Disparities between children from high- and low-income families begin early, with gaps in test scores and later differences in high school and college completion. Improving resources in high-poverty schools—such as better teachers, smaller classes, and expanded tutoring—can help, but many low-income students still struggle to fully engage due to higher absenteeism, logistical barriers, and unstable home environments.

A growing body of evidence suggests that pairing traditional school resources with personalized supports can help students overcome these challenges. These supports rely on a trusted adult who coordinates services, advocates for students, and tailors assistance to each child’s needs. Communities In Schools (CIS) is the largest provider of such integrated student supports in the United States, serving nearly 2 million students across more than 3,000 schools—making it almost three times the size of Head Start, despite being funded primarily by philanthropy and local partners rather than federal dollars.

Using federal tax records and Texas K–12 education data, where almost half of CIS schools operate, researchers evaluate how the program affects both short-term and long-term outcomes. The study focuses on middle schools that adopted CIS between 1998 and 2016, allowing for an analysis of its staggered rollout. We find that providing personalized, coordinated supports in high-poverty schools can improve outcomes for struggling students, both in the classroom and over the long run. CIS raises test scores, boosts high school graduation, and improves early-career earnings. These impacts are not driven by a single academic channel, but by improvements in both cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes.

This research was co-developed with support from the EdRedesign Lab (Harvard Graduate School of Education).

Photo courtesy of Communities in Schools.