Camilla A. Lehr

Addressing Student Engagement and Truancy Prevention During the Elementary School Years: A Replication Study of the Check & Connect Model

Students who are at risk of dropping out of school can be identified retrospectively as early as third grade on the basis of attendance patterns, academic performance, and behavior. Check & Connect is a model designed to promote student engagement, support regular attendance, and improve the likelihood of school completion. The program has been used successfully with students attending middle school and high school, with and without disabilities, and in suburban and urban settings. An overview of Check & Connect, key components of the model, and an application of the model implemented with students who were referred for excessive attendance problems during elementary school years are described. Results from an evaluation of its effectiveness with students who received intervention for at least 2 years (n = 147) showed increased levels of student participation as evidenced by significant increases in the percentage of students whose absences or tardies dropped to or below 5% of the time. In addition, over 90% of the school staff (n = 123) perceived students were showing increased levels of engagement and 87% of school staff reported parents were more supportive of their childs education. Strengths and limitations of the study are discussed in light of rigorous criteria used to examine the effectiveness of social programs. In addition, directions for future research are proposed.

Facilitating Student Engagement: Lessons Learned from Check & Connect Longitudinal Studies

Lessons learned from years of applied research in the area of student engagement, dropout prevention and school completion are offered. This article begins with a summary of theoretical constructs that guided the development of Check & Connect and continues with descriptions of multiple applications of this targeted intervention. The roles of key personnel are identified and seven core elements of the model are highlighted including the importance of “persistence plus,” relationship building and individualized intervention. Considerations for effective implementation, derived from the experiences of longitudinal implementation studies, are discussed. These insights are offered for consideration to those who are in positions to influence the educational trajectory of youth for whom school completion is likely to be difficult.

Alternative Schools Serving Students With and Without Disabilities: What Are the Current Issues and Challenges?

Abstract The University of Minnesotas Alternative School Research Project, a directed research study funded by the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Special Education Programs, is in the process of conducting research on alternative schools across the country. Special emphasis is given to studying the extent to which and how students with disabilities are being served. Information in this article is a synthesis of data gathered during the 1 st year of this study and is drawn from interviews with state directors of special education, material on alternative education compiled from each state, and other relevant research and literature on alternative education. Critical issues and challenges for alternative educators and administrators are identified and discussed. Issues focus on governance and policies guiding the operation of alternative schools, the purpose of alternative schools, student needs and implications for service, staffing and instruction, maintaining high expectations and high standards, and measuring outcomes and effectiveness. The article contains a list of questions that can be used to help educators identify and address key issues in their alternative settings in order to promote successful school experiences for students with and without disabilities.

Charter Schools and Students with Disabilities Parent Perceptions of Reasons for Transfer and Satisfaction with Services

Currently, charter school laws exist in 30 states, and more than 1,000 charter schools are now in operation (Center for Education Reform, 1998). The rapid increase in the number of charter schools suggests that this educational reform may have the potential to become a major factor in the education of U.S. children. Charter schools are serving a variety of students, and recent studies at the national level show that a sizable proportion of students being served in charter schools have disabilities. Yet few studies address the provision of special education services and whether the needs of students with disabilities are being met. The Enrollment Options Project at the University of Minnesota has been examining the impact of Minnesotas charter schools on students with disabilities. Parents of students with and without disabilities enrolled in Minnesotas charter schools were surveyed to answer questions about their experiences with charter schools. Results from more than 600 respondents who completed the survey are presented in this article. Parents answered questions about reasons for charter school enrollment, perceived changes in their child as a result of attending the charter school, level of satisfaction, level of parent involvement, and special education service availability. In addition, written comments provided by parents are qualitatively analyzed. The article concludes with a discussion of information gathered from parents and implications for further study, examining special education delivery and outcomes for students with disabilities attending charter schools.

Assessment practices in model early childhood special education programs

Examination of assessment practices in 54 model programs for early education of handicapped children revealed extreme variability. Only 19 tests were used by at least five programs; only one device was used by over half of the responding programs. Most tests were listed as being used for more than one purpose, but some tests appeared to be used more exclusively than others for a particular purpose. Although the technical adequacy, in terms of norms, validit, and reliability, was reportedly an important factor influencing selection and continued use of tests, analysis of the 19 most commonly used devices revealed that only three were technically adequate. Other methods of assessment also were examined. Implications for model practice are discussed.

Supplemental Educational Services: Implications for Students With Disabilities

The Supplemental Educational Services (SES) provision of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 creates an opportunity for eligible students to receive free effective academic support services outside of the regular school day. The SES provision is relatively new and little information is currently known about the efficacy of such services. The authors conducted three substudies to determine the current nature and range of supplemental services being provided to students with disabilities. Overall, four themes emerged from the studies: (a) states are implementing SES similarly across the nation, (b) states are struggling with a variety of challenges to implement services, (c) students with disabilities typically are missing from current tracking procedures and service provision requirements, and (d) states are working hard to meet the new laws requirements. It is concluded that students with disabilities for the most part are out of sight and out of mind in current SES provision. Implications for research and practice are specified.

Exit Criteria in Early Childhood Programs for Handicapped Children

Information on the existence of written exit criteria, as well as descriptions of existing criteria, was obtained from 178 surveys completed by early childhood education programs for handicapped children across the United States. Approximately half of the programs had formal written exit criteria. The most commonly cited criterion was chronological age. Other factors, such as formal test results, team staffing decisions, and the childs developmental skill level, also played a role. Significant differences appeared between exit criteria listed by programs with formal written exit criteria and those of programs without. The basis for dismissing children from preschool special education programs varies widely across and within states.