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Community Achievement Project in the Schools

In 2005, a startling 43.5% of New York City Public High School students graduated in four years. Issues such as poverty, homelessness, street violence and language barriers make it more challenging than ever for students to stay in school and get a high school diploma. Their hope of obtaining a higher education diminishes, as they attempt to enter the workforce unskilled and unprepared.

Program History

Recognizing that at-risk students in New York City public schools benefit from additional support services, United Way of New York City and the New York City Department of Education created the Community Achievement Project in the Schools (CAPS) in 1990 to provide attendance improvement and dropout prevention services.

Key Services Offered

CAPS takes a grassroots approach to serving at-risk students. The program engages neighborhood organizations in working with schools, parents and students to help youth succeed in school. The youth development specialists from community-based organizations around the city reflect the diverse communities in which they work. They work side-by-side with teachers and counselors from a strength-based perspective to provide holistic services to students who are on the verge of dropping out of school. The program provides:

• One-on-one and group counseling
• Family involvement activities
• Youth development and leadership opportunities
• Daily attendance monitoring and outreach
• Linking students and their families to additional support

In addition, United Way works with The After-School Corporation to provide after-school programming in 41 schools.

Program Goals

To deliver services that break down the barriers to learning and give students the opportunity to build relationships with responsible adults in a non-threatening environment.

Program Highlights

Since 1990, CAPS has provided services to more than 300,000 students and their families in more than 150 low-performing public schools. Examples of how the program delivered results in 2005-06 include:

• 11,213 students in 114 schools participated in CAPS programs.
• 5,607 families benefited from CAPS programs.
• Over half of participating students improved their attendance.
• Students with the greatest need for improved attendance made the greatest gains.
• 41.9% of CAPS high school students-those who were the most at risk of dropping out-increased their Average Daily Attendance (ADA) from 2004-05 to 2005-06, while only 28% of a comparison group not receiving services increased their ADA.
• 64 schools that have participated in CAPS are no longer eligible for funding due to their significantly increased attendance rates.
• $1 million of United Way funding leveraged $14.5 million in AIDP funding for the year.

Our Partners in the Community Achievement Project in the Schools  We rely on the expertise and support of many organizations to ensure the effectiveness of CAPS: Founding Partners The New York City Department of Education United Way of New York City Funding Partners The New York City Department of Education The New York City Council United Way donors Service Providers Through a combination of management support, program development, funding and technical assistance, we work with 60 community-based organizations in all five boroughs. These agencies reflect the diversity and culture of the neighborhoods in which the schools are located. In addition, 28 community organizations deliver after-school programming through our partnership with The After-School Corporation.

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