There are a lot of good things happening in public schools every day that never show up on a test score, a report card or an accountability rating.
They happen when someone notices a student needs a little extra help.
They happen when a student leaves school on Friday with food for the weekend. When a child gets the school supplies or hygiene products they need without having to ask in front of their classmates. When a student who is struggling with grades has another adult sit down with them and help make a plan.
Sometimes, it is even simpler than that.
Sometimes a student just needs an adult to notice them, ask how they are doing and really listen to the answer.
That is a big part of what Communities In Schools of East Texas brings to Carthage ISD.
The mission of Communities In Schools, or CIS, is to surround students with a community of support, help them stay in school and provide the resources they need to be successful in life. The program works by bringing schools, families, volunteers, businesses and social service organizations together around the needs of students.
That is one of the best things about public education.
Schools are at their best when they are not working alone. When good people throughout a community come together to help kids, the impact can go far beyond what happens during a class period.
Helping With What Gets in the Way
We talk a lot about grades, attendance, behavior and graduation when we talk about student success.
All of those things matter.
But anyone who has spent much time around students knows there is usually more to the story.
A student who is hungry is probably not giving their full attention to a math lesson. A child who is worried about clean clothes or basic hygiene may be more concerned about what other students think than what is happening in class. A student dealing with stress at home may need a little time and a trusted adult before they are ready to learn.
That is where CIS can step in.
Communities In Schools provides three levels of support. Tier I includes school-wide activities and services. Tier II focuses on students in group settings. Tier III provides more individualized services for students with specific needs.
That can mean academic support, supportive guidance, family engagement, college and career readiness, health and human services or enrichment opportunities. It can also mean tutoring, mentoring, behavior support, food, clothing, hygiene items, school supplies or helping a family connect with other community resources.
There is not one solution for every child.
The real work is figuring out what is getting in the way for that particular student and then finding a way to help.
A Familiar Face at Carthage Junior High
At Carthage Junior High, Leigh Ransom, LMSW, serves as the CIS site coordinator.
Her caseload includes approximately 85 at-risk seventh and eighth graders. Those students may need help with attendance, behavior, academics, social services or, in many cases, more than one of those areas.
But the work goes well beyond the students on an official caseload.
Each week, approximately 20 to 25 students at Carthage Junior High receive help through the clothing closet, food pantry, hygiene supplies or school supplies. Those resources are available to students throughout the campus when a need comes up.
Ransom also prepares food backpacks for around three to six students each week, depending on need. Students can receive snacks during the school day, and her room is available when a student needs somewhere quiet, somewhere safe or simply a place to sit down and get some schoolwork done.
None of those things may sound complicated.
But if you are the student who needs them, they are a pretty big deal.
A snack can help a student make it through the afternoon.
A backpack of food can make a weekend a little easier.
A quiet room and a familiar adult can sometimes be enough to turn around a tough day.
Another Person in Their Corner at Baker-Koonce
At Baker Koonce Intermediate, Sheria Brooks serves as the CIS site coordinator, and much of her work also starts with relationships.
Brooks helps with morning hallway duty, which gives her a chance to be one of the first people students see when they walk into school. She also spends time with students at lunch and uses those everyday opportunities to check in and get to know them.
Those little interactions matter.
It means there is one more adult in the building who knows a child's name.
One more person who might notice when something does not seem right.
One more person who can celebrate a good grade, encourage better choices or listen when a student needs to talk.
At Baker Koonce, CIS also helps with attendance rewards and positive behavior activities. Brooks leads lunch groups where students can check in, talk about their grades and set goals. The program also provides approximately 25 weekend snack bags each week for students who need additional food support.
Students receiving individualized services may also get one-on-one academic help, small-group testing support and assistance in the classroom.
Brooks works with teachers, too. Throughout the day, she checks to see where she can help in classrooms, assist students or support staff members.
That is another part of the story that sometimes gets overlooked.
Schools work because people help each other.
Keeping Students Connected
Attendance is one area where CIS puts that idea into action.
At Carthage Junior High, CIS has used informational mailouts to parents, school-wide attendance competitions and rewards each six weeks for perfect attendance. Ransom also makes weekly calls to parents when a student has been absent three or more times.
