VO LU M E 5 • N U M B E R 4 • S E P T E M B E R 20 10

A quarterly newsletter of Communities In Schools, the nation’s leading dropout prevention organization

Contents

CISInside

2 President’sMessage

3 The New Face of Communities In Schools

Network Leaders Build on Aspen Institute Program to Inform Work

4 Evolution of aChampion

5 Collaboration is Key at Summer Trainings

6 Spotlight on Success

7 Spotlight on Successcontinued

8 Accreditation Update

For more than 30 years, Communities In Schools has addressed America’s dropout crisis through its unique model of providing for the needs of the whole child, which includes both academic and social service interventions. In a speech last spring outlining efforts to transform low-performing schools, President Obama praised the organization, noting that the administration will “build on the efforts of places like Communities In Schools that make sure kids who are at risk of dropping out have one-on-one support.”

Communities In Schools continues to see remarkable results for students in the areas of academics, behavior and attitude. The latest Results from the Communities In Schools Network report on local affiliate outcomes demonstrates that the majority of students served by Communities In Schools stay in school, are promoted to the next grade and eventually graduate on time with their peers.

“This investment in our network allows us to reach hundreds more students, offering them a renewed hope of achieving success in the classroom and beyond,” commented Dan Cardinali, president of Communities In Schools. “AT&T has been a long-time supporter of Communities in Schools, and we are grateful for continued collaboration in serving our nation’s most disadvantaged students.”

AT&T is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. The company launched AT&T Aspire in April 2008, one of the largest ever corporate commitments to address high school success and college and workforce readiness.

AT&T announced in July that it was making a significant contribution to Communities In Schools to help the organization strengthen and advance its core business. Funding is being used to increase the number of site coordinators working directly with at-risk students in partner schools. In their pivotal role, coordinators leverage existing community resources and partnerships to bring services like mentoring, tutoring, family engagement activities, counseling, after-school programs, college access programs, career development and health care into schools.

The Communities In Schools national office guided a review process for local affiliates applying for the AT&T investment. The national office awarded a total of $975,000 in AT&T funding to 14 Communities In Schools affiliates:

Greater Phoenix (Ariz.) Delaware

Jacksonville (Fla.) Miami (Fla.)

Palm Beach (Fla.) Athens (Ga.)

Chicago New Orleans

Mancelona (Mich.) Cape Fear (N.C.)

Charleston Area (S.C.) Greenville (S.C.)

Spokane (Wash.) Tacoma (Wash.)

A total of 26 low-performing schools will benefit from the 23.5 site coordinator positions made possible through the AT&T investment.

“Nearly one-third of all public high school students fail to graduate with their class,” said Laura Sanford, president of the AT&T Foundation. “Communities In Schools was one of the first organizations to address this challenge, and AT&T is proud to contribute to an organization that is achieving measurable and sustainable results.”

AT&T Helps Communities In Schools Increase Graduation RatesGrant Funds Site Coordinators to Serve More Students

This material is based upon work supported the Corporation for National and Community Service under Grant No. 06ERHVA001. Opinions or points of view expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of, or a posi-tion that is endorsed by, the Corporation.

President’s Message Meeting the Great Need

With the start of a new school year, the Communities In Schools national network of 4,600 staff members and 57,000 volunteers is entrusted to help transform the lives of nearly 1.3 million students at greatest risk for leaving school without a diploma. For many of these students, it will be a pivotal year of either moving forward towards graduation and post-secondary education or dropping out and facing sometimes harsh and limited life choices.

Communities In Schools has made a promise that through caring adults and the delivery of carefully coordinated resources addressing the needs of the whole child, we can play a central role in unleashing students’ tremendous potential. Moreover, we have the results to prove that.

Communities In Schools effectively addresses America’s chronic dropout problem. We have scaled up rapidly in the last 10 years and have a presence in more than 3,400 schools and 472 school systems. Yet our model of providing both academic and human services within schools is present in only about 3 percent of America’s schools today. Uncoordinated provision of resources to students and schools is the rule across most of the country.

Where communities know about the resources we are capable of providing to students – and because of our success in these markets – the demand is significant. School districts with a

Communities In Schools presence estimate a need for services for an additional 1.9 million children in just those districts alone. That demand will only increase unless we do something soon.

Increasing our presence in schools requires funding to hire even more site coordinators. Communities In Schools positions a dedicated staff member – a site coordinator – inside partner schools. In this pivotal role, the coordinator works with school staff to identify students at risk of not graduating. He or she assesses school and student needs and establishes relationships with local businesses, social service agencies, health care providers, and parent and volunteer organizations to harness needed resources.

