Practitioner Perspectives of Implementing Check & Connect

Abstract

While there is a growing reserve of evidence-based practices (EBPs) available to practitioners, much can be learned about how to implement EBPs in real-world settings. Evidence of the effects of a widely disseminated student engagement intervention, Check & Connect (C&C), is emerging yet little is known about the implementation of C&C in community-based settings. The purpose of the authors in this study was to examine practitioner attitudes and perspectives related to the C&C intervention and implementation to gain an understanding of core implementation components that facilitated or impeded implementation. A researcher-developed survey instrument was used to assess practitioner attitudes related to the C&C model and implementation among 14 school-based practitioners working in a dropout prevention program. Findings indicate that practitioners were highly positive about the C&C intervention and in their attitudes about implementing EBPs. Benefits of C&C identified by practitioners included increased relationship building with students, tracking students on a consistent and timely basis, and addressing attendance issues as a main focus of treatment. The most common implementation challenges were time constraints, paperwork, and targeting absentee students. These findings contribute to the emerging literature on C&C and the implementation of EBPs in schools and community-based settings.

Keywords::

• Evidence-based practice
• implementation
• dropout prevention

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the local Communities In Schools (CIS) affiliate for their commitment to building and using evidence to improve practice, the CIS site coordinators for their hard work throughout the implementation and data collection process, participating schools for their support and commitment to their students, and the students who participated in this study.

Additional information

Funding

The authors are grateful for support from the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at the University of Texas at Austin and the Institute of Educational Sciences (grant #R324B080008). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the supporting entities.