Communities In Schools to Bring More Than 20 Affiliate Leaders to Capitol Hill to Champion Student Success

CONTACT: Whitney Faison, faisonw@cisnet.org, 315-420-6049 

Communities In Schools® (CIS®), the nation’s leading provider of K-12 school-based integrated student supports (ISS), will convene more than 20 affiliate leaders on Capitol Hill March 2–4 for its annual Capitol Hill Days. The delegation will meet directly with congressional representatives to advocate for integrated student supports—a proven, relationship-based approach to keeping students in school and on a path to economic opportunity. 

Policymakers, press, and education leaders are invited to attend a special briefing on Tuesday, March 3 at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center titled, “The CIS Effect: How Integrated Student Supports Create Economic Opportunity in America,” the briefing will feature the first-ever federal presentation of new research by Cornell economist Benjamin Goldman. The findings reframe integrated student supports as critical economic infrastructure—with measurable, long-term returns for students and taxpayers alike. 

Featured Speakers: 

• Bill Milliken, Founder and Vice Chair of Communities In Schools 
• Benjamin Goldman, Cornell Economist, presenting breakthrough economic mobility findings 
• Representatives from Communities In Schools of the Nation’s Capital and Central Texas 

The research, conducted in partnership with EdRedesign and Opportunity Insights using CIS data, is the first of its kind to track CIS students into adulthood and measure real economic outcomes.

Key findings include: 

• $75,000 increase in lifetime earnings per student 
• 9.1% increase in post-secondary enrollment 
• 96% graduation rate among case-managed students 
• $7,100 in federal tax revenue generated per student versus a $3,000 per student program cost—CIS more than pays for itself 

For decades, we have known that our work changes lives. Now we have the economic evidence to prove it. These findings show that investing in students isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s the smart thing to do for our economy and our country.

-Joaquin Tamayo, VP of Policy and MarCom, Communities In Schools National

Reaching over 2 million students across more than 3,500 schools in 29 states plus D.C., CIS empowers families and students to achieve economic mobility through a relationship-based model that connects students to the resources they need to succeed. CIS delivers measurable opportunity through: 

• School-based coordinators who build trusted relationships with at-risk students 
• Personalized connections to academic and community resources 
• Evidence-based practices that respect local control while ensuring accountability 

This is the second consecutive annual CIS Capitol Hill Days event, which builds upon Communities In Schools’ relationships with key policymakers in education. This week, CIS affiliate leaders and licensed partners will bring forth FY27 appropriations requests to ensure all students in Title-I schools have essential education funding and investments. With a 49-year bipartisan footprint across red and blue states, CIS is the leading youth-serving organization with first-of-its-kind research that not only validates integrated student supports as a key driver of student success but also a scalable model school districts can adopt so that every child can thrive in school and achieve in life.  

About Communities In Schools 

Communities In Schools® (CIS®) is proven to help students reach their full potential. For 49 years, CIS has supported millions of students in achieving their goals in school, succeeding in the workforce, and thriving in life. Working directly inside more than 3,500 schools across the country, CIS connects students to caring adults and community resources that help them see, confront, and overcome the barriers that stand between them and a brighter future. For more information, visit communitiesinschools.org.