Madison Public Schools are hoping to improve student attendance and achievement through a $1 million research grant over three years while incorporating an inaugural learning cohort model from Communities In Schools (CIS).
Five other districts across the nation will join with MMSD in forming licensed cohorts to further the goal of the CIS initiative to continuously adapt in addressing non-academic challenges such as poverty, racism, and physical and mental health that students can experience.
The program hopes to address issues while enabling students to shift to a more rewarding school experience promoting economic mobility. The Integrated Student Supports model from the CIS initiative will be implemented in five Madison high schools in the first year.
“As we lean into a new school year, every single decision we make revolves around putting kids first,” MMSD Deputy Superintendent Dr. TJ McCray said in a release. “Providing students with the tools they need – and deserve – to be successful both in and outside the classroom is a responsibility we take seriously. With support from CIS, we are committing to our community that all students have the access and opportunities to thrive.”
Designated staff members at Memorial, West, East, La Follette, and Shabazz will use the 2023-2024 school year to provide the opportunity for over 20,000 Madison students to have an additional resource in addressing barriers to academic success. Issues such as student homelessness, poor attendance, and negative experiences had by marginalized students are all especially important with recent developments in Madison.
“Our approach is designed to ensure that every student across the network has the support of a site coordinator, committed to building relationships with students and their families and connecting them to the resources and supports they need to bridge from barrier to opportunity and help them achieve in life,” CIS President and CEO Rey Saldaña said in a release.
Other cohort members include the Santa Ana Unified School District in Santa Ana, CA.; Jackson Public Schools in Jackson, MS; Montgomery Public Schools in Montgomery, AL.; Little Rock School District in Little Rock, AR.; and Newark Board of Education in Newark, NJ. The Studio @ Blue Meridian has made these efforts possible through a $10 million investment.
