Skip to content. Check and Connect

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

Check & Connect Training

Experienced Check & Connect staff provide training at your site or in Minneapolis, MN on the Check & Connect model and its implementation. This training provides participants with practical tools for helping students reconnect to school and get on track to graduation, and complements the Check & Connect manual, Check & Connect: A Comprehensive Student Engagement Intervention (2008).

Minneapolis Training

Download registration formJune 25-26, 2009

This training on the Check & Connect model provides participants with practical tools for helping students reconnect to school and get on track to graduation. Of 22 dropout prevention programs reviewed by the U.S. Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse, Check & Connect was the only program found to have strong evidence of positive effects for staying in school. Check & Connect is data-driven and grounded in research on resiliency and home-school collaboration. Participants in this training will learn —

  • Strategies for engaging students in school
  • How dropout risk factors may be altered
  • The difference between basic and intensive dropout prevention interventions
  • The essential skills of an effective Check & Connect Monitor/Mentor
  • How the Check & Connect Monitor/Mentor works with students, families, and school staff
  • Resources for supporting students with academic, social, and behavioral issues

While this training provides a solid introduction to the Check & Connect model, it is not meant to provide the intensive training necessary to implement Check & Connect in local districts. For an additional fee, an intensive on-site workshop provides a customized step-by-step training to prepare local staff to implement each component of Check & Connect.

Who Should Attend

The training is designed for school administrators, teachers, researchers, community professionals, and others interested in helping students remain engaged in school and on track to graduate.

Check & Connect Manual

Participants will also receive a print copy of the Check & Connect implementation manual, which covers how to engage both elementary and secondary students in school. The
manual includes the following sections —

  • What is Check & Connect?
  • Determine indicators of disengagement
  • Identifying students at risk for dropping out
  • “Check” procedures and monitoring sheet
  • “Connect” procedures and monitoring sheet
  • The role of the mentor and coordinator
  • Common implementation issues and considerations
  • Indicators of success

Logistics

Cost
Early Bird Registration: $545 per participant.
After May 30, 2009: $595 per participant.

The registration fee includes a copy of the Check & Connect implementation manual andcontinental breakfast and lunch for both days of the training. Participants are responsible for their own travel arrangements. The costs of travel, lodging, and additional meals are not covered by the registration fee. The registration deadline is June 17, 2009.

Registration
Download the registration form (PDF), print, complete, and send registration form by
June 17, 2009 with check or purchase order (payable to the University of Minnesota) to:

Check & Connect Training
University of Minnesota
Institute on Community Integration
6 Pattee Hall, 150 Pillsbury Drive SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Location
McNamara Alumni Center, University Gateway
University of Minnesota
200 Oak Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455

Lodging
Lodging is available for $85/night plus tax at the Days Hotel near the McNamara Alumni Center. Call 612-623-9303 and ask for the Check & Connect room block. Room reservation deadline is May 25, 2009.

Special Needs
Please indicate any special needs on your registration form, including dietary restrictions. Training materials are available in alternate formats upon request.

For More Information
Contact us at checkandconnect@umn.edu or toll-free at 866-434-0010.

On-Site Training

Check & Connect trainers conduct on-site training on the Check & Connect model, aligned to your needs, for teachers, administrators, counselors, parent liaisons, and others as invited (maximum 50 participants). Trainers can also be contracted to provide follow-up technical
assistance to training participants. Each participant receives a copy of the new Check & Connect manual.

For more information, please contact us at checkandconnect@umn.edu or toll-free at 866-434-0010.

 


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