Efficacy of the Check & Connect Mentoring Program for At-Risk General Education High School Students

Y

28

Institute of Education Sciences (ED)

R305A110252

At Risk Students; High School Students; Mentors; Urban Areas; School Districts; Program Descriptions; Intervention; Academic Persistence; School Holding Power; General Education; Attendance; Graduation; Student Behavior; Academic Achievement; Program Implementation; Fidelity; Dropouts; Prevention; Statistical Analysis; Randomized Controlled Trials; Grade 9; Student Surveys; Grade 8

10.1080/19345747.2017.1318990

Although graduation rates are rising, the high school dropout problem remains a national crisis, and evidence-based information about interventions for at-risk students is critically needed. Prior research shows that Check & Connect, an individualized mentoring program, has positive effects on school persistence and progression for students with disabilities. This study examined the efficacy of Check & Connect with general education students who showed early warning signs of risk for dropping out of high school in a large urban district. The sample included 553 students with the lowest predicted probabilities of on-time graduation based on attendance, behavior, and course performance in Grades 8 and 9. Students were randomly assigned to receive a Check & Connect mentor for three years, starting in the summer after Grade 9, or not. Findings suggest the program was implemented with fidelity, except with students who left district schools. Check & Connect did not have any statistically significant impacts on measures of engagement, academic progress, the likelihood of dropping out, or graduation. These results are discussed in the context of other literature on mentoring and dropout prevention. [This is the online version of an article published in "Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness" (ISSN 1934-5747). For the published version of this article, see EJ1170313.]

As Provided

Yes

2020

ED604474