Check and Connect

How to access this program?

Visit https://checkandconnect.umn.edu/training_consultation/default.html to view training options.

What is the program? 

At the core of Check & Connect is a trusting relationship between the student and a caring, trained mentor who both advocates for and challenges the student to keep education salient. Students are referred to Check & Connect when they show warning signs of disengaging from school, such as poor attendance, behavioral issues, and/or low grades. 

In Check & Connect, the “Check” component refers to the process where mentors systematically monitor student performance variables (e.g., absences, tardies, behavioral referrals, grades), while the “Connect” component refers to mentors providing personalized, timely interventions to help students solve problems, build skills, and enhance competence. Mentors work with caseloads of students and families for at least two years, functioning as liaisons between home and school and striving to build constructive family-school relationships. See more about the Components and Elements of Check & Connect. 

Who is the program for? 

Check & Connect is an intervention used with K-12 students who show warning signs of disengagement with school and who are at risk of dropping out. 

What outcomes does the program produce? 

• Improve attendance, persistence in school, credits accrued, and school completion 
• Improve academic achievement  
• Improve relationships, problem-solving ad capacity building 

What is the evidence? 

Sinclair, M. F., Christenson, S. L., & Thurlow, M. L. (2005). Promoting school completion of urban secondary youth with emotional or behavioral disabilities. Exceptional Children, 71(4), 465–482. 

175 9th grade students with emotional/behavioral disabilities were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups (11 did not participate due to mobility or other factors) and received the intervention for 4-5 years. Check & Connect treatment students were less likely to drop out of school than students in the control group at the end of 4 years (39% vs. 58%) and at the end of 5 years for a subsample of students (42% vs. 94%). The effect size for treatment and control student differences for a 5-year graduation rate was significant and moderate. Students in the treatment group were more likely than those in the control group to be enrolled in an educational program (e.g., alternative, GED), to access relevant educational services (e.g., alternative programs), to be involved in their IEP transition planning, and to demonstrate persistent attendance. 

Lehr, C. A., Sinclair, M. F., & Christenson, S. L. (2004). Addressing student engagement and truancy prevention during the elementary years: A replication study of the Check & Connect model. Journal of Education for Students Placed At Risk, 9(3), 279–301. 

In a pre-post intervention design and replication study, 147 elementary students who were absent or tardy to school 12% or more of the time received Check & Connect for 2 years. At the end of 2 years, about 40% of Check & Connect students were engaged and regularly attending school (the equivalent of 0-1 day absent per month), an improvement of 135% over baseline behavior. Incidence of tardiness to school declined. About 86% of Check & Connect students were engaged and arriving to school on time (the equivalent of 0-1 day tardy per month), an improvement of 104% over baseline behavior. 

Sinclair, M. F., Christenson, S. L., Evelo, D. L., & Hurley, C. M. (1998). Dropout prevention for youth with disabilities: Efficacy of a sustained school engagement procedure. Exceptional Children, 65(1), 7–21. 

94 students in special education who had received Check & Connect for 2 years in middle school were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups upon entrance to 9th grade. By the end of 9th grade, treatment group students were significantly more likely than control group students to be enrolled in school (91% vs. 70%), to have persisted in school with no periods of 15-day absences (85% vs. 64%), and to be on track to graduate within five years. 

How is the program implemented? 

Check & Connect can be implemented as a school-based program with K-12 students in general education and/or special education, or as a community-based program serving such groups as youth with truancy issues, youth in the juvenile justice system, or youth in foster care (see Adaptations for Other Contexts). Check & Connect can be implemented at various levels, including school-wide, district-wide, or even state-wide (see Statewide Implementation Sites). 

Who can implement the program? 

Many different people can be Check & Connect mentors (i.e. teachers, administrators, school counselors, social workers, or school psychologist). The National Office at the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) offers training and technical assistance packages to support sites considering or already implementing Check & Connect™. The University of Minnesota is the sole source provider of Check & Connect resources and training, including their Train-the-Trainer model. ICI employs a cadre of Check & Connect National Trainers who provide training and technical assistance for schools and organizations across the U.S. and around the world. 

What are the costs and commitments associated with becoming trained in this program? 

Please contact the program for the most recent costs and commitments, as these may change. 

All trainings are offered online, and variety of training options are available. 

Preparation and Implementation training: Check & Connect’s Preparation & Implementation Training provides administrators and leadership teams with a thorough overview of the intervention and how to prepare their site for implementing with fidelity. The cost is $295 for the self-paced online course. 

Mentor Training: Check & Connect Mentor Training is an in-depth, competency-based training designed to provide Check & Connect mentors with the information, competencies, and skills needed to be an effective Check & Connect mentor at their local site. The cost is $325 for the self-paced online course and $225 for groups of 5+. 

Fidelity of Implementation: C&C Fidelity of Implementation Custom Workshop is designed for sites who are already implementing C&C to review their implementation practices, evaluate their fidelity to the model, revise current strategies, and plan for future implementation. Administrators, coordinators, and mentors will benefit from reflection, evaluation, and alignment with implementation science practices to enhance their current C&C program. 

What resources are useful for understanding or implementing the program? 

• Learn more here: http://checkandconnect.umn.edu/model/default.html 
• Learn more about the Check and Connect data tracking tool here: https://connect.cehd.umn.edu/check-connect-goes-digital/ 

Rating: Supported 

Secondary components: Positive Youth Development, Grief Informed and Trauma Informed Practices, Positive, Safe, and Supportive School Climates