These everyday, local heroes work within a beleaguered system to ensure students have the supports they need to graduate and move on to college or career. Whether it’s tutoring, eyeglasses or just a safe place to be after school, when these needs are met, students can concentrate on learning.

Please visit our website at www.communitiesinschools.org to find out how you can help Communities In Schools empower students to stay in school and achieve in life.

Dan Cardinali, president, Communities In SchoolsPhoto by William Waybourn

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Inside CISSEPTEMBER 2010

Beginning this fall, Communities In Schools will greet the public with a fresh new design of its website, www.communitiesinschools.org. Compelling content will frame the American dropout crisis and present a clear picture of the Communities In Schools solution.

“The redesigned website is a dynamic tool for all of our partners, including educators, parents, funders, policy makers, volunteers and generally anyone who believes in and wants to support the mission of keeping kids in school,” said Mike Bento, executive vice president of marketing and communications. “Visitors to our website will find an appealing new look showcasing both the human successes and research-based outcomes that contribute to our positive impact on students.”

Visitors will be able to read about how Communities In Schools is making headlines with its unique model of eliminating barriers to success and supporting both the academic and social service needs of students. Or they can sign up to receive legislative alerts and publications, find a Communities In Schools affiliate near them, learn how to make a donation or volunteer, review third-party evaluations of the effectiveness of Communities In Schools and much more.

The public will also be able to link to Communities In Schools social networking pages from the main website. The organization is active on several sites, including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Causecast. Everyone is welcome to become our online friend – it’s a great way to connect with others who share a passion for education and issues affecting young people, as well as to receive instant updates about Communities In Schools initiatives and activities.

Network Leaders Build on Aspen Institute Program to Inform WorkIn August, leaders from across the Communities In Schools network gathered to discuss issues of structural racism and how it impacts the young people we serve. Building on a groundbreaking program produced by the Aspen Institute, Communities In Schools convened a series of three-day retreats for leaders from the national office, state offices and local affiliates. Participants completed a lengthy syllabus of readings and group discussions prior to coming together at a retreat center in Virginia.

Retreat participants were guided through a series of presentations and discussions outlining the legal and cultural origins of racism in America, and how its legacy continues to haunt our society.

The New Face of Communities In Schools Website to Re-launch with New Look and Content

At the conclusion, each affiliate, state office and the national office outlined a series of next steps it would take to incorporate the structural racism framework into the work of Communities In Schools.

The Aspen Institute’s mission is twofold: to foster values-based leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good society, and to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues.

The structural racism retreats were supported by a grant from the Kellogg Foundation, and will be followed by tools and a curricula for use across the network. 3

Evolution of a ChampionA Student Success Story

Jesse Carranza, third from left, with (l-r) Communities In Schools staff members Miguel Flores, former case manager; Blinky Rodriguez, executive director; and Bobby Arias, president.Photo by pastorrudy.com

There was a time when Jesse Carranza may have become another statistic, another young person making poor choices because he felt that he had few choices in life. But with the guidance of caring adults who saw this young man’s potential, his story instead became one of overcoming obstacles to find his special talents and pursue his dreams.

Now 21, Jesse grew up in the Arleta neighborhood

of Los Angeles, where he lived with his mother, Florinda Campos, and his sister, Angie. His two youngest sisters, Emily and Nicole, were born after his mom remarried. Jesse was first introduced to Communities In Schools of San Fernando Valley and Greater Los Angeles as a teenager when he started getting into trouble and hanging out with gang members.

Miguel Flores was Jesse’s Communities In Schools case manager while Jesse was at San Fernando Valley High School. When he first met Jesse, Flores noted that Jesse had a drug problem and avoided responsibilities. With the help of Bobby Arias, president, and Blinky Rodriguez, executive director of the Communities In Schools local affiliate, Flores steered Jesse toward boxing and martial arts at the Heart of Champions Gym, run by Rodriguez and his wife, the late Lilly Urquidez Rodriguez.

Rodriguez explained that the boxing academy was a “hook” or point of entry for troubled students like Jesse. “It was a place where we could open up their minds and instill characteristics they didn’t even know they had,” said Rodriguez. The young people who attended the boxing academy stayed off the streets and learned discipline – each of them had an up-front agreement to stay clean. Flores, who at the time had a son training at the boxing academy, pushed Jesse to accompany him and would show up at Jesse’s home every day after school to walk him there. Jesse resisted at first, but Flores won him over and became a trusted mentor and sounding board. And there came a turning point – Jesse was attacked and brutally beaten by rival gang members, after which he was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. He became motivated to go to the gym as a way to turn his life around and protect himself.

