Check & Connect Community Spotlight

Pennsylvania Counseling Services
York County and Lancaster County, PA  

What: York County, PA sought to have a provider come in and address truancy in its schools. They put out an RFP, and Pennsylvania Counseling Services (PCS) was awarded the contract to implement Check & Connect. Lancaster County followed suit one year later.

Where: Currently in two counties: York County and Lancaster County, PA. PCS is contracted through the school district or child welfare to provide Check & Connect.

Who:

• Students: 7th-9th graders in four York County schools and four Lancaster County schools. Check & Connect follows 9th graders for two years, so some 10th graders are being served. Referral criteria include having a certain number of unexcused absences (cutoff varies by county); failing two or more core classes triggers intensive interventions.
  
• Mentors: 7.5 FTE mentors altogether, all full-time mentors except one, who is the Check & Connect regional program manager for the other half of his appointment. Some mentors have a caseload of students from one school and some have a caseload made up of students from two schools. When mentors have two schools, they're either at the same location or in very close proximity.

When: The 2011-2012 school year marked the second year of implementation in three York County sites; a fourth was added in September 2011. Lancaster County started in December 2011.

Outcomes/Results: During the first year of implementation (2010-2011), an average of 83% of the students demonstrated a reduction in their unexcused absences. For the second year (2011-2012), 84.7% of students had reduced unexcused absences. For the third year (2012-2013), 89% of students had fewer unexcused absences.

Web-based monitoring software has been designed for mentors to input data wherever they are, thereby reducing paperwork time, increasing time spent with students, and providing efficient reporting and increased accountability to funding sources.

Funded by: Grant funding, and York County and Lancaster County, PA

Contact: Leah Hannah, Director of Strategic Development, Pennsylvania Counseling Services, lhannah@pacounseling.com, 717-272-5464 ext. 1134.

See also:

• In the News: County Helps School District of Lancaster Combat Truancy
• In the News: York County Program Against Student Truancy Expands

See more Check & Connect Community Spotlights

Posted July 12, 2012

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