LAS VEGAS, NEV. – Communities In Schools of Nevada (CIS of Nevada), part of the nation’s leading evidence-based nonprofit dedicated to keeping kids in school, announces a 97 percent graduation rate for its case-managed students in the 2024-2025 school year. More than 800 case-managed students graduated or earned their GED, marking the largest graduating class and underscoring the profound impact of its model.
Celebrating the 20th anniversary, CIS of Nevada provided support to 98,219 students statewide, case-managing 8,360 students who received individualized, evidence-based wraparound interventions tailored to improve attendance, behavior, and course performance. CIS of Nevada also contributed over $4.8 million in essential items and resources to students and families statewide, including food, clothing, hygiene items, school supplies, vision, dental care, academic tutoring, transportation, mental health counseling, and more.
“This data from our twentieth anniversary reflects the power of being present, providing opportunities by ensuring every student is connected to a caring adult, bringing a community of support into their lives,” said Tami Hance-Lehr, CEO and State Director of Communities In Schools of Nevada. “Across Nevada, our students are demonstrating resilience, ambition and promise, and our Site Coordinators work tirelessly beside them, ensuring they have the right resources at the time they need it most. Our record-breaking graduation rate of 97 percent for two consecutive years shows that when we surround students with evidence-based, individualized support, their dream for success becomes a reality.”
During the 2024–2025 school year, CIS of Nevada provided 180,444 hours of academic assistance, life and social skills development, mental health supports, college and career preparation and attendance interventions to case-managed students. 28,806 hours were delivered through schoolwide initiatives aimed at strengthening school climate, improving attendance, and engagement.
CIS case-managed population of 8,360 students achieved strong outcomes across all goal areas:
- 76% improved or maintained course performance
- 69% improved or maintained attendance
- 76% improved or maintained behavior
CIS believes attendance is the foundation of economic opportunity. Chronic absenteeism costs communities $260,000 per dropout student in lost lifetime earnings. Of the 117 CIS partner schools, 90 schools chose to focus on improving attendance, and 72 percent of these schools achieved or made progress toward their schoolwide goal.
For the 801 students who graduated or received their GED, 51 percent plan to pursue college, 25 percent intend to enter the workforce, 6 percent plan to join the military or specialized training, and 14 percent plan to obtain a certification or apprenticeship program. This distribution reflects CIS’s commitment not only to graduation, but to preparing students for long-term success beyond high school.
New Harvard research tracking students for 20 years proves that site coordinators who address attendance barriers, don’t just show up for class, they transform long-term economic outcomes. For students who are struggling in high-poverty schools, exposure to personalized supports raises test scores, increases high school graduation rates by 3.4 percentage points (closing 13% of the achievement gap with their higher-performing peers), boosts two-year college attendance by 3 percentage points, and—most strikingly—raises adult earnings by $1,140 annually (4.3%).
CIS’ evidence-based model places full-time site coordinators in high-needs schools, supporting and serving students identified as vulnerable to drop-out, doing whatever it takes to keep them in school and on track to graduate. CIS currently serves 117 Title I and high-needs schools where a significant percentage of the student population experiences poverty and adverse childhood experiences. CIS serves nearly 100,000 students in grades K-12. Through CIS’ network of 120-plus agencies and nonprofit partners statewide, CIS brings “community into the schools” to provide mentorship, food, housing, medical, dental, mental health services, tutoring, and other services that help students overcome barriers to learning.
All data is authenticated through a rigorous verification process performed by the Communities In Schools National Office.
A link to the full report is available here.
About Communities In Schools of Nevada
CIS places full-time and professionally trained site coordinators in 117 Title I and high-needs schools across Nevada to support nearly 100,000 students in grades K-12 who face barriers to their success—increasing the likelihood of students staying in school and graduating on time. The organization taps into a statewide network of more than 120 community nonprofits, partners, and agencies, bringing the community into the school to get students whatever they need to overcome the barriers they face that prevent them from achieving academically. From eyeglasses, dental care, health care, and professional counseling to food, school supplies, clothing, and housing, CIS identifies student needs and finds a way to address them, closing the gaps they experience in their everyday lives. CIS’s long-term vision is for every child enrolled in a Title I or high-needs school to access a CIS site coordinator and their evidence-based model of integrated student support, otherwise known as wraparound services. The graduation rate for CIS case-managed high school seniors in Nevada for the 2024-2025 school year was 97 percent. For more information, visit http://www.cisnevada.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Contact: Cherryl Kaopua, Communities In Schools of Nevada, cherryl@twgpr.com, 702-408-8334