The staff of Communities In Schools “wrapped themselves around Jesse like a blanket of support,” according to Flores. At the gym, Lilly Rodriguez was the first to recognize that Jesse, in addition to being

a smart kid and talented boxer, loved movies and writing. He would write poetry and produce articles for his high school paper. To encourage his interest in filmmaking, Communities In Schools arranged for Jesse to have an internship at Warner Brothers Studio, where he met executive producer Scott Budnick, another mentor on Jesse’s journey.

To help him recover school credits and shore up his academic performance, Flores arranged for Jesse to participate in an after-school program and also receive tutoring at his home on weekends. And to strengthen Jesse’s relationship with his mom, who struggled to be “both mom and dad” for a time, Jesse’s mother attended Communities In Schools parenting classes. “Jesse and his mom had misunderstandings, so the parent involvement helped them pick up another pattern in their relationship,” said Flores.

Thanks to the efforts of Communities In Schools, Jesse graduated on time with his class. Today, he studies cinematic arts at Los Angeles Valley College. He sees his family frequently, as well as his extended Communities In Schools family.

Rodriguez said that Jesse has been busy. He’s currently a paid intern at 20th Century Fox Studios and recently completed work as an extra in a movie being produced by Budnick. Jesse has expressed interest in transferring to USC’s film school, and Rodriguez said they are working with Jesse toward that goal.

Jesse has committed himself to helping others through Communities In Schools. He mentors students and speaks to the public about his experiences. He also volunteers at Camp Miller in Malibu, a detention center for juvenile hall youths who are awaiting release. There he gives kids advice and will soon begin teaching a creative writing class. This past summer, Jesse volunteered at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office and 20th Century Fox Studios.

In July, Jesse received the Alfred Anthony Flores, Jr. Evolution Award, presented by the Communities In Schools affiliate to area youth who get a second chance to rebound from poor, early lifestyle decisions. The award is named in honor of Alfred Flores (no relation to Miguel Flores), who attended the same gym as Jesse and was killed by a gang member.

Jesse is grateful for those in his life who never gave up on him. He understands that he got another chance and wants to be a role model for others: “Without that aspect of giving back, I would not be studying filmmaking or making it in general.”

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Inside CISSEPTEMBER 2010

Collaboration is Key at Summer TrainingsNetwork Leaders Create Community, Hone Skills

No sooner had the final school bells rung last June, than hundreds of Communities In Schools staff returned to their own “classrooms” at state and regional trainings and conferences held over the summer. In every region Communities In School serves, state and local affiliate leaders and board members gathered with site coordinators, communications and development staff, and representatives from the Communities In Schools national office to network, share experiences and best practices, and develop new skills and competencies. Participation in the training sessions reflected the collaborative nature of the organization’s work and underscored the importance of each piece to the success of the whole in the Communities In Schools Model.

“I never cease to be amazed at the passion and dedication of our staff and volunteers,” said Dan Cardinali, president of Communities In Schools. “This commitment to excellence is clearly demonstrated at the annual summer trainings, and by the willingness of everyone from board members to support staff to share their knowledge and devise ways to better serve students.”

The trainings kicked off in June with the Communities In Schools of Georgia Summer Network Conference – titled “Students First” – which brought together more than 100 Communities In Schools executive directors, school staff members, program leaders and regional support team members. The three-day conference provided a wealth of professional enrichment opportunities for staff at all levels and in all capacities to better utilize existing resources, learn from one another and lend their own skills and experiences to help colleagues.

The Northeast Regional Training was held in Gettysburg, Pa., in July and drew more than 135 staff with diverse roles representing Communities In Schools affiliates in New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. In addition to practical offerings such as motivating and retaining staff, resource development and leadership roles, the conference offered sessions on topics ranging from parental engagement and site plan development to college readiness and becoming a part of the school culture.

At the Communities In Schools Western Convening held in Las Vegas in early August, 85 of the organization’s staff and volunteers from Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Alaska and California focused

their collective expertise on taking the organization’s impact on students in the region to the next level. Elaine Wynn, national board chairman of Communities In Schools, offered words of encouragement and tips on board development in her keynote speech at the opening luncheon. The conference had a dual curriculum: one track targeting state and local affiliate leaders, with sessions focusing on site management, board development, resource development and communications strategies; and the other track providing training on a variety of topics pertinent to site coordinators. This two-pronged approach enabled participants to get the resources most beneficial to their roles with Communities In Schools.

