Communities in Schools of Greenville: Integrated Student Support Services

The OnTrack Greenville Initiative is a collective impact dropout-prevention program for middle grade students. The United Way of Greenville County (UWGC) received a 2014 Social Innovation Fund (SIF) grant to support the implementation of OnTrack Greenville Initiative at four school sites between 2015 and 2018. At each of the four schools, Communities in Schools of Greenville (CIS) Student Support Specialists provided tiered, individualized support services to students such as one-on-one support, home visits, and more.

Study Goals:

This study advanced the evidence base of the CIS model by examining how the addition of grade-level Student Support Specialists influences program implementation and outcomes.

Research Questions:

The study included confirmatory, exploratory, and implementation questions. The research questions were:

• Confirmatory Questions:
  • Did students who participated in CIS demonstrate the following benefits compared to matched comparison students:
    • Improved attendance?
    • Fewer behavioral incidents?
    • Improved course performance?
• Exploratory Questions:
  • Did students who participated in CIS demonstrate the following benefits compared to matched comparison students:
    • Improved relationships with adults?
    • Improved educational self-perception?
    • Improved School engagement?
    • Improved attitude toward learning?
• Implementation Questions:
  • To what extent were the five CIS case management elements happening in the four schools? How did the five CIS case management element processes vary across Student Support Specialists and the four OnTrack Greenville schools?
  • What Tier II or III services did the 185 targeted students received? Were 185 students identified for Tier II and III services and what were their identified needs? To what extent did identified students remain active in the CIS case management process for the entire year and beyond?
  • What were the perceptions of the CIS school team, the CIS staff, teachers, and participating students about the value of CIS activities and how the program could be improved?

Findings:

The study found the following:

• Confirmatory Findings:
  • There were no significant differences in average daily attendance or chronic absenteeism between CIS students and matched comparison students.
  • Overall, CIS students had more behavioral incidences when compared to matched comparison students.
  • CIS students scored higher on the MAP math assessment in spring 2017 than matched comparison students.
• Exploratory Findings:
  • In academic year 2016-17, students who participated in CIS reported significantly stronger relationships with teachers compared to matched comparison students.
  • In academic year 2016-17, CIS students reported higher levels of school engagement and school belonging than matched comparison students.
• Implementation Findings:
  • For each case management element, the majority of Student Support Specialists indicated success.
  • Fewer than 185 students were served in both years of implementation.
  • CIS case-managed students, classroom teachers, and principals at the four sites generally had positive perceptions of CIS and the impact of the program.

For more information, download the full report and report brief.