Communities in Schools Program and Executive Directors' Support
The TXCC is working with the Texas Communities in Schools (CIS) State Coordinator at the Texas Education Agency to support the 26 CIS Executive Directors, building a community of practice to address identified needs and share best practices and experiences. The TXCC will also assist the coordinator in managing the statewide program by supporting the alignment, revision, adoption, and implementation of the Texas CIS Standards across all CIS sites in Texas.
Previous Work Updates
2016
July
No new update. Work has been on supporting the agency with the ongoing facilitation of the work group calls.
June
TXCC is working with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to revise and redesign the Communities in Schools (CIS) Policies, Standards, and Procedures manual that is used by the CIS of Texas network. TXCC continues to support TEA in CIS leadership meetings as well as CIS working team meetings by assisting in planning and preparation and by documenting and sharing key information and action items following each team meeting.
May
TEA and TXCC planned and facilitated a CIS data specialist meeting. In attendance were data specialists, program coordinators, and master trainers. The meeting focused on clarifying the intentions and processes of CISTMS (the database system), introducing a new data verification policy, and leading a “how-to” on data downloads using Microsoft Access. TXCC continues to support TEA in CIS leadership meetings as well as CIS working team meetings by assisting in planning and preparation and by documenting and sharing key information and action items following each team meeting.
April
Staff from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and TXCC facilitated the first biannual meeting of CIS Executive Directors and Program Coordinators for the year. The meeting focused on state rule revisions, changes in the national and statewide CIS policies and procedures, changes in the CIS database system, and what the CIS of Texas data tells us about the quality and quantity of case management services it takes to improve student outcomes.
March
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) and TXCC are continuing to plan for the April Communities in Schools (CIS) of Texas Affiliate meeting. Items discussed for the meeting include, but are not limited to, the sharing of best practices; the use of data to encourage affiliate practice reflection and inform changes to CIS policies and processes, and the incorporation of National CIS student and business standards into Texas standards and rule. TXCC continues to support TEA in CIS leadership meetings as well as CIS working team meetings by assisting in planning and preparation and by documenting and sharing key information and action items following each team meeting.
February
TEA and TXCC began planning for the April Communities in Schools (CIS) of Texas Affiliate meeting. The team outlined topics to be discussed as well as processes and activities to reach meeting and session objectives. TXCC is also working with TEA to use CIS statewide data to engage meeting participants in providing feedback that will inform revisions and improvements to CIS policies and processes. TXCC also developed a customized Excel project management tool that lists and categorizes \action items by CIS topic area data. to help TEA leads keep track of the many tasks for which they are responsible.TXCC continues to support TEA in CIS leadership meetings as well as CIS working teams meetings by assisting to plan and prepare and by documenting and sharing key information and action items following each team meeting.
January
To increase communication and maintain momentum of the Communities in Schools (CIS) working teams, the project planning team scheduled recurring meetings for each of the six teams. The Database Overhaul, Caseloads and Performance, and Training teams met this month. Each team identified areas of improvement that the state coordinator could make to increase effectiveness and efficiency of program operations. TXCC documented and shared key information and action items following each team meeting with the Texas Education Agency (TEA), which then disseminated the notes to the network of CIS of Texas Affiliates. TXCC continues to meet weekly with TEA to plan and prepare for the working team meetings and CIS leadership meetings, discuss upcoming projects as laid out by the CIS Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), and complete action steps that result from each team meeting. TXCC is beginning work with TEA to plan for the upcoming April CIS of Texas Affiliate meeting, which is one of two yearly in-person meetings.
2015
December
The first meeting of the CIS Training working group identified and documented important program, policy, and administrative issues faced by CIS affiliates across the state.. Facilitated by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and TXCC, this working group of CIS affiliates provided feedback on the sequence, types, and facilitation of trainings. TEA hired a new team member to oversee the Training working group as well as manage the CIS data system. TXCC also facilitated the development of several work breakdown structures (WBSs) to help organize the state coordinator’s role. These structures outline the major components and responsibilities of managing the CIS of Texas program. Of the major components identified, TXCC and TEA completed two WBSs, a Chapter 89 Rule Revision, and the 2016 CIS Grant Application. Once completed, the series of WBSs will serve as a current and historical document that outlines the process and timeframe for completing the major components of the CIS state coordinator role. TXCC continues to support TEA with monthly CIS of Texas executive director calls, documenting pertinent information and action items.
November
TXCC staff worked with the state Communities in Schools (CIS) lead at the Texas Education Agency to jump start the CIS of Texas project teams, with a focus on addressing identified programmatic and policy issues faced by CIS affiliates. Two off the five project teams, the Funding Formula team and Caseload Quality and Performance Measures team, met via webinar. TXCC documented relevant information to help the state consider revisions to commissioner’s rules guiding CIS of Texas programs. The TXCC also continued to create documents and processes to encourage feedback and consensus from CIS of Texas affiliates on the alignment and incorporation of National CIS student standards into the state CIS student standards. Additionally, TXCC continues to support TEA with monthly CIS of Texas executive director calls by documenting and disseminating important takeaways and action items.
October
The TXCC staff worked with Texas Communities in Schools State Coordinator to convene all Communities in Schools (CIS) Texas affiliates for a meeting at the National Dropout Prevention Network Conference in San Antonio, Texas on October 25-28. At this meeting, TXCC and TEA staff led CIS affiliates in examining statewide CIS data, providing recommendations for aligning CIS national standards to Texas standards, identifying tasks and directions for CIS Texas working groups, and gaining an understanding of the use and audit of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds for CIS purposes. TXCC staff are also accompanying TEA in one-on-one phone calls and meetings with each of the Texas affiliates, learning about each affiliate’s program structure, best practices, and areas of concern where the state coordinator can provide targeted support.
