This part describes the 49 initiatives analyzed in this report. A brief overview of each model is presented and outlines whatever information is currently available from research. Only the research is cited. Information about the models is available on request³ and methodological descriptions of the major evaluations will be forthcoming.⁴ This part is organized in two sections: Community Schools and After-School Programs. Within those categories, the listings are presented at the National, State, and Local levels, ranging from models that are being replicated across the country in many sites to individual schools that have unique programs.

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

National Models

These community school programs have been developed by community-based agencies, city youth bureaus, national organizations, or university groups. They have been replicated or adapted in many community schools throughout the nation. Most have technical assistance capacities and can respond to requests from local groups for help in planning and implementing programs. Information is provided for the basic model and other sites, where available.

Children's Aid Society Community Schools, New York

In 1990, the Children's Aid Society (CAS) of New York entered into a partnership with the local School District #6 to develop community schools.⁵ CAS's approach to community schools is to provide a "seamless" learning and developmental experience for children, families, and communities. CAS began with two initial sites, Intermediate School 218 and Elementary School 5, and has also developed eight additional community schools locally and worked with a wide variety of public schools, community-based organizations and funders to help sites around the country.

The two initial sites, IS 218 and ES 5, have been the subject of a six-year process and outcome evaluation conducted by researchers from Fordham University. Both schools offer Family Resource Centers, medical and dental services, and extended hours of operation. School-supported and CAS-supported social workers and mental health counselors work together to serve students and families.

A three-year evaluation report of both schools was issued in 1999 by Anthony Cancelli and colleagues from Fordham University, contrasting the CAS schools with matched schools in the neighborhood.⁶ Three sets of outcomes were examined: psycho-social, parent involvement and academic for students in grades 3 and 6 when the research started. The research concluded that seven years after the establishment of the community schools, many of the goals had been reached. In regard to psychosocial development, the students had more positive attitudes toward school experiences. The buildings were full of people throughout the day and evening, engaged in a wide array of activities. Children were receiving high-quality medical and dental care, and had access to on-site mental health services. Parents were involved in the schools and felt a strong sense of responsibility for their children's education, particularly new immigrants.

Academic achievement over the years improved in both sites, although the rate of increase leveled off or decreased after the initial major gains were recorded. At PS 5, the percentage of children reading at grade level rose from 28% when they were in grade 4 to 42% by the time they reached grade 6. The same cohort math scores moved from 43% at grade level in grade 4 up to 50% by grade 6. The progress matched the improvement rate at comparison schools although the PS 5 children had lower scores at baseline. The researchers also found a significant positive correlation between attendance at extended day programs and reading scores. At IS 218, the research team found a clear pattern of steady though less dramatic improvement over time. Some 39% of students performed at grade level in reading at grade 6, rising to 45% by the time they were in grade 8. For math, the levels went from 49% to 52%.

The researchers observed that as the program matured, new challenges were arising regarding the logistics of managing growth such as setting up information systems that could track all the traffic, getting teachers to "buy in" to the concept, day to day challenges such as negotiating the competition for space and firming up the relationship between classroom instruction and extended day programs, and translating the programs and services into demonstrable improvement in academic outcomes.

The Children's Aid Society maintains a Technical Assistance Center for Community Schools in New York.

Contact: Jane Quinn, 212-949-4954, http://www.childrensaidsociety.org

Gardner School, Boston (CAS Adaptation Site)

The Gardner Elementary School, developed through a partnership with Boston College, the YMCA, and the local community, is an extended service school committed to providing before and after school programs for children in addition to economic, health, and education services to adults. It is an adaptation site for the CAS model. A Health center is staffed by St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, dental care by Joseph Smith Health Center, and mental health care by Allston Brighton Mental Health Clinic. Dozens of students and faculty members from Boston College provide tutoring and work on curriculum issues and social work interns provide counseling. A Parents' Center hosts workshops of topics such as immigration, staffed by law students and organizes evening classes.

Early results give evidence of improvements in academic performance, achievement, student engagement and satisfaction with school and attendance.⁷ In 1999, Gardner was the eighth most improved elementary school in the state in literacy, based on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCA) results.

