Skip to content. Check and Connect - A model for promoting student's engagement in school.

Located at the Institute on Community Integration, a University Affiliated Program on Developmental Disabilities

College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota

Funded by the Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education

Program Impact

The following table outlines each Check & Connect longitudinal research study since 1992, including the research sample, setting, age/grade level, outcome indicators, and related products.

Original Pilot: Middle School and Transition to High School (1992-1995)

Sample

 Youth with learning and emotional/behavioral disabilities: treatment = 47, control = 47

Setting

 urban

Age/Grade Level

 grades 7-9

Selected Indicators of Impact

More treatment students with disabilities were in school at the end of 9th grade than similar students randomly assigned to the control group (91% vs. 68%)

More treatment students with disabilities were on track to graduate in 5 years at the end of 9th grade than similar students randomly assigned to the control group (68% vs. 29%)

Reference

 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.

School Success Truancy Intervention (1996-2002)

Sample

 Youth with and without disabilities: treatment = 493

Setting

 first-ring suburban

Age/Grade Level

 ages 11-17 years

Selected Indicators of Impact

Prior to referral, students were absent on average 22% of the time and 1 in 7 referrals was absent over 40% of the time.

The percentage of students absent more than 15% of the time was reduced from 45% at referral to 32% after 2 years of Check & Connect.

The percent of students present at least 95% of the time increased from 11% at time of referral to 34% after 2 years of Check & Connect.

Reference

 Sinclair, M. F., & Kaibel, C. (2002). Dakota County: Secondary Check & Connect program: Program evaluation final summary report. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration.

Persistence Plus (1996-2001)

Sample

 Youth with emotional/behavioral disabilities: treatment = 70, control = 79

Setting

 urban

Age/Grade Level

 grades 9-12+

Selected Indicators of Impact

Treatment students with emotional/behavioral disabilities were significantly less likely to drop out of school than similar students in the control group over the 4-5 year period (39% vs. 63%).

Treatment students with emotional and behavioral disabilities were more likely to be enrolled in an educational program or to have completed high school by the end of the study than similar students in the control group (54% vs. 34%). Twice as many youth in the treatment group who participated in the study for a fifth year went on to complete high school compared to similar students in the control group (18% vs. 6%).

Reference

 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.

Elementary Referral Truancy Prevention Pilot (1997-2001)

Sample

 Youth with and without disabilities and their families: treatment = 363

Setting

 first-ring suburban

Age/Grade Level

 referral at grades K-6, follow-along through secondary grades

Selected Indicators of Impact

The percentage of students present at least 95% of the time increased from 17% at referral to 40% after 2 years of Check & Connect.

The percent of students arriving to school on time (no tardies) increased from 42% at time of referral to 86% after 2 years of Check & Connect.

Reference

 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.

Project ELSE: Early Literacy School Engagement (2000-2004)

Sample

 Fifty-two kindergartners in six elementary schools were identified as at risk for learning to read; schools were randomly assigned to treatment and control.

Setting

 urban

Age/Grade Level

 kindergarteners and first graders; mean age of students at the beginning of the study was 5 years, 6 months

Selected Indicators of Impact

Statistically significant differences were obtained in early literacy (phonemic awareness, oral reading fluency) and engagement (attendance and tardies) for students who received Check & Connect with Early Literacy Support for two years when compared to students in the control group.

In addition, the treatment yielded meaningful changes in teachers' perceptions of children's behavior and academic competence.

Reference

O'Shaughnessy, T. E., Draper, K., Christenson, S. L., Miltich, A., Waldbart, A., & Gabriel, S. (2004). Preventive intervention for kindergarten children at risk for school failure: Efficacy of a sustained early literacy-school engagement procedure.

More information: Contact Tam O'Shaughnessy, Ph.D., at tosaugh@mail.sdsu.edu

Early Risers Check & Connect Project (2001-2003)

Sample

 Kindergartners and first graders who showed elevated signs of aggressive behavior: treatment = 60, comparison = 70

Setting

 urban

Age/Grade Level

 grades 1-3

Selected Indicators of Impact

Check & Connect students displayed significantly fewer problem behaviors than the comparison students over the two-year period of intervention.

Check & Connect students displayed a significantly higher level of phonological awareness than comparison students over the two-year period of intervention.

Reference

Picklo, D. M., Miller, N. A., Appleton, J. J., & Christenson, S. L. (2004, April). Effectiveness of the Early Risers Check & Connect program. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists, Dallas, TX.

More information: Contact Sandra Christenson (chris002@umn.edu)

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