation rates in some districts, reduced chronic absenteeism, and increased college enrollment, with studies referencing comparable interventions such as Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and community-school initiatives linked to outcomes examined in literature on programs like Communities That Care. Impact assessments have also been cited in policy discussions involving legislators in the United States Congress and statewide education authorities.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding sources have included federal grants, state education departments, private philanthropy, corporate sponsorships, and local fundraising. Major funders historically include Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Annenberg Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Wal-Mart Foundation, and corporate partners like Verizon Communications and Bank of America. Partnerships span educational organizations such as National Education Association, workforce intermediaries like Goodwill Industries International, health systems like Mount Sinai Health System, and research partners exemplified by SRI International.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critiques have arisen concerning program fidelity, measurement of outcomes, reliance on philanthropic funding, and the implications of private-sector involvement in public schools—issues also raised in debates around entities such as KIPP and charter school networks like Success Academy Charter Schools. Critics and commentators from outlets and institutions including ProPublica, The New York Times, Education Week, and scholars affiliated with Teachers College, Columbia University have questioned transparency, accountability, and scalability. Legal and labor-related disputes in some locales have involved school districts, teachers' unions such as the American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association, and municipal authorities.

Category:Nonprofit organizations based in the United States