Check and Connect

January 21-22, 2020          8:30-4:00

C'Mon Inn: 6139 E Valley Center Rd., Bozeman

Check & Connect is a comprehensive Tier 2 and/or 3 intervention designed to enhance student engagement at school and with learning for marginalized, disengaged students in grades K-12, through relationship building, problem solving and persistence. Signs of disengagement can include poor attendance, tardies, poor grades, non-involvement in class, extracurricular activities, etc. It is a research based intervention for dropout prevention.

This structured mentoring program where the adult mentor meets with the student weekly for about a half hour.  At this meeting, the mentor has brought gathered data (grades, attendance, tardies, office discipline referrals) and discusses them with the student.  The mentor teaches needed skills such as goal setting, problem solving, and/or organization, depending on the student’s need.  The idea is to build needed skills for the student to be successful in whatever they choose.  The mentor connects with family so they can also become engaged in the child’s learning. 

A goal of Check & Connect is to foster school completion with academic and social competence. It is comprised of four components: 

 1. A mentor who works with students and families for a minimum of two years; 

2. Regular checks, utilizing data schools already collect on students, school adjustment, behavior and educational progress;

3. Timely interventions, driven by data, to reestablish and maintain the student’s connection to school and learning and to enhance the student’s social and academic competencies; and

4. Engagement with families.

Benefits of Check & Connect:

• Improves attendance, behavior and grades
• Long-term mentor
• Weekly monitoring
• Relationship building through on-going connections
• Family engagement
• Problem-solving and capacity building