Communities in Schools of Durham Success Goals
2012 Total Operating Budget: $300,000
Communities in Schools of Durham In A Nutshell
What
The mission of Communities In Schools of Durham is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.
Why
Communities in Schools of Durham is working to meet a need that is so prominent in the Durham community. CIS of Durham started seventeen years ago as community leaders became very concerned about Durham’s high dropout rate. When Bud Lavery became the Executive Director four years ago, he shifted a focus on implementing research-based programs because of his strong belief in implementing programs that do more than feel good but also show real-world outcomes.
Communities in Schools of Durham's Program
Since 1992, Communities In Schools (CIS) of Durham, part of the nation’s most effective dropout prevention organization, has been dedicated to surrounding Durham’s youth with a community of
support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. We believe in providing evidence-based programs that produce long-term results. CIS of Durham works in partnership with Durham
Public School inside of 19 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, 2 high schools and 1 non-traditional high school.What We Do
INCREASING THE GRADUATION RATE
Our full-time Graduation Coaches offer programming to students who are typically one to two years behind in course credits. Graduation Coaches customize programming and individualized counseling thereby creating the necessary support system for students to graduate with a diploma and to prepare them for life after high school. Students experience an intense focus on academic achievement. In addition, they are matched with tutors and mentors, exposed to career and college opportunities and prepared for post-secondary success. This program is in partnership with Durham Public Schools and takes place at the Durham Performance Learning Center, Hillside and Southern High Schools and Neal Middle School.
PREVENTING SUMMER READING SKILLS LOSS
Students from economically disadvantaged families lose an average of 2 months of reading achievement every summer, undermining the hard work of teachers. Over half of these children do not have books at home. READS, a federally funded research project in partnership with Harvard Graduate School of Education, investigates how to improve reading skills for rising fourth- graders. Children participate in special lessons at the end of the school year to increase reading comprehension and independent summer reading. Then, books are matched to each child’s reading level and interests and mailed home once a week during the summer. Nearly 14,000 books were mailed and given to children this summer.
STRENGTHENING FAMILIES
Parenting is immensely rewarding but can easily become frustrating and challenging, especially when children are difficult to manage. The Incredible Years Parent Training Series and Strengthening Families Program are based on the principle that if children receive attention for a particular behavior, whether good or bad, they’ll continue that behavior. Over the course of several weeks, parents practice positive behavior reinforcement, gain confidence in their parenting skills and find a valuable support system with other parents and their facilitators. These initiatives have won numerous awards as one of the most effective models at reducing juvenile delinquency and child abuse. Both programs are located inside neighborhood schools.
Communities in Schools of Durham's Team
Bud Lavery
Executive Director
Bud Lavery has been the Executive Director of Communities In Schools of Durham for the past four years. He is a graduate of Duke University (B.S. ‘86) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (M.S.W. ‘94), and has lived in Durham for over twenty-five years. His previous positions include work as a school social worker in an alternative high school, a teacher in both traditional and nontraditional schools, a program manager, a project director for a multi-million dollar middle school violence prevention research project, and as a teacher of mindfulness. One of his strongest professional passions is in implementing evidence-based programs that strengthen families and youth.
2010 Board of Directors
Erroll Reese, Board Chair
President/CEO, EWI Technologies
Jon Fjeld, Ph.D., Vice Chair
Professor, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
Karin Douglas, Board Secretary & Chair of Development Committee
Development & Alumni Relations, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
Aaron (Ronnie) Chatterji, Ph.D., Treasurer
Assistant Professor, Duke University
Fuqua School of Business
Susan Casey
Chief Operating Officer/Founder, Square 1 Bank
Gordon Caudle
Managing Director, Accelero Ventures
Arnold Dennis
Executive Director, Juvenile Justice Institute, NCCU
Terri Mozingo
Chief Academic Officer, Durham Public Schools
Thomas Parks
Regional Sales Manager, RBC Bank Plaza
James Speed
President and CEO, NC Mutual Life Insurance
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