2024 Community Matters Report

This year’s Community Matters Report highlights the transformational power of connections. It reviews the state of our public schools and shows how the connections that Communities In Schools^® (CIS^®) makes transform individual students’ lives, entire schools, and school systems. We hope it inspires everyone working to fulfill the promise of public education in America.

What’s Happening in Our Public Schools

Today, in America’s public schools…

• Student engagement is lower than it’s ever been.
• Enrollment is down by more than one million students.
• Chronic absenteeism is the reality in two thirds of schools.
   

What’s Possible in Our Public Schools

When we commit to a systemic, integrated approach to meet the needs of all students.

In order to thrive, schools must be able to connect students, families, and teachers to the resources and supports needed to help all students succeed in school and in life. Today, those connections are too often beyond the ability of many public schools. But, CIS makes those connections.

The Transformational Power of Connections: The CIS Model
When schools implement the CIS model of integrated student supports (ISS), they connect to our network of close to 8,000 community organizations that provide the resources and capacity schools need to help students overcome obstacles and achieve success.