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.
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:
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:
of our students remained in school through the end of the 2023-24 school year.
return on investment for communities
of our students met or made progress toward at least one of their attendance goals
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 2023-2024 school year.
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.
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.
We champion policies that transform how America supports student success:
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:
The future of American education depends on getting student support right. Partner with CIS to transform how our nation serves students and families.
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