CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State education leaders say a national certification West Virginia received last week will help boost efforts to get the Communities in Schools (CIS) initiative in all 55 counties by next year.
Cynthia Sorsaia, coordinator at the West Virginia Department of Education’s (WVDE) Office of Support and Well-being, said they still have two more counties to reach.
“We are in the process of working with Nicholas and Pleasants (counties), so I am so excited that the talks are in the works,” Sorsaia told MetroNews.
WVDE recently became the first state department of education to receive the national certification for CIS. The expansion of CIS across 53 counties and 260 schools has impacted over 100,000 students.
CIS is meant to help children nationwide achieve goals in school, in the workforce and in life.
“It’s a wonderful model that doesn’t come and tell anybody how to do things. It just provides that framework and I think that’s why it’s working,” Sorsaia said.
Communities are asked to identify their needs and then the state works to provide connection to state and federal resources.
“A lot of times that’s the bridge that empowers kids to really stay in school and achieve in life because sometimes the schools are not there. It’s those community resources that we’re able to connect students and families to that help bridge that gap,” Sorsaia said.
🎉This just in! 🎉
The West Virginia Department of Education is the first state education department to receive national certification as a licensed @CISNational (CIS®) partner! This program now serves 53 counties and 264 schools, impacting more than 100,000 students statewide!… pic.twitter.com/rG1lrc74r1— West Virginia Department of Education (@WVEducation) December 4, 2023
Students may need services for a variety of reasons, Sorsaia said.
“Maybe it’s an academic need that they need support. It might be a behavioral need, or an attendance need. They really work with the student to do a needs assessment. What’s going on that’s causing you trouble in school?” she said.
Sorsaia said the program has grown, in large part, to the commitment of First Lady Cathy Justice who started their CIS statewide initiative in Greenbrier and two other counties in 2018.
The CIS Friends with Paws program, which provides therapy dogs to schools within CIS counties, has helped students affected by poverty, substance misuse or other at-risk situations.
State Schools Superintendent Michele Blatt said in a statement last week the program is working.
“We know that teachers and schools cannot support children alone,” Blatt stated. “CIS is that critical ingredient that connects students and families to life-changing resources. With many of the pillars of stability removed from our communities, CIS site coordinators step in and fill a void with compassion, expertise and the ability to draw upon a network of support. As a result, children remain in school and thrive because there is a connected community that cares for them.”