Measurement Resources has selected Communities in Schools® of Pittsburgh-Allegheny County (CISPAC) as the recipient of its Data for Greater Good Giveaway 2023. Measurement Resources’ award of $5,000 in in-kind services will help CISPAC align its impact data collection efforts with the organization’s new five-year strategic plan, which is set to launch in 2024.
CISPAC’s mission is to ensure that all students living in Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties (Pennsylvania), have an equal opportunity to succeed in school and life. CISPAC’s evidence-based model connects students to caring adults and community resources, and fosters collaboration among parents, educators, community-based organizations, and school and district leaders. Communities in Schools® affiliates provide a caring community of support; build socio-emotional skills; and reengage students who are falling behind.
To combat student absenteeism and learning loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, CISPAC doubled its in-school staff in 2021. Then in 2022, building on the success of its 2021 reengagement initiatives, CISPAC expanded its service area to include three additional school districts in Westmoreland County. That same year, the U.S. Department of Education awarded CISPAC an $8.5 million investment over the next five years to expand its existing programs, services and partnerships, so that the organization can reach even more students and families. This award has prompted a second doubling of CISPAC’s staff to accommodate this growth, as well as the development of an accompanying five-year strategic plan.
CISPAC recently completed its five-year strategic planning process, and Measurement Resources is collaborating with the organization to develop its Impact Measurement Framework. With this framework, the organization will be better positioned to track its progress against its new strategic priorities.
This year marked Measurement Resources’ second ever Data for Greater Good Giveaway. The inaugural Giveaway took place in 2021, and Measurement Resources selected the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence (OAESV). Measurement Resources also helped OAESV develop its Impact Measurement Framework. In summer 2023, OAESV’s advocacy work resulted in the Ohio’s 135th General Assembly approving $30 million for rape crisis programs for fiscal year 2024–2025.
