History
Communities In Schools of the Lehigh Valley (CIS) was established in 1983 as a Pennsylvania not-for-profit corporation under the name “Cities In Schools of Bethlehem”. The original model was based upon a national program created to address the growing dropout crisis in the United States . Through the organization's affiliation with a national network of organizations dedicated to improving student success in school, Communities In Schools brought best practices in alternative education to local schools.In 1994 a partnership was formed with the Allentown School District. The first CIS Success Academy class was comprised of 25 ninth graders. The following year, a 10th grade classroom was added, doubling enrollment. In 1999, Communities In Schools expanded to Easton, opening a Success Academy at Shawnee Middle School serving 30 students in seventh and eighth grade. The same year, CIS began providing intensive case management for students who were enrolled at the Allentown School District’s Alternative Learning Center (ALC) at Harrison Morton Middle School.
Today, Communities In Schools supports twelve classrooms in Allentown and four classrooms in Easton. The Success Academy in Allentown has expanded to a four-year program, allowing CIS to continue serving 11th and 12th grade students. The ALC model has been replicated in all four middle schools in the Allentown School District and with Easton Area Middle School. During the 2003-2004 school year, CIS served more than 400 Lehigh Valley students in grades 6 through 12.
Communities In Schools of the Lehigh Valley is a state-licensed provider of alternative education programs, a member agency of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, and a member of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. Communities In Schools of the Lehigh Valley is an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and is approved as an Educational Improvement organization by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
Learn more about CISLV:
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY
P.O. Box 722, Allentown, Pa. 18105 * Tel: (610)
969-2697 * Fax: (610) 969-2699
E-mail CIS Lehigh Valley at:
info@cislv.org