Presentation I gave to the Board of the Communities in Schools of Coweta/Newnan

1. Orientation to
Communities In
Schools
By
John Roland

3. The Dropout Epidemic
in U.S.
• By many estimates, 1/3 to 1/4 of young
Americans are not graduating from high school or not
graduating with their peers.
• Only 50% of African American, Hispanic and
Native American students graduate on time.
• Only about 42% of high school dropouts find
gainful employment.
• Increasing the high school completion rate by 1%
would save the United States $1.4 billion
annually in reduced costs associated with crime.

6. Why Are Kids Dropping Out?
(Sources: The Silent Epidemic- Bridgeland et al- March 2006—Gates
Foundation

7. Compounded Impacts of
High School Non-Completion
Source: Levin, H., et al., (2007). The Costs and Benefits of an Excellent Education for All of America’s Children.
INDIVIDUALS THE COMMUNITY
Lower Lifetime Earnings
Reduced buying power & tax
revenues; less economic growth
Decreased health status; Higher
mortality rates; More criminal
activity
Higher health care & criminal
justice costs
Higher teen pregnancy rates;
Single motherhood
Higher public services costs
Less voting; Less volunteering
Low rate of community
involvement

8. Community
Barriers
• Culture of Gangs
• Availability of
Drugs
• Violence
• Limited Social
Outlets
• Lack of Positive
Role Models
Family
Challenges
• Low
Expectations
• Substance
Abuse
• Poverty
• Unemployment
• Family Crises
School
Challenges
• Lack of
Commitment
• Negative Peer
Pressure
• Academic
Failure
• Behavior
Problems
Individual /
Developmental
Challenges
• Low Self Esteem
• Loneliness
• Medical
Problems
• Social Isolation
• Mental Health
Needs
• Court
Involvement
Non-Cognitive Stressors Facing Many Students8

9. Education Pays
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Table A-4. Employment status of the civilian population 25 years and over by
educational attainment.
**U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Table 5. Quartiles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers.
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT & EMPLOYMENT
Unemployment Rate* August 2013
Median Wkly Earnings**
(& approx. annual)
15% 10% 5% 0% 0 200 600 1000
3.5
Bachelor’s Degree
& Higher
$1,189 ($61,828)
6.1
Some college/
Associate Degree
$741 ($38,523)
7.6
HS Graduates, No
College
$651
($33,852)
11.3
Less than a High
School Diploma
$457
($23,764)

10. Economic Benefits
of helping Dropouts
With an additional 30,000 HS graduates:
$242 million increased earnings
$191 million increased spending
This additional spending would support:
$350 million increase in state gross product
$18 million increase in state tax revenue
Source: Alliance for Excellent Education. “The Economic Benefits of Helping High
School Dropouts.” December 2012.

11. Communities In Schools:
The Solution to an
Epidemic

12. The Solution…
Communities In Schools Model
According to a third party evaluator with the
U.S. Department of Education “What Works
Clearing House” the Communities In
Schools model is the ONLY program
proven to increase graduation rates in the
country.

13. The CIS Model

14. CIS Gets Results
91% of students monitored were promoted
84% of monitored seniors graduated
97% of students monitored as potential
dropouts remained in school
78% of monitored students reduced their
suspension rate
79% of monitored students improved their
academic achievement
How does CIS get these results…

15. Instructional
Programs
Non-
Instructional
Resources
Academically & Socially Vulnerable Students
Succeed when Schools & CIS Work Together
• Basic Skills
remediation
• Personalized and
blended learning
curriculum
• Teacher professional
development
• High expectations
• Instructional support
and interventions
• Mentoring
• Parent engagement
• Health and nutrition
• Behavior intervention
• Mental health
• Youth development
• After school programs
• Interpersonal Skill
Development
In Partnership
15

16. Our visionis to empower
all students in Coweta County to
successfully prepare for life by
promoting the desire to learn and
stay in school.
C.I.S. Vision

17. Our missionis
to champion the connection of
needed community resources
with schools to help young
people successfully learn, stay in
school and prepare for life.
C.I.S. Mission

18. The Five Basics
Communities In Schools believes that every
child needs and deserves these Five Basics:
• A one-on-one relationship with a caring
adult
• A safe place to learn and grow
• A healthy start and a healthy future
• A marketable skill to use upon
graduation
• A chance to give back to peers and
community

19. THE CIS PROCESS
Site Coordinators placed in local schools:
• Build strong relationships with students,
parents, educators and community members.
• Identify barriers that prevent students from
succeeding in school.
• Address barriers to student success by
mobilizing community resources to meet
students' needs
• Empowering students to realize their potential.
We know that when the needs of children are
met, they can be free to learn and teachers
can be free to teach.