Contact: Tim Garvin, 617-782-3535

Stevenson-YMCA Community School Program, Long Beach, CA (CAS Adaptation Site)

The Stevenson Elementary School in collaboration with the local YMCA and the California State University Department of Social Work is a replication site for the CAS model. The goal of this community school is to enhance the academic, social and career development of youth through the active partnerships of youth, parents, school, and community resources in providing an array of school-site activities.

A preliminary evaluation collected data for a sample of the students comparing the semester previous to involvement at the end of the first year. First through third grade students showed significant progress in their academic achievement in the initial year of the program. The percentage of students who were considered below average declined from 49% to 30% while the students receiving above average grades went from 19% to 34%. Few changes were noted in work/study habits or personal growth. Fourth and fifth graders also significantly improved their effort, study habits, homework, and showed improved academic progress and attendance. The percentage of students with "above average" grades went from 15% to 30%. The evaluator observed, "These preliminary findings support the idea that the community school approach utilized here (extensive child and parent programming and integration of academic standards in extended day activities) may be a promising way to enhance academic achievement among students living in low income areas." However, as she points out, the lack of a control group precludes determining to what degree the community school model impacted the changes.

Contact: Noel Burcelis, Community School Coordinator, 562-495-1939

Evaluator: Julie O'Donnell, California State University, 652-985-7372

University-Assisted Schools, Center for Community Partnerships, University of Pennsylvania (WEPIC)

Beginning in 1985, the University of Pennsylvania has sought to develop relationships with the surrounding community. Currently, the University's Center for Community Partnerships works in collaboration with the West Philadelphia Improvement Corps (WEPIC) and is actively involved in 13 local schools. These schools have a variety of activities during and after school hours, selected by school personnel in conjunction with university faculty and students. WEPIC's general approach calls for program-based, hands-on-learning focused on community improvement. Special areas of interest include health, the environment, nutrition, conflict resolution and peer mediation, desktop publishing, apprenticeships, entrepreneurial skills, and horticulture. Nearly 100 courses engage Penn faculty and students in the university-assisted community schools.

No overall evaluation has been conducted of the WEPIC program but reports from individual schools give evidence of progress. Charles Drew Elementary School showed more improvement on the state's standardized reading and math tests than any other school in the state in 1999, an increase of 420 points.⁸ School-generated data from 1992-1997 show positive trends.

For Turner Middle School, the most "transformed" of the WEPIC models, average daily attendance improved from 86% to 89%, the promotion rate went up from 78% to 81%, parent involvement (percent of parents attending events) increased from 53% to 75%, and the number of students suspended decreased dramatically, from 302 to 102.⁹ During this five-year period, the number of classes organized in collaboration with Penn increased from 4 to 19.

At Shaw Middle School, attendance increased and suspensions decreased. During the 1995-96 school year, reading proficiency improved significantly from the first report period to the third while failure rates tumbled.

Programs at Wilson and Drew Elementary schools work with school principals and teachers, linking resources of the America Reads initiative, Penn's Linguistics Department, and other faculty and university students.¹⁰ The focus is on an after school reading program that attempts to address the "minority differential." An assessment of the program looked at 40 randomly selected subjects and matched control group in grades 2-5 who were behind in reading. The experimental group participated in an extended day program staffed by Penn work-study and volunteer America Reads students, high school students, and school staff members, resulting in a 1:3 tutor-student ratio. All of the subjects' reading scores increased by one grade level after 3.5 months enrollment (4 days a week for 1.5 hours). Most had caught up with their grade levels.

Two high schools, University City and West Philadelphia were among the five local high schools to receive awards of $100,000 for increases in attendance. The principal of University City, Florence Johnson, reports that the graduation rate has risen from 23% to 43% over a three-year period, an improvement attributed to the WEPIC involvement in the school.

Contact: JoAnn Weeks, Director of WEPIC, 215-898-0240, weeks@pobox.upenn.edu

Winburn Community Academy, Kentucky (WEPIC Adaptation)

Beginning in 1993, Winburn Middle School established a partnership with the University of Kentucky with support from the WEPIC replication project. The effort brought UK volunteer students to work as tutors in the after-school program and faculty to work on curriculum and training, opened the school to the community for education and recreation, and organized a summer program.

An analysis of the status of the school three years after the program started shows many positive changes.¹¹ The impact on the school has been substantial, with a new focus on service learning. Test scores have increased. The neighborhood is improved by having a safe place to go in the evenings. The program has been less successful in involving parents so far. According to the report, the project has had more influence on the institutions of the community than on individual citizens. The school system is planning two new community schools and the Mayor has created an Office of Community Schools.

