Readiness Tool: A Guide for Exploring Check & Connect at Your Site

A small rural high school of 500 students on a reservation has collected data about their 9th-grade students on three risk indicators: attendance, behavior, and course performance. The staff is aware that 9th grade is a critical year for students to stay on track to graduate. The data shows that 150 students would be considered at-risk by state standards in two of the three risk areas. Since the staff is small, they all have multiple responsibilities, including coaching and other co-curricular activities. In addition, no staff members live on the reservation, with most living at least 25 miles from the school. The superintendent of the district, who is also the high school principal, attended a conference about C&C and is excited about the possibility of implementing the intervention. She received a one-time grant to provide initial training for the mentors and may require all staff members to be C&C mentors with a “caseload” of 5-7 students, in addition to their teaching and co-curricular activities.