CISNC First State Office to Achieve National Accreditation in the Country
December 12, 2011
Communities In Schools of North Carolina (CISNC), part of the nation’s leading dropout prevention network, is the first Communities In Schools (CIS) state office in the country to achieve National Accreditation by demonstrating compliance with all CIS Total Quality System (TQS) Standards.
The TQS standards define expectations for effective nonprofit business practices and for implementing the CIS model of integrated student support services at school sites. The site standards are based on a five-year, longitudinal national evaluation conducted by an independent, outside evaluator that documented the impact of the Communities In Schools model. The evaluation revealed that schools implementing the CIS model with high fidelity had higher graduation rates and lower dropout rates, and performed better than comparison schools in increasing the percentage of students meeting or exceeding math and reading proficiency in 4th and 8th grades, a crucial predictor of high school graduation.
“Becoming the first accredited state office in the country is no small feat,” said CISNC Board Chair John Idler, General Manager of WTVD – ABC 11. “Communities In Schools of North Carolina has done a remarkable job adopting and upholding the rigorous standards required of TQS. I am extremely proud of the state office team."
