1. Check & Connect

2. 2 LAURIEANN THORPE CHECK & CONNECT TRAINER 801 538-7506 laurieann.thorpe@schools.utah.gov

3. 3 THE CHECK & CONNECT MODEL

4. 4 Check & Connect Intervention Model Check & Connect is a structured mentoring intervention to promote student success and engagement at school and with learning through relationship building and systematic use of data. This photograph and the remaining stock photos were used with permission from Microsoft.

5. 5 Focus on School Completion Check & Connect emphasizes school completion rather than dropout prevention School completion = high school graduation with academic and social competence Merely keeping students in school until graduation is not sufficient

6. 6 Initial Development 1990: Awarded five-year development grant from the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education Collaborative effort between researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration (ICI) and professionals in Minneapolis Public Schools

7. 7 Research C&C has been implemented with K-12 students with and without disabilities in the U.S. and abroad, addressing: –Attendance/truancy –Behavior –Literacy –Student engagement Two randomized control trials, four replications Current: Four efficacy trials of C&C underway, all in large urban schools in the U.S. and Canada

8. 8 Findings Reduced absences Reduced tardiness to school/class Decreased dropout rates Reduced behavior referrals Increased credit accrual Increased persistence rates Increased graduation rates Perceived increase in parent participation (Sinclair et al., 1998; 2005)

9. 9 Recognition Check & Connect has met the evidence standards of the What Works Clearinghouse (2006): http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/ –The only dropout prevention intervention to show positive effects for staying in school

10. 10 Fit With Existing Initiatives Universal 80% Targeted 15% Intensive 5%

11. 11 The Check & Connect Team Model Student C&C Coordinator Administrative Team School StaffFamilyMentor Community Services

12. 12 Four Core Components and Essential Elements

13. 13 Foundational Theories

14. 14 CHECK & CONNECT IMPLEMENTATION IN UTAH

15. 15 UNDERSTANDING CHECK & CONNECT STUDENTS

16. 16 Disengaged Students Check & Connect targets marginalized, disengaged students in grades K-12

17. 17 Early Warning Signs Attendance –Absent 10% or more of school days Behavior –Two or more mild or more serious behavior infractions Course performance –An inability to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade; –A failure in English or math in 6th through 9th grades; –A GPA of less than 2.0; –Two or more failures in 9th grade; and –Failure to earn on-time promotion to 10th grade. (Balfanz, Bridgeland, Bruce, Fox, 2012) More information about EWS: http://www.betterhighschools.org/ews.asphttp://www.betterhighschools.org/ews.asp

18. 18 Focus on Alterable Variables Alterable variables: indicators of disengagement that are readily available to school personnel and can be altered through intervention. Alterable –Attendance –Attitude toward school –Extracurricular participation –Behavior –Homework –Grades, credit accrual Status –Age –Metro status and region –Disability –Socioeconomic status –Ethnicity –Gender –Family structure

19. 19 THE CHECK & CONNECT MENTOR

20. 20 Check & Connect Mentor “The single most important thing that children need to grow into healthy adults is the presence of one person who is irrationally attached to them.” (Darling, 2005, p. 185) The Check & Connect mentor can be that caring adult!

21. 21 Desirable Mentor Characteristics A personal belief: –That all students have abilities, strengths, can learn, can make progress, and can change their level of engagement at school and with learning –In the power and value of problem solving with students to develop personal competencies

22. 22 Desirable Mentor Characteristics (cont.) A willingness to: –Be a mentor (i.e., “wanting to rather than being obligated to”) –Persist with students despite their behavior and decision making –Cooperate and collaborate with families and school staff

23. 23 Long-Term Relationship Building James Andersen, 2014 National Mentoring Summit The first three to four months, I was thinking, “When are you going to leave?” The fifth and sixth months I’m thinking, “You’re showing pity, you pity me, you don’t care about me.” By the eighteenth month I’m like, “This person loves me, because I have nothing to offer and they are showing they are not trying to use me.” So stick in their lives through thick and thin.

24. 24 A Day in the Life of a Mentor Supplemental materials: –A Day in the Life of an Elementary School Mentor –A Day in the Life of a High School Mentor

25. 25 Check & Connect Resources Website and blog checkandconnect.umn.edu checkandconnect.umn.edu hs.utah.gov/education schools.utah.gov/yic/ Join the C&C community! –Sign up to join the Discussion list –Follow our blog & social media: Blog | Facebook | Twitter Blog Facebook Twitter –Coordinators -- join the Coordinators’ Community of Practice Contact us: checkandconnect@umn.edu | 866-434-0010 checkandconnect@umn.edu

26. 26 LAURIEANN THORPE CHECK & CONNECT TRAINER 801 538-7506 laurieann.Thorpe@schools.utah.gov