Communities In Schools says targeted case management boosted attendance and limited suspensions

Communities In Schools of Central Georgia presented to the board and instructional committee on May 14, reporting districtwide outcomes for the program’s student-support work.

Tamara Taryn Collinsworth described CIS as a tiered, case-management model that served 12 schools and 6,385 students districtwide during the reporting period. "CIS serves 6,385 students district wide with tier 1, 2, and 3 services," Collinsworth said. She told the board that 732 students received intensive case management and that those case-managed students averaged 95% attendance in the first semester.

Collinsworth explained how staff define and deliver services: daily site coordinator checks to confirm students are in class and, if not, phone calls home; small-group mentoring; individual mentoring; RealityU and life-skills programming; and repeated, layered interventions rather than one-time supports. She said some schools reached 100% no-out-of-school-suspension rates among case-managed students and stressed the link between attendance, behavior supports and achievement.

Academic outcomes for case-managed students showed strengths in ELA and continued need in mathematics; Collinsworth said the district would focus intervention alignment and data tracking to close math gaps. Board members asked for specifics on how 'services' were counted (the presenter walked them through daily checks, parent contacts and targeted supports) and about staff integration with school PBIS and attendance teams; Collinsworth said CIS staff serve on PBIS and attendance teams and that many services are daily touchpoints to prevent missed learning time.

Next steps: CIS will expand high-impact schools, strengthen academic alignment and increase family engagement while enhancing data tracking and reporting, the presentation said.