Contact: Virgil Covington, Principal, 606-299-7711

Bloom Middle School, Cincinnati Ohio (WEPIC Adaptation)

Miami University developed a partnership with Lafayette Bloom Middle School supported by the WEPIC Replication Project. University faculty in conjunction with school staff created the CORE Academic Accelerated Program, structured summer school experience that addressed key elements in success in school.¹² They selected 21 very high-risk students to receive "wrap around" services and intensive one on one teaching. All the participants completed eighth grade requirements and were promoted to ninth grade. Almost all expressed an interest in going to college. However, when the students were interviewed a year later, they were once again failing. This research confirmed the importance of designing appropriate teaching strategies for high-risk youth and particularly, the importance of continuation of these interventions.

Contact: 513-357-4340

Beacons

Originated in New York City in 1991 by the New York City Youth Bureau, community-based organizations are awarded grants to create school-based community centers that offer a wide range of recreation and social services, cultural and educational enrichment, and vocational activities that engage youth and involve families and the community. Each program is different depending on the characteristics of the provider agencies and the particular cultural and socioeconomic needs of the community. Many have health clinics and employment programs, others encourage family participation, arts, and recreation.

New York City currently supports 80 Beacons. An evaluation of the New York City program is being conducted jointly by the Academy for Educational Development (AED), Hunter College Center on AIDS, Drugs, and Community Health, and Chapin Hall Center for Children, University of Chicago. In its first phase, the evaluation focuses on implementation in 39 of the sites. In the second phase, an outcome study will be conducted in six sites.

An initial review of surveys of 7,406 participants found that the program attracts a wide range of ages from below 12 to over 21.¹³ Many attend frequently and over a period of years. The participants reported that they felt the Beacons were a safe place, offered a wide range of interesting and engaging activities with concerned and experienced staff. More than three-fourths of the youth described the Beacons as helpful in preventing drug use and fighting and in encouraging schoolwork and leadership. Most Beacons offered homework help and educational enrichment programs. Adults in focus groups reported heavy use of adult activities, such as GED, ESL, volunteer jobs, and family support.

Contact: Linda Pitts, Fund for City of New York, Youth Development Institute, 212-925-6675, lpitts@fcny.org

Evaluation: Constancia Warren, AED, 212-243-1110, cwarren@aed.org

Bridges to Success

The United Way is assisting a school/community initiative, Bridges to Success (BTS), which was pioneered by the United Way of Indiana in Indianapolis.¹⁴ The Institute for Educational Leadership is a partner at the national level. The purpose of the national BTS project is to promote the expansion of extended services schools in communities through the leadership of local United Ways. The goals are to enhance student performance and to build the self-sufficiency of families and communities. The model uses five key standards to facilitate success: governance; results and accountability; opportunities, services and support management; and finance

Indianapolis

The pilot BTS program brought the United Way of Central Indiana into a partnership with the Indianapolis Public Schools beginning in 1991. This effort created a partnership of ten major public and nonprofit agencies with a view toward integrating education with human and community service delivery systems and establishing schools as life-long learning centers and community hubs. The program has a two-tiered structure for governance. Under the auspices of a 28-member policy council, the program was implemented in 6 schools by neighborhood-based site teams with full-time site coordinators. At these demonstration schools, outside agencies provide health care, dental care, case management, recreational and cultural after-school activities, mental health services, community service learning, tutoring, and job readiness training. To fulfill the accountability goal, considerable effort has gone into evaluation of the Indiana BTS. The planning process was carefully documented to make sure that the 6 schools considered all the potential components.

An evaluation was conducted in 1995-96 of the school-based health and mental services provided through BTS.¹⁵ Each school has a computerized database designed to capture demographics, presenting problems, contacts, progress notes, school attendance, and test scores. The report focuses primarily on utilization of services in each school. Data on primary health services were only available for some of the schools, but it appeared that large numbers of students were visiting clinics and receiving dental services. All schools had a full-time family services coordinator whose responsibility included case management for needy students and their families.

