I-CONNECT:
Self-Management and Mentoring to
Meet Special Needs in Inclusive Settings
Howard Wills & Ben Mason
Juniper Gardens Children’s Project
The University of Kansas
hpwills@ku.edu
Funded by OSEP
#H327A100082
THE NEED
OVER 50% of High School Students with
Emotional/Behavioral Disorders or
Learning Disabilities DROP OUT
For this group, necessary supports have to be in
place in order for them to graduate and move
on to postsecondary employment and
education
Necessary Supports
• Necessary supports include guidance and
assistance in:
1) Meeting minimum classroom expectations
2) Staying engaged in class
3) Problem-solving difficulties and setting goals
Meeting minimum expectations
“80% of life is showing up”
Woody Allen
We would also include showing up on time, and
with homework in hand. Missing homework is
one of the primary causes of failing grades
even when classroom content is mastered
A GOOD DAY TOWARDS
GRADUATION
Arriving On
Time
Completing
Homework
Assignments
Attendance
GRADUATION!
Staying engaged
• Engagement includes on-task (am I working?),
but also includes meeting behavioral
expectations (am I appropriate?),
metacognitive comprehension checks (do I
understand the task?), and self-directed calls
for assistance (do I need to ask a question?).
Without the second half, many students can
work very intensely and still fall behind
Problem-solving
• The role of a supportive adult as a critical
component of at-risk student success is well
established
• That adult can be a coach, a teacher, or a
school-based mentor that provides praise,
feedback and problem solves difficulties that
are going to happen
I-Connect includes all three in the
treatment package
1) Meeting minimum classroom expectations
(electronic check-in procedures addressing
timeliness, and homework)
2) Staying engaged in class (electronically cued
self-monitoring)
3) Problem-solving difficulties that arise (schoolbased mentoring once a week to praise and
problem solve)
OVERVIEW OF HOW IT WORKS
• Initial planning meeting in which the student
and school-based mentor meet and decide on
goals and which classes need monitoring
• Student monitors in class (student data is
automatically uploaded to the server)
• Student and Mentor meet weekly to review
and plan along with class data / problem solve
and set goals for the upcoming week
The monitoring process
• Uses cell phones or mobile devices that