NCSE is an initiative
of the Partnership
for Families & Children.
www.pffac.org
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Check & Connect
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| Contacts (1): |
Add a new Contact to This Program |
| George Risberg |
risbegeo@rhinelander.k12.wi.us |
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Date Entered: |
10/14/2007 |
| City or Cities: |
Minneapolis |
State(s): |
MN |
| Website: |
www.ici.umn.edu/checkandconnect |
Year of Inception: |
1990
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Geographic Area Covered:
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Countywide |
| Host Agency Name: |
Minneapolis Public Schools |
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Host Agency Type:
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School
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Target Gender:
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Male, Female |
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Target Race/Ethnicity:
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African American, American Indian, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, White |
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Target Grade:
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Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade |
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Target Income:
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Low-income (less than $25, 000), Middle-income ($25, 000-$50, 000), Upper-income (more than $50, 000) |
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Target Language:
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English, Spanish, Asian Pacific languages, African languages, Eastern European languages |
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Target Family Focus:
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Student only, Parent/guardian only, Family-wide |
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Target Disciplinary Issues:
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Suspended youth, Expelled youth, Youth with juvenile justice involvement |
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Other Characteristics:
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Youth overage for grade, Youth of age for grade but below grade level, School-based truancy professionals, Law-enforcement truancy professionals, Court-based truancy professionals
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| Description: |
Check & Connect is based on building a relationship with each student. Trust & familiarity are developed over time through ongoing efforts like checking on students’ attendance & grades, regular feedback to students, communicating with families & schools & initiating efforts to keep the youth engaged in school. C & C monitors indicators of school engagement & early warning signs of school withdrawal, i.e. chronic absenteeism, course failure, behavior in school & in the community. C & C provides interventions directed at preventing students from dropping out. Focus is on individual needs & personal development of students, working across the spheres of home, family, community,& school.
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| How Program is Funded: |
Check & Connect was researched & developed by the University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration. Initial implementation took place in Minneapolis Public Schools (OSEP grant/Persistence Plus, 1990-2001) & in collaboration with Dakota County Human Services (1996-2002) servicing students in grades k-5 (Early Truancy Prevention) and truant youth ages 12-17 (School Success). Check & Connect is currently being implemented in eight Minneapolis High Schools funded by the Bush Foundation. |
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Evidence of Effectiveness:
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Internal evaluation in progress, Internal evaluation completed, External evaluation in progress, External evaluation completed, Preliminary results available (includes draft papers, powerpoint presentations, etc.), Final evaluation report available
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How do you know your program is effective: Check & Connect reduces truancy. In one study, by the end of ninth grade, 91 percent of Check & Connect students versus 70 percent of the control group had persisted in school. Of the Check & Connect group, 68 percent were on track to complete high school within ?ve years, versus 29 percent of the control group. Also, improved attendance rates for students in elementary schools have been demonstrated.
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What has not worked in the program any why: Funding is an ongoing issue as well as maintaing the integrity and program fidelity of Check & Connect in replications of the model.
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