Some 202 students received case management services in the reporting year; for more than half the presenting problem was behavior issues. The median number of contacts per case was 20 with a range of 0-420 for students and 0-69 for parents and caretakers. The coordinators reported that 85% of the problems showed improvement following the intervention, mostly after 10 or less contacts. Among students who did not show improvement, the intensity of the intervention did not impact problem behaviors.

In 1997, BTS began to expand to 28 local "Covenant" schools, clustered around four high school areas. This experience is well documented.¹⁶ Following an extended planning process, the services from many different agencies were brought into the schools, particularly health, mental health, youth development, tutoring and mentoring, recreation and culture. The report also gives details about how funds were leveraged from United Way, the school system, partner agencies, and foundations to support this broadened initiative.

Very little mention is made of outcome indicators. One chart is attached entitled "Academic Indicator Performance Reports-Pilot Schools." However, we are warned that direct comparisons between the most recent year (1997-98) and previous ones beginning in 1994 cannot be made because the test changed. Among the five schools reporting, all show decreases in teacher absence rate, suspension rate, and a slight increase in student attendance. The three elementary schools show a decline in the percent below state standards in English Grade 3 and Math Grade 3 (suggesting improvement). However, the percent below state standards in Grades 6 and 8 in the middle schools increased (scores declined).

Contact: Debbie Zipes, 317-923-1466, Zipes@uwci.org, URL:http://www.uwci.org

Hampton Year Round Elementary School, Greensboro, North Carolina

Hampton Elementary School (BTS Adaptation)¹⁸ operates on a year-round calendar. It offers a full menu of services and supports through its Bridges to Success United Way Program. A full-time nurse arranges dental, health and vision screening and transportation to outside services. Many outside agencies contribute to school enrichment, after-school, and Saturday activities. A unique program is sponsored by the Greensboro Symphony to introduce 3^rd graders to classical music and offer instruction.

The school reports that attendance rates have increased to 94% and that reading, writing and math proficiency for grades 3-5 went from 45% to 63% from 1997 to 1999. Parent participation has improved.

Contact: Josefa Bethel, United Way of Greater Greensboro, 336 378-6600

Extended Services Schools Initiative of Wallace Reader's Digest Foundation

The first four programs listed above are being evaluated as part of a foundation initiative to extend the hours of the school day and transform school buildings in low-income communities into neighborhood centers that offer both educational programs and a range of youth services. Some $13 million was awarded by the Wallace Readers-Digest Foundation to organizations in 17 communities to replicate these models in 60 school sites. A major evaluation is being conducted by a team of researchers from Public Private Ventures and the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation who are looking at 9 of the cities for in-depth studies of early implementation and planning and 5 cities for cost and participation studies. A management information system is being designed to collect data in the intensive sites.

Contact: Jean Grossman, Public Private Ventures, 215-557-4474

School of the 21^st century

The School of the 21^st Century (21C), a creation of Edward Zigler of the Bush Center for Child Development, Yale University, is a model for school-based child care and family support services to promote the development of children aged 0-12.¹⁸ Core components include preschool child care, before, after-school and vacation care for school age children, information and referral services for families, training of child care providers, and guidance and support for new parents. This model has been implemented in more than 500 schools in 17 states since 1988. Connecticut and Kentucky have statewide initiatives to open Family Resource Centers in schools. Programs differ in schools; in some communities, 21C acts as the umbrella for coalitions of family support services, adult education, youth development and social services.

Many evaluations have been undertaken over the years.¹⁹ According to the Bush Center, many benefits have been documented. Children in a 21C school who participated for at least three years had higher scores in math and reading than in a control non-21C school. Children who participated beginning at age three started kindergarten ready to learn. Parents who received 21C services were able to improve their child development practices, were less stressed, spent less money on child care, and missed fewer days work. Parents gave 21C schools high marks for academic focus, caring, and collaborative decision-making. Principals in 21C schools reported less vandalism, increased parental involvement, better teaching practices, and improved public relations with the community because of expanded services offered in the school.

Contact: Jennifer McGrady Heath, 203 432 9943

The school development program

The School Development Program (SDP), created by James Comer, Yale Child Study Center, and tested in the New Haven Schools in the early 1980s, mobilizes the whole "village" to help children grow. Specifically, SDP attempts to transfer mental health approaches to schools where "change agents" must be created by strengthening and redefining the relationships between principals, teachers, support staff, parents, and students.²⁰ The formation of 3 teams is basic to the Social Development Program:

• School Planning and Management Team. Parents, teachers, administrators, support staff, and students develop a comprehensive plan and coordinate all school activities.

