America's Leading Voice for Integrated Student Supports
For nearly five decades, Communities In Schools® (CIS®) has defined how America thinks about and delivers on the promise of public education. As the nation's largest and most effective provider of integrated student supports (ISS), we don't just implement solutions—we shape the policies, programs, funding, and systems that make them possible.
When 2 million students across 3,571 schools in 29 states and DC depend on your model, you don't just participate in policy conversations—you lead them. CIS is committed to transforming how federal, state, and local leaders approach educational excellence and demonstrating how to generate strong returns on taxpayer and philanthropic investments.
How We Drive Change
Our evidence-based framework has become the gold standard for how schools deliver life-changing, real-time support to students and their families.
Our approach combines deep field expertise with sophisticated policy advocacy:
- Evidence to Action: We translate proven practices into scalable policies, backed by America's largest database of integrated student supports implementation.
- Strategic Partnerships: We build powerful coalitions across education, workforce development, mental health, and youth development sectors to drive systemic change.
- Community-Powered Solutions: Through our initiatives, we ensure policies reflect the real needs of students, families, and educators.
- Data-Driven Advocacy: We leverage our national network's implementation data and success stories to shape policy at every level.
The Evidence is Undeniable
The CIS model meets the highest evidence tiers under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, backed by multiple independent studies that confirm consistent, powerful outcomes:
99%
of our students remained in school through the end of the 2022-23 school year.
11.6x
return on investment for communities
75%
of our students met or made progress toward at least one of their attendance goals
87%
of our students met or made progress toward at least one of their academic goals
This isn't just data—it's proof that systematic, evidence-based student support changes lives and our workforce at scale.
*Results are from the 2022-2023 school year.
2025 CIS Federal Legislative Agenda
Our three-tiered investment approach to transforming education outcomes calls for targeted funding for evidence-based integrated student supports, strengthened foundational programs, and expanded policy recognition—delivering immediate, medium-term, and long-term returns that address America's chronic absenteeism crisis and strengthen our economic future.
- $10 MILLION FOR INTEGRATED STUDENT SUPPORTS
- Reserve $10 million within Full-Service Community Schools program for ISS programming
- Provides seed funding for evidence-based systems to drive results in high-need districts
- Supports critical infrastructure to address urgent student barriers
- Measures outcomes to prove effectiveness and $11:1 ROI
- Scales what works to reach more students in need
- Immediate return on investment
- STRENGTHEN FOUNDATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
- Provide robust investments in programs that strengthen student, family, and community success
- Title I (high-need schools)
- Title IV-A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment)
- Full-Service Community Schools
- 21st Century Community Learning Centers
- Project AWARE (mental health)
- AmeriCorps (service-based solutions)
- Medium-term return on investment
- EXPAND FORMAL FEDERAL RECOGNITION OF ISS
- Codify integrated student supports (ISS) in relevant federal legislation
- Create dedicated ISS funding stream (via FSCS, Title I, and/or Title IV-A)
- Expand eligibility for ISS across relevant federal programs impacting students
- Enable and encourage schools nationwide to implement proven solutions
- Long-term structural return on investment
Our Presence on Capitol Hill
Rey Saldaña, President and CEO of Communities In Schools, delivered testimony on April 9, 2025, before the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, demonstrating how integrated student supports (ISS) deliver measurable results while optimizing existing government resources. Watch his testimony below and learn more about our recent Hill Day.
Policy Priorities That Drive Real Change
We champion policies that transform how America supports student success:
This program is spectacular beyond belief… There has never been a program that I have ever seen work like this. This does so much for so many, it’s off the charts.
Senator Jim Justice West Virginia
[On April 1], I joined a CIS+City Connects briefing on how we can combat absenteeism and improve student outcomes. The bipartisan support we have for CIS is so important at a time like this.
Congresswoman Susie Lee Nevada's 3rd District
The Office of the State Superintendent recognizes Communities In Schools as a proven research-based strategy that can help us help all of our students achieve. We're looking forward to a continued partnership.
Acting State Superintendent of Education Dr. Antoinette Mitchell Office of the State Superintendent of Education
A Proven Partner for Policymakers
The future of American education depends on getting student support right. Partner with CIS to transform how our nation serves students and families.
State and federal leaders trust CIS because we deliver:
- Evidence-based solutions that scale
- Implementation expertise that ensures impact
- Data systems that demonstrate results
- Community partnerships that drive sustainability
Learn How We Are Present for Students
Join the Movement
The future of American education depends on getting student support right. Partner with CIS to transform how our nation serves students and families.
