Communities In Schools of Washington
In Schools to Keep Kids In School
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Currently, nearly 1 in 5 students in Washington State do not graduate on time. The four-year graduation rate for Washington high school students in 2018 was 81 percent. The Center on Education Policy and American Youth Policy Forum estimates young people who drop out will earn a minimum of $10,000 less annually than their high school graduate peers who graduate. The gap is far greater when measured against higher education graduates. Nearly 50% of dropouts ages 16-24 are out of work with an increased likelihood of living in poverty, receiving public assistance, abusing alcohol and drugs, or ending up in prison. Students who fail to earn a high school diploma are up to 3.5 times more likely to be incarcerated according to the Center for Educational Research. Poverty is the strongest indicator of students being at-risk of dropping out. Without community support, they are more at risk for missing school and failing to earn a high school diploma.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
CISWA Programs
Communities In Schools of Washington is a network of independent 501(c)(3) organizations in 8 counties and 27 school districts. Those organizations are coordinated, supported and expanded through the leadership of Communities In Schools of Washington. Nearly 90,000 students are directly served by CISWA.
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
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Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of students receiving school wide support services
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, At-risk youth
Related Program
CISWA Programs
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Students who benefit from site coordinator programs that aim to improve schoolwide attendance, behavior, and/or coursework. Example programs include mentoring, tutoring, food pantries, and more.
Number of students receiving case-managed support
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, At-risk youth
Related Program
CISWA Programs
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Site coordinators provide individualized support to these students, connecting them with tailored resources to help them stay in school and achieve their academic goals.
Number of students receiving other support services
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, At-risk youth
Related Program
CISWA Programs
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Students who benefit from CIS programs but who do not have a site coordinator based at their school. Example programs may include community engagement, school supply drives, and basic needs support.
Total students served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, At-risk youth
Related Program
CISWA Programs
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The total number of students we serve through case management, school-wide programs implemented by a site coordinator, and programs benefitting students at schools without a site coordinator.
Percent of students who stayed in school or graduated
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, At-risk youth
Related Program
CISWA Programs
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Of our case-managed students, this percentage either successfully stayed in school, graduated, or obtained a GED.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The mission of Communities In Schools (CIS) and Communities In Schools of Washington is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.
Communities In Schools of Washington (CISWA) is part of the nation’s largest dropout prevention program providing school-based Integrated Student Supports to children and youth most at risk of school failure. Our primary goal is to increase graduation rates for struggling students in Washington. Although Washington State has a graduation rate of 81% the graduation rate for some of our largest student populations falls well below this. Nearly half of the 1 million students in Washington public schools are classified as low-income and the four-year graduation rate for these students is 69%. Minority students make up 44% of the population and their graduation rate on average is 73%. By contrast, non-low-income students are 49% of the population and the graduation rate for these students is 89%. (OSPI, Graduation and Dropout Statistics Annual Report May 2017). The students most in need of graduation supports are reflected in the demographics of students served by CIS last school year: 84% were economically disadvantaged, 21% were English Language Learners and 16% were homeless.
While CIS referrals are generally for students who are struggling in school, poverty is often the underlying cause that CIS seeks to provide support. The NCES notes that low-income students fail to graduate at five times the rate of students from middle-income families (Trends in High School Dropout Rates, 2011) and the U.S. Census tells us three times more students of color live in poverty than their white peers (Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance in the U.S., 2012) and 58% of students served by CIS are students of color.
The Alliance for Excellent Education notes that increasing the graduation rate to 90% in the U.S. would bring 660,000 more high school graduates into our economy each year. This would generate $8.1 billion in additional annual earnings and $661 million in annual state and local tax revenues. In Washington State alone, a 90% graduation rate for the class of 2012 would have created 2,200 more jobs and over $220 million more in annual spending.
CISWA has demonstrated success working with the highest risk students; of secondary students referred for individualized services in 2018-2019, 98% stayed in school, graduated, or obtained a GED. CISWA is committed to expanding school based supports and interventions to more communities in Washington State to better serve high risk student populations and ensure more students are on track to graduate.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Communities In Schools provides students with a one-to-one relationship with a caring adult called a site coordinator. Site coordinators serve as trusted case managers, connecting students with needed community resources and school-wide support programs. The goal is to help each student graduate by building upon their abilities and assets and addressing barriers to success, such as a lack of basic necessities, lack of engagement, or unstable home situations. Site coordinators work closely with school staff, teachers, and parents to help students improve attendance, behavior, and academics—both on an individual level and at a school-wide level.
To prepare students to learn, site coordinators partner with local organizations to bring resources directly to students in school. This coordination solves a critical problem where students need goods or services, but lack access to them outside of school. For example, if a student cannot afford dental services, site coordinators may partner with local dentists to donate dental services to the student. Site coordinators may work with students who face behavior problems, connecting them with mentoring programs or peer support groups. In another case, site coordinators may work with at-risk high school students to prepare them for college and career applications. The ultimate goal of Communities In Schools is to surround students with a community that cares, empowering them to develop future plans to achieve their own goals.
The state office of Communities In Schools of Washington provides capacity-building supports to the independent local affiliates in our network. These supports include organizational sustainability, effective service delivery, expansion, advocacy, and local resource development. The state office also ensures that affiliates comply with policies and service standards set by the national office of Communities In Schools. As a network, we aim to provide the highest quality of service to the greatest number of students in need.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Communities In Schools of Washington (CISWA) has been reaching more students and delivering increasingly effective site coordination support resulting in consistent and increasingly impressive outcomes for kids since 1991. The statewide network is led by Susan Richards, State Director, whose expertise and extensive experience are widely recognized locally and nationally. In 2014, she was invited by Washington State elected leaders to present the work of CISWA to two high-level state leadership events; the Cascade Conference and the Governor’s Conference on Education.
One of the ways that CISWA is able to deliver the highest quality product is through the CIS accreditation of its affiliates, which ensures fidelity to the successful service model. The state office’s Program Director, Michelle Scheving, also serves as an accreditation reviewer with the national office of Communities In Schools.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
CISWA began serving students and delivering progressively effective Integrated Students Supports in 1991. Our results are consistent and increasingly impressive for the students of Washington State.
Our CIS network serves 27 school districts across Washington, including the four largest districts and two other districts in the top ten. In 2018-2019, we expanded services into North Central Washington, serving two rural school districts in Douglas County. Our affiliates in Federal Way and Renton are also expanding respectively into Highline Public Schools and Tukwila School District. As we look toward future years, our goal is to bring the successful CIS model to new communities and deepen our network's impact in the communities we already serve.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
As the state organization we work to support our fifteen affiliates across Washington state in providing strategic guidance, advocacy and resource development so that they can support individual students needs. We are thoughtful listeners and partners with our affiliate network.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Case management notes,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Communities In Schools of Washington
Board of directorsas of 10/14/2021
Aline Carnahan
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Tod Droppleman
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Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/14/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.