• Mental Health Team. School psychologists and other support personnel integrate and provide direct services to children, advise school staff and parents, and access resources in community.

• Parent Participation Team. Parents are hired to work in each classroom on a part-time basis and volunteer as teacher aides, librarians, run newsletters, and organize social activities.

A number of evaluations have been conducted. A summary of earlier studies conducted by both Comer and outside evaluators showed increases in student achievement in SDP schools compared to similar schools, higher averages in math and better grades in reading and math.²¹ All of these schools were observed to have full implementation of the model, with access to a well-trained facilitator. A recent study of SDP in 10 sites, conducted by the Yale Child Study Center, showed that SDP had a positive impact on student behavior and achievement, especially at grades 3, 4, and 5.²² An intensive study of the implementation of the Comer model in six elementary schools in Hartford, Connecticut was less encouraging.²³ Researchers Neufield and LaBue concluded that the process had not been adequately implemented. The SDP has made little difference to children in any of the schools and was unlikely to move forward in ways that might significantly benefit children without considerable restructuring of the effort at the central office, the schools, and between central office and the schools. James Comer and colleagues believe that the success of the SDP depends on a full-time program facilitator designated by the school superintendent to work in the district, one school at a time.

Contact: 203-737-1020

COZI (Comer-Zigler)

Combining 21C schools with the Comer model resulted in the CoZi model, now being developed in pilot communities. The merger of the two programs produces a focus on school-based, collaborative decision-making, parent and child outreach, universal access to quality child care, and parent involvement and literacy training. The Parents as Teachers approach to home visiting is incorporated in this approach, along with a health clinic and referral services.

Evaluation was conducted over the period 1996-1999 at the pilot site in Norfolk, Virginia, using surveys, interviews, and school records to compare the Bowling Park Elementary School with Oakwood, a comparison site with a slightly more advantaged population.²⁴ The effort was somewhat hampered by small, nonrandom samples, and low response rates. Nevertheless, researchers found that the CoZi initiative was positively associated with higher levels of academic achievement. Very young children at the intervention school in preschool and kindergarten, scored 9-15 points higher on picture-vocabulary tests than at the control school. For 3^rd and 4^th graders, the impact on basic skills was also significant. Bowling Park School outscored all schools in the school district with similar populations over the same three-year period.

Teachers reported a greatly improved school climate on such measures as decision-making, leadership, and staff dedication to student learning. The parents saw an improvement in caring and sensitivity, academic focus, and reported much higher levels of participation.

Further analysis of these results associated higher implementation of CoZi with improved school climate and innovative teacher communication strategies with parents, suggesting that CoZi has a strong impact on teachers' actions. For parents, those who had participated in the Parents as Teachers programs were more likely to engage in interactive behaviors with their children and more likely to participate in the classroom and the school.

Contact: Matia Finn-Stevenson, 203-432-9944

Communities in schools

Communities in Schools (formerly Cities in Schools) is a large national organization that works with local communities (businesses, social service agencies) as a broker to relocate social workers and other staff into schools so they can act as case managers and mentors. Founded in 1977, CIS leads a nationwide network of more than 150 independent local programs and 15 state offices. It is estimated that more than 1 million young people and their families are serviced through 1,500 school sites.

A national evaluation was conducted in the early 1990s by the Urban Institute tracking 659 students over time.²⁵ The research found that CIS programs served very high-risk youth. Contrary to expectations for those students, 80% were still in school or had graduated over three years. The cumulative dropout rate was 21 percent over 3 years or 7 percent annually, much lower than for similar students in other schools. CIS students with serious problems in attendance and academic performance improved in those areas. About 70% of students with high absenteeism prior to participation in CIS improved their attendance and 60% with low grades improved.

Contact: Tom Wilson, Vice President, Strategic Alliance, 703-519-8999

Communities in Schools of Texas²⁶

The state affiliate of CIS produces an annual publication of performance data, presumably collected from the 400 campuses served by the program. In 1998, CIS reported that 39,010 students received case management services and almost 200,000 other students were served. The "Stay in School Rate" was 95.9%, 84% of students improved their attendance, academics of behavior, and 85% of students graduated or obtained a GED. It is not clear from the summary whether the rates are for all students in those schools or for the students who received the case management services.

