Efficacy of the Check & Connect Dropout Prevention Program: Early Implementation and Impacts

• In Event: Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: Evaluating High School Support Structures and Instruction

Abstract

High school graduation rates remain unacceptably low, with troubling implications for future earnings and employment status. Check & Connect is an individualized program that pairs a trained mentor with participating students to closely monitor their attendance and progress in school, and match them with appropriate academic and other supports. Prior research has demonstrated a positive impact of the program on school persistence and progression among students in special education. This study uses a rigorous block-randomized trial design to test the efficacy of Check & Connect with general education students at heightened risk of dropping out of high school. This paper describes the design, methods, and findings after two years of implementation, and discusses implications for ongoing and future research.

Authors

• Laura Hawkinson, University of Pennsylvania

• Mindee M. Ocummings, American Institutes for Research

• Jessica Heppen, American Institutes for Research