Research & Insights
Communities In Schools South Central Texas dedicated to empowering K-12 students for success in school and beyond.
New Research Confirms that Communities In Schools’ Model Drives Long-Term Success
A groundbreaking study conducted by Opportunity Insights in partnership with the EdRedesign Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Education finds that the Communities In Schools® (CIS®) model of integrated student supports helps high-risk students in CIS schools improve standardized test scores, raise graduation rates and increase earnings in adulthood.
Study Overview
Authored by Benjamin Goldman (Cornell University, The EdRedesign Lab & Opportunity Insights) and Jamie Gracie (Harvard University & The EdRedesign Lab), the working paper, “When Resources Meet Relationships: The Returns to Personalized Supports for Low-Income Students,” evaluates the impact of Communities In Schools integrated student supports model that places trained site coordinators in schools to connect students with whole-school and individualized supports such as tutoring, mentoring, nutrition, health services and housing supports that enable them to attend school regularly and succeed.
The research examines both short-run academic outcomes for high-risk students—such as test scores, attendance, and discipline—and long-run outcomes, including high school graduation, college enrollment, and adult earnings, to assess the broader and lasting impacts of CIS.
The analysis uses data, including Census and federal tax records for children born between 1978 and 1992, as well as K–12 education records from Texas, where nearly half of CIS schools are located.