Contact: Tara Flowers, 512-821-4726

Communities In Schools of Miami, Inc. ²⁷

CIS of Miami is a non-profit organization providing stay-in-school services to approximately 2,200 students in 20 schools and one community agency (the NFL Youth Education Town Center). Three types of school-based programs are offered: corporate academies, in-school programs, and "comet" (elementary school) programs. Support services include case management, referral, mentoring, counseling, parent contacts, work-place tours, guest speakers, incentives, curriculum enhancements, and provision of supplies such as books and videos.

CIS of Miami conducts an annual evaluation. The most recent report (1998-1999) found that students at the corporate academies improved their Grade Point Averages (GPA) significantly when compared to the previous year. However, the objective to increase the GPA for at least 60% of the students was not met. Only 38% of students gained at least half a point over the first year of enrollment. About one-fourth of the students improved their attendance.

The objective at Miami Edison Middle and Senior High Schools is to support teachers' efforts to improve academic performance. More than 40% of the students obtained a grade of "C" or higher and more than one fourth improved their attendance.

The objective of the Comet Programs was to increase the GPA of 40% of students by at least one letter grade. No data are presented on this measure but the Comet students' performance on the Florida Writes test was very close to state performance standards, considered a plus for these high risk students. Some 45% of the students increased their attendance by 5% or more (mean days absent went from 9.40 to 8.85). A test of pre-employability skills showed significant increases in scores.

The evaluation included surveys of students and teachers on their perceptions about CIS. Most of the responses were positive, showing that students thought their teachers had high expectations for them and that CIS staff were very helpful in promoting success. Teachers and other school staff highly rated school-to-work programs and mentoring (but not tutoring).

Contact: Susan McCallion, Executive Director, 305-378-7380

Communities in Schools in Chicago

The extensive network of Communities in Schools in Chicago is undergoing close scrutiny by a research team from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. While no outcome data are available at this stage of the research, a report on the first year of review provides a detailed picture of how CIS operates in schools.²⁸ The researchers also offer a plan for evaluation in the future.

An Appendix provides a review of relevant literature, which covers many of the programs listed in this document (Comer, Healthy Start, New Jersey School Based, etc). Their research suggests that school climate can be improved through non-academic interventions, after-school recreation, school-family programs, and basic needs programs. "By providing resources to support schools, students, and families, efforts to connect schools to organizations that provide services may also improve the climate of the school. Through the increased, active support of individuals and organizations in the community, for example, teachers can develop a sense that they are not working alone in addressing issues facing their school and students. . . . [They] can focus their energy on instruction without having to direct energy toward addressing other student problems."

Wynn et al also find support in their research review for the idea that school/community partnership programs can reduce student problems, increase student engagement and attendance, and have some effects on academic achievement. They note that most of the improvement is experienced by the highest risk children.

Contact: Joan Wynn, University of Chicago, 773-753-5900

Stanley Elementary School, Wichita, Kansas ²⁹

Stanley Elementary School is open from 7am to midnight every day. This is a site for Communities in Schools as well as housing substations of the Departments of Health, Human Resources, Parks and Recreation, a branch library, and a senior service center. Some 23 repositioned personnel provide services to student and families on-site. Evenings and weekends, the school uses Vista Volunteers to help host college classes, community programs and recreation for adults. Partnerships with Washburn University and the Yamaha Corporation enhance the curriculum and many other volunteers provide extended day tutoring and mentoring.

The program reports that those students who were involved in CIS activities improved their reading scores by 21 percentile rank points from the previous year and 95% of students were promoted to the next grade.

Contact: Judy Frick, 316-733-7294

Communities in Schools of Passaic, New Jersey ³⁰

CIS initiated a program in 1994 at the William B. Cruise Elementary School with the goal of reducing the retention rate among kindergarten students (from 21% in the preceding year). Partnered with the United Passaic Organization, CIS provided after school tutoring to kindergarten students and a strong parent outreach and education component. After one year, the number of students retained in kindergarten was reduced by half and the remaining students were promoted for first grade after a summer academic program.

Based on the success of this program, CIS now serves students in three schools and the new Early Childhood Center. CIS operates a VISTA program recruiting parents to work in outreach.

Contact: Ella Strickland, 973-472-2478