The Midwest Region Summer Training Conference, held later in August, offered about 30 Communities In Schools staff members from Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Nebraska the opportunity to concentrate on improving operations. Sessions focusing on strategic planning and developing operational site planning skills were complemented by opportunities for participants to share their own success stories and best practices with one another.

As the summer’s final training conference wrapped up, with students being summoned back to the classroom, Communities In Schools staff throughout the network also returned to work refreshed, recommitted and eager to share their newly acquired knowledge and skills to empower the students we serve.

Participants in the Communities In Schools Western Convening held in August focused on taking the organization’s impact on students in the region to the next level.Photo by Linda Thompson-Black

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Spotlight on Success News Briefs from the Network

Communities In Schools of Arizona has been awarded more than $1.9 million in AmeriCorps funds on behalf of local Communities In Schools affiliates in Arizona, Washington state, Pennsylvania, Detroit and New Orleans. The multi-state campaign, entitled “Eliminating Roadblocks to School Success,” will increase mentoring opportunities and educational outcomes for students throughout the country.  Ninety-two AmeriCorps members began their national service in September 2010 and will provide direct services to students through community resource development. They will engage middle and high school students in planning and preparing for post-secondary education and careers using the Charting for Success curriculum developed by Communities In Schools, and connect students with at least two service-learning projects during the academic year or in summer programs. In addition, members will recruit volunteers to serve as ongoing adult mentors to assist with academic tutoring, college and career readiness activities, and service-learning opportunities. The campaign is expected to serve more than 50,000 K-12 students and their families on the campuses of 92 schools.

Students and faculty of the Teen Health Leadership Program, a collaboration of Communities In Schools of the Charleston Area, S.C., St. John’s High School on Johns Island and the College of Nursing and Medical Library at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), took a successful trip to Washington, D.C. April 29-May 2. The program seeks to increase health literacy through access to quality health information, develop young leaders and support students’ community engagement. It is funded by a grant

that was awarded to the Medical Library at MUSC by the National Library of Medicine in Washington D.C. The highlight of the trip was a presentation students made on April 30 to senior staff at the National Library of Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health. Students presented their findings on research and community outreach they conducted on Johns Island earlier in the year.

A high school served by Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo, Mich., had the honor of hosting President Obama as the keynote speaker at its June graduation ceremony. Kalamazoo Central High School was the winner of the White House’s national Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge. Each of 240 graduates received eight tickets to the ceremony at Western Michigan University’s 5,000-seat University Arena. Graduating seniors at the district’s other two high schools were also given tickets. The general public was able to watch via live feed at three other community locations. The White House lauded Kalamazoo Central’s graduation rate and the district’s “Kalamazoo Promise” program, which covers up to 100 percent of graduating students’ public college tuition. The Communities In Schools national board of directors boasts an alumni of Kalamazoo Central High School – Michael Parham, AVP and associate general counsel at RealNetworks, Inc. in Seattle, Wash.

Six seniors at St. John’s High School presented research findings to staff of the National Library of Medicine: (left to right) Michael Smith, Dorshinia Heyward, Dedre Lowry, LaKenya Wright, Chelsey Opoku and Priscila Zuniga.

President Obama congratulated Kalamazoo Central High School students at their June graduation ceremony.Photo courtsey of the White House

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SEPTEMBER 2010

Inside CIS

Santucee BellPhoto by William Waybourn

Aumir Pittman (right) joined Wake County Boys and Girls Club members Kelsey Austin and Matt Samson to ring the closing NASDAQ bell in June. In addition to visiting Wall Street, the students toured the New York Harbor.Photo courtesy of Communities In Schools of North Carolina

A student served by Communities In Schools of North Carolina had the honor of ringing the stock market closing bell in New York City. Parker Middle School 7th-grader Aumir Pittman, 14, joined the North Carolina Bankers Association to close the NASDAQ market on June 17. Pittman plays basketball at his middle school and is a student who consistently earns As and Bs. The bell-ringing served as the kick-off for Camp Challenge, a financial literacy summer camp for students across North Carolina. The camp, sponsored by North Carolina banks and now in its 17th year, is geared toward instilling responsible financial budgeting habits and honing personal development skills.

Communities In Schools of Southern Nevada was named Best Charity by Las Vegas Weekly as part of their 100 Vegas’ Best Awards. The Communities In Schools affiliate was recognized for its efforts to empower students in the Las Vegas community to stay in school. The Las Vegas Weekly staff wrote, “This organization helps find private-sector partners for basic services that are critical to a child’s ability to learn, but are not within the primary mission or budget of the public education system. Since the Southern Nevada affiliate launched in 2003, thousands of Clark County School District students have received medical care, food, clothing, mentoring, tutoring and other essential services.”

