Our program provides dropout prevention and intervention services at ten Chesterfield County Public Schools (CCPS) sites: four elementary schools (Bellwood, Chalkley, Ettrick, and Falling Creek), three middle schools (Falling Creek, Manchester and Salem Church) and three high schools (Carver College and Career Academy, LC Bird, and Meadowbrook). Currently, we serve over 10,000 students. CIS of Chesterfield uses an Integrated Student Support (ISS) services model to provide students and families with wrap-around services that promote academic success. ISS is a school-based approach that develops and coordinates supports that target academic and non-academic barriers to learning. These resources range from traditional tutoring and mentoring to provision of a broader set of supports, such as linking students to physical and mental health care and connecting families to parent education, family counseling, food banks, GED programs and other employment assistance programs. The services provided look unique in each school, as each school has unique challenges. However the common thread is our belief in the Five Basics. Developed by CIS’s founder, these are essentials that every child needs to succeed: 1) a one-on-one relationship with a caring adult; 2) a safe place to learn and grow; 3) a healthy start and healthy future; 4) a marketable skill to use upon graduation; 5) a chance to give back to peers and community. The services provided are therefore rooted in delivering on these Five Basics. Examples of the interventions and services aligned with some of the Five Basics include: matching mentors with students for one-on-one relationships; partnering with Conexus to get students eye-glasses for a healthy start; and career readiness programs that equip students with skills to use after graduation. The strength of the CIS model is a school-based CIS site coordinator and the community connections that are provided and supported by the CIS of Chesterfield Board of Directors. The CIS site coordinator works to understand the needs of the students, the teachers, school administrators and families of their school communities and identifies and/or creates partnerships and programs to address these obstacles to learning. The site coordinator is tasked with matching these resources and services to the students (and families) with the greatest needs. Our bottom line objective is to increase academic achievement and ultimately to increase the graduation rate of our most at-risk students. CIS partners with local businesses, civic groups, faith communities, public agencies, and community volunteers to create innovative resources and deliver quality programming for students and their families. CIS Five Basics: Every Child Needs and Deserves: 1. A One-on-One Relationship with a Caring Adult 2. A Safe Place to Learn and Grow 3. A Healthy Start and a Healthy Future 4. A Marketable Skill to Use Upon Graduation 5. A Chance to Give Back to Peers and Community