At Baker Koonce, students can also be recognized for being present and on time for six consecutive weeks.
Of course, the goal is not just to improve a number on an attendance report.
The real goal is to keep students connected to school.
Every day a student is at school is another day with teachers, friends, activities, lessons and adults who are there to help.
And sometimes improving attendance starts with finding out why a student is missing school in the first place.
That is where the relationship piece becomes so important.
Support That Goes Beyond Academics
CIS also gives students opportunities to work through some of the things that affect them outside of regular classroom instruction.
At Carthage Junior High, weekly lunch groups cover topics such as organization, grade checks, physical and mental health, stress, problem solving, absences, internet safety and relationship building.
At Baker Koonce, students can receive individual academic support, classroom help and testing assistance.
Sometimes that support keeps a small problem small.
A student catches up on an assignment before several missing assignments pile up.
Someone struggling with organization gets help making a plan.
A student who is overwhelmed gets a chance to talk.
A teacher gets another set of hands when a student needs some extra attention.
These are not flashy things.
They are just good people doing what they can to help kids succeed.
And a lot of times, that is what makes the difference.
The Community Is Part of the Story
The word community is not in the name Communities In Schools by accident.
One of the strengths of the program is its ability to connect students with people and organizations outside the school building.
At Carthage Junior High, outside partners have helped provide programs on disaster preparedness, hygiene, nutrition, child-abuse prevention and the arts. Organizations and community partners have included the American Red Cross, Wellness Pointe, AgriLife Extension, 4Kids4Families and Panola College. CIS has also presented programs on topics such as poverty awareness, Veterans Day, kindness and anti-bullying.
The community also helps provide many of the resources students use every week.
Food, clothing, school supplies, hygiene products and other items have been donated by individuals, families, CISD staff members, churches, businesses, organizations, friends and other community members.
During the holidays, that support has helped provide Thanksgiving blessing boxes and Christmas presents for students in need.
That is the kind of partnership that makes public schools special.
A need is noticed.
Someone is willing to help.
People work together.
A kid benefits.
It really can be that simple.
The Numbers Tell Part of the Story
There are numbers that help show the reach of CIS.
At Carthage Junior High, approximately 85 students are part of the CIS site coordinator's at-risk caseload. Around 20 to 25 students each week may receive food, clothing, school supplies or hygiene assistance, and approximately three to six students each week receive food backpacks based on their needs.
At Baker Koonce, approximately 25 weekend snack bags are provided each week, along with attendance programs, lunch groups, academic support and individual services.
CIS coordinators also keep records of the services provided and donations received, with that information reported regularly to program supervisors.
The program is focused on improving academic performance, attendance, social skills, self-esteem, health and nutrition, character and leadership skills, career readiness and graduation rates.
But numbers only tell part of the story.
The work can also be seen in a student who begins coming to school more consistently, a grade that starts moving in the right direction, a child who becomes more engaged or a student who develops the confidence to ask for help.
It can be seen in a family getting connected with resources when they need them.
And it can be seen in the relationships built between students and caring adults who make sure they know they are supported.
Good People Doing Good Things
At the end of the day, Communities In Schools is about people.
It is about students having another caring adult in their corner. It is about families knowing they are not alone when they need help. It is about teachers and staff having another partner on campus who is ready to step in and support a student. And it is about community members, churches, businesses and organizations choosing to invest in the young people of Carthage ISD.
That is one of the great strengths of public education. Schools are at their best when the community is part of the work.
Every food backpack, attendance check-in, lunch group, classroom visit, donation and conversation represents something bigger. It represents people working together to remove barriers and give students the best opportunity to be successful.
Not every impact can be captured in a number.
Sometimes success is a student coming to school more consistently. Sometimes it is a grade beginning to improve. Sometimes it is better behavior, stronger confidence or a student becoming more connected to school.
And sometimes success is simply a student knowing that someone noticed, someone cared and someone was willing to help.
Those moments matter.
Communities In Schools helps create more of them across Carthage ISD by connecting students and families with the people and resources around them.
It is a powerful example of what can happen when public schools and their communities work together with a shared purpose.
Good people. Strong partnerships. Positive impact.
And another example of the good things happening every day in Carthage ISD.