20. Communities In Schools works
within the public school system,
determining student needs and
establishing relationships with
local businesses, social service
agencies, health care providers,
and parent and volunteer
organizations to provide needed
resources.
C.I.S. Goals

21. Sustainable: The CIS national Total
Quality System (TQS) sets stringent
business standards.
Scalable: CIS aligns with education reform
strategies on the local, state and national
levels
Effective: CIS incorporates evidence-
based practice in services for youth focused
on seven indicators.
C.I.S. Goals

22. 2013 Coweta County Graduation Rates
East Coweta HS
Graduation Class: 634
Total Graduated: 504 and (130 did NOT)
Graduation Rate: 79.5 percent
Newnan HS
Graduation Class: 612
Total Graduated: 464 and (148 did NOT)
Graduation Rate: 75.82 percent
Northgate HS
Graduation Class: 463
Total Graduated: 398 and (65 did NOT)
Graduation Rate: 85.96 percent

23. Georgia High School Graduation Rates
Source: The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, State Report Cards.
Year Coweta County
State
High School
Graduation Rate
2009 N/A 58.6%*
2010 N/A 64.0%*
2011 74.9% 67.5%
2012 79.7% 69.7%
Total
* Approximations from Georgia Department of Education
Statewide
Number of High
School Non-Grads
62,172
51,503
44,661
37,839
196,176
Almost 200K GA
non-grads in 4 yrs

24. Coweta Community Census
Data Crime in Coweta County

25. 4-Year Graduation Rate, 2011
Georgia Coweta County
All 68% 75%
Asian 79% 58%
White 76% 80%
African-American 60% 63%
Hispanic 58% 68%
Low-Income 59% 65%
English Language
Learners
32% 18%

26. Why CIS in Coweta??
• Based on finding, EMSI, one of the nation’s
leading economic modeling firms, determined
that every $1 invested in CIS
produces an average of $11.60
in economic benefit for local
communities.
• $1 given = $11.60 gift to
Coweta

27. Coweta CIS history
• After the 2010 death of executive director
Bonnie Garrison, Coweta
County’s Communities In Schools program
went dormant, but led by Kristy Lilly, Lisa
Smith, Nancy Stone it has been relaunched.
• AT&T recently presented Coweta
County’s (CIS) organization with a
$60,000 donation to support site
coordinators at Coweta schools.
• Coweta’s CIS board is preparing for their
first community fund-raiser for the
organization on Saturday, May 3, at
the Hollis-McRitchie museum in Newnan.

28. John Roland--introduction
• Married to Amy, an RN at Cancer Treatment Centers of America
• 2 kids in the Coweta School system since 2006.
• Active in Crossroads Church, DADS club at Northside Elementary,
Cub Scouts, Little League, resident since 2006.
• Previously a member of Newnan Kiwanis Club.
• Visiting family in Newnan since 1995.
• Expert fundraiser for 15 years—Pastor, Boy Scouts Exec,
Kennesaw St Dir of Development, & Luther Rice U director

29. Don & Janice Helms
Both mentored students at Elm Street Elementary and still
keep up with their students years later.

30. Betsy & Kermit Perry
• Wonderful example of Coweta County leaders
mentoring students.
• 1992—student at Central Middle School. At risk
student.
• Had never left Newnan area—took him to
Braves game. Encouraged him, “showed
him rather than told him.”
• Gave him a sport coat as he successfully ran for
Student Body President at Newnan High.
• See him as a part of their family.
• Continued to support him at Alabama State.
• Now a successful middle school math teacher.

31. Services and Intervention
CIS aims to reach the source of
potential dropouts by weaving the
community„s already existing
resources together into a safety
net that responds to each child
holistically, creates a safer school
environment and allows educators
to perform to their fullest capacity.

32. Local Coweta Services &
intervention
• Coweta Samaritan’s Clinic—Lou Graner
• One Roof Outreach—Ann Kerlin
• Bridging the Gap—Allison Wallace
• Grow & Learn Family Enrichment Program
• Habitat for Humanity of Newnan/Coweta
• Crossroads Church—ReNew Thrift Store
• Boy Scouts—Mike Warren. Exploring
partnership/Piedmont Newnan Hospital
• Girls Scouts of America
• Goodwill
• Great church community support

33. Will YOU partner with us to
better Coweta and our future??