Child Trends report on “Integrated Student Supports” features City Connects

A new report issued today by Child Trends, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research center,  includes City Connects as an evidence-based example that  demonstrates how student support positively impacts children. The report, “Assessing the Evidence for Integrated Student Services,” examines the definition of integrated student supports and its effectiveness at improving educational outcomes. City Connects was one of three student support organizations–along with Communities in Schools and the Comer School Development Program (Comer SDP), whose evidence was examined.

Child Trend defines “integrated student supports” (ISS) as a school-based approach to promoting students’ academic success by developing or securing and coordinating supports that target academic and non-academic barriers to achievement. This is closely aligned with City Connects’ mission to have every child engage and learn in school by connecting each student with the tailored set of intervention, prevention, and enrichment services he or she needs to thrive.  Child Trends identified five common components to improve academic achievement found across many, if not all, of the ISS models that have emerged in recent years–all of which are incorporated into City Connects’ system of student support:

City Connects’ executive director Mary Walsh will be participating in a free Child Trends webinar on the report, “Making the Grade: Assessing the Evidence for Integrated Student Services,” on Thursday, March 6. Register now to hear from Mary Walsh, as well as representatives from Child Trends, Communities in Schools, and the National Center for Community Schools at the Children’s Aid Society.

For more information:

• Read the Child Trends White Paper, “Integrated Student Supports: A Summary of the Evidence Base for Policymakers,” or the full report, “Making the Grade: Assessing the Evidence for Integrated Student Supports“
• Read the Education Week “Inside School Research” blog post about the report, “Research Review Gives Thumbs Up to Community Schools Approach“
• Read Community in Schools’ president Dan Cardinali’s article on the HuffPost Education, “The Experts Have Spoken: Integrated Student Supports Improve Educational Outcomes“
• On Twitter, follow Child Trends @ChildTrends, Communities in Schools @CISNational, and the National Center for Community Schools @NatCenterforCS