Communities In Schools of Wayne County, Ind., received a grant to support the Cruising Into Your Future program about college and career exploration for Wayne County middle school students. The money was awarded by the Wayne County Foundation during the foundation’s April grant cycle. In all, the foundation awarded more than $98,000 to 21 different organizations.

The Communities In Schools national office partnered with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) for the first time this summer, joining in the effort to cultivate future leaders striving to impact and improve education in grades K-12. The 2010 UNCF/Walton Family Foundation Social Entrepreneurship in K-12 Education Fellows Program was piloted in three cities: Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. – where 18 students enrolled in select historically black colleges and universities were placed at various organizations dedicated to creating social change through education reform. The staff of the Communities In Schools national office welcomed two of these shining stars in June: Morehouse College’s Marcus Wedge and Johnson C. Smith University’s Santucee Bell. Both students spent the summer working alongside staff members on projects such as the Communities In Schools racial equity initiative, as well as nonprofit leadership development through the Communities In Schools Robert H.B. Baldwin Fellows program. Dan Cardinali, president of Communities In Schools, said “We were honored to have Santucee and Marcus join the national office team. Their smarts, ambition and passion for the Communities In Schools mission have enabled them to make powerful contributions to our work over the summer. It’s an honor to be a part of UNCF’s vision for this nation’s future leaders.”

Marcus WedgePhoto by William Waybourn 7

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ChairmanElaine WynnDirector Wynn Resorts

Founder and Vice ChairmanWilliam E. MillikenCommunities In Schools National Office

Robert H.B. Baldwin, Jr.President and CEOHeartland Payment Systems

Hon. J. Veronica BigginsPartner Hodge Partners

James Cox ChambersProducer Field Hands Productions

Rudy CrewProfessor of Clinical Education, K-12 Leadership and PolicyUniversity of Southern California

John R. EttingerManaging Partner Davis Polk & Wardwell

Hon. Daniel Glickman

Rhoda Glickman

Kevin HuvaneManaging Partner Creative Artists Agency

Linda LeSourd LaderPresident Renaissance Institute

Jillian ManusPresident Manus & Associates Literary Agency

John H. Mobley, IISenior Partner Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, LLP

Communities In Schools National Office2345 Crystal Drive, Suite 801Arlington, VA 22202

800-CIS-4KIDSwww.communitiesinschools.org

ATTENTION LOCAL AFFILIATES!Help us tell your story to a national audience. Send story submissions to salamatm@communitiesinschools.org. Please include “Inside CIS Story” in subject line.

Inside CIS Editor Maureen Salamat

ContributorsJessica Adams Mike Bento Chris Flynn Cindy Nixon

John NixonExecutive Director ICAP®

Michael ParhamAssociate General CounselRealNetworks, Inc.

Yvonne PetrasovitsPresident The Reading Excellence and Discovery (READ) Foundation

Jonathan G. PowersDeputy Supervisor Town of Pound Ridge, N.Y.

John C. ShawManaging DirectorResource Holdings, Ltd.

Leonard SternPartner Shepardson Stern Kaminsky

Donna Weiss

Sherrie Rollins WestinExecutive Vice President Sesame Workshop

Linda Gale WhiteFormer First Lady of Texas

PresidentDaniel J. CardinaliCommunities In Schools National Office

Inside CIS is published quarterly by Communities In Schools, Inc., 2345 Crystal Drive, Suite 801, Arlington, VA 22202.

© 2010 Communities In Schools, Inc. All rights reserved.

Accreditation UpdateAffiliates In Texas and North Carolina the Latest to Meet Quality Standards and Earn Accreditation

Three Communities In Schools affiliates – Communities In Schools of Wichita/Sedgwick County, (Kan.), Communities In Schools of the Heart of Texas (Waco, Texas) and Communities In Schools of Moore County (N.C.) – were accredited this past summer under the organization’s Total Quality System (TQS). These affiliates, and the 13 other Communities In Schools affiliates that were previously accredited, are part of the first group of 46 affiliates to be reviewed during fiscal year 2010.

Communities In Schools launched the TQS in 2008 with the goal of promoting uniform quality and outcomes for the students it serves. TQS establishes a common set of operational and business standards and best practices that define what it means to be a successful Communities In Schools affiliate serving students.

Congratulations to the board of directors, executive leadership and staffs of the three most recent affiliates to earn distinction among their peers.