Parental Involvement - Fast Facts and CIS Solutions

This week Communities In Schools of Henry County and United Way of Greater Atlanta hosted a reunion for the participants of Winter 2012 Vision and Voice Parent Leadership Institute (PLI). It was awesome hearing about the great work and future goals of these parent leaders.  Their efforts not only support their children's success, but their leadership supports all families within their community by proving students with the necessary tools in for success and achievement.  The  work of the PLI participants embody community outreach, as well as compliments the  research concerning the impact of parental involvement  on students' educational outcomes.  
 
What the research says about parent involvement in students' education:

• The most consistent predictors of children’s academic achievement and social adjustment are parent expectations of the child’s academic attainment and satisfaction with their child’s education at school.

•  Parents of high-achieving students set higher standards for their children’s educational activities than parents of low-achieving students.

• The earlier in a child’s educational process parent involvement begins, the more powerful the effects.

• The most effective forms of parent involvement are those, which engage parents in working directly with their children on learning activities at home.

• Family participation in education was twice as predictive of students’ academic success as family socioeconomic status. Some of the more intensive programs had effects that were 10 times greater than other factors

• When parents are involved students have:
• Higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates 
• Lower rates of suspension
• Decreased use of drugs and alcohol
• Fewer instances of violent behavior

Source: Cotton, K., Wikelund, K., Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, School Improvement Research Series. In Parent Involvement in Education.

CIS facilitates parental involvement by:

1. Identifying  and integrating resources and services from the business community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development.
2. Providing information for students and families on community health, cultural, recreational, social support, and other programs/services.
3. Providing parents and schools with information on community activities that link to learning skills and talents, including summer programs for students

For more information on CIS-Henry contact us at:
Communities in Schools - Henry
70 Macon Street
McDonough, GA 30253
Phone: 678 432 4499 
http://www.cis-henry.org/

Crystal Cohen is a Graduate student in Clayton State University's Master's of Psychology Program, Applied Developmental Track, with an expected graduation date in 2014.  Her role at Communities in School-Henry includes program development and evaluation, as well as dissemination of information via social media platforms of evidence based practices that promote student achievement.

The Communities In School Model In Action

In this blog and my subsequent blogs, you will see quite a few mentions of the CIS Model.  Consequently, you might ask, "What exactly is the CIS Model?" Put simply, the basic principle of the  CIS Model is  to provide community based, integrated, student services and interventions to improve students outcomes, socially, emotionally and academically.  For you more visual readers who prefer a more illustrative definition, see our Model below.

By meeting students' needs, occurring both outside and inside the school environment, through the use of effective community support, students are given the necessary tools to succeed.  In short,  the CIS Model serves the whole student, providing a more holistic approach to fostering students' success.

I had the opportunity this week to  witness the CIS Model in action during a Vision Screening Event at Henry County Middle School, McDonough, GA.   Specifically, CIS-Henry collaborated and brokered a partnership with the Georgia Lion's Lighthouse Foundation to perform vision screenings and follow-up services of 7th grade Henry Middle School students.  Over 110 students were screened, with well over 50% targeted for an additional vision examination from a physician within the community and free glasses if necessary.  Needless to say, the event was a big success!  As a result of connecting community resources, students in need of additional vision care, whose families are without the financial or insurance means to do so, will be able to receive this service in support of their academic  success. 

The Vision Screening was an ideal event to further my understanding of the CIS Model and its community connection collaborative.  In fact, this event just may be the highlight of my Communities in School's internship, well at least for now.  There is nothing like hands on experience and success to build more excitement and momentum about an education initiative that really works!  Special thanks is given to the CIS Graduation Coach at Henry Middle School and volunteers with The Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation for not only embodying the Communities in School Model but actually getting the job done!

For more information on CIS-Henry or the CIS Model  contact us at:
Communities in Schools - Henry
70 Macon Street
McDonough, GA 30253
Phone: 678 432 4499 
http://www.cis-henry.org/

Crystal Cohen is a Graduate student in Clayton State University's Master's of Psychology Program, Applied Developmental Track, with an expected graduation date in 2014.  Her role at Communities in School-Henry includes program development and evaluation, as well as dissemination of information via social media platforms of evidence based practices that promote student achievement.

Confessions of a Communities in Schools-Henry Intern - Part I

Welcome to my first blog as an Intern with Communities in Schools-Henry.  Allow me to introduce myself. 

My name is Crystal Cohen and  I am a Graduate student attending Clayton State University, pursuing a Master’s degree in Applied Developmental Psychology. My training at Clayton State University emphasizes the integration of research based practices, developmental theories, and practical application of these features to improve programs, interventions, and policies that impact the lives of children. I am specifically interested in applying my knowledge of developmental science to the areas of education policy, education research, and education law.  My hope is that I can contribute to maximizing the educational experiences of all student populations.  As such, I believe that there are many different pathways to enable student success,. and agencies such as Community in Schools provide such a pathway.

As part of my graduate studies, I am required to take a course surveying and critiquing agencies that served children, as well as complete 500 hours of an internship.  My research into the agency would culminate into a research paper addressing the purpose of the agency, the need(s) that it fulfilled and proof of its success - and, by proof, I needed evidenced based proof.  Since my focus for my graduate degree is the application of developmental psychology to school environments to foster achievement, I searched for an organization that embodied my interests and my belief that all children are capable of success if given the proper support.  My search initially led me to Connecting Henry where I met with Darryl Dotschay, Coordinator, who in turn directed me to Shane Persaud, Executive Director of Communities in Schools-Henry.  This meeting was the start of my education about the Community In Schools model and my current association with Communities in Schools-Henry as an Intern. 

The big sell for me was the Communities in Schools model of “surround[ing] students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life,” and the fact that the methods employed by Communities in Schools have been empirical tested, making it the only dropout prevention program in the nation with scientifically based evidence to prove that it increases graduation rates.  These facts, along with the fact that the Communities in Schools model is directly in line with the ecological model that I was immersed in my graduate studies let me know that this agency would not only result in an excellent research topic, but also serve as an excellent internship site. 

I plan to use this blog as a sort of internship diary.  In other blog entries, I will expound on the Communities In Schools model in action as I work within the model to create and improve programs and connections within the community to empower students in Henry County.   

Background Information on Communities in Schools

Communities In Schools (CIS) is the United States' largest dropout prevention organization. Communities In Schools (CIS) surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.  

Utilizing the CIS model, we assist selected communities and schools throughout Georgia to develop, implement and support locally-defined, comprehensive education programs.  The integrated student services model enables kids to graduate from high school and prepares them to succeed in college or a career.  Whether we are providing a student with eyeglasses so he/she can see the front of the class or matching a child with a mentor, all of our services meet one of our “five basics.”

CIS believe every child needs and deserves:

1. A one-on-one relationship with a caring adult (mentors, parental involvement programs)
2. A safe place to learn and grow (afterschool programs)
3. A healthy start and a healthy future (drug and alcohol education, physical and dental exams)
4. A marketable skill to use upon graduation (career counseling and employment skills)
5. A chance to give back to peers and community (community service opportunities)

For more information on CIS-Henry contact us at:
Communities in Schools - Henry
70 Macon Street
McDonough, GA 30253
Phone: 678 432 4499 
http://www.cis-henry.org/

Crystal Cohen is a Graduate student in Clayton State University's Master's of Psychology Program, Applied Developmental Track, with an expected graduation date in 2014.  Her role at Communities in School-Henry includes program development and evaluation, as well as dissemination of information via social media platforms of evidence based practices that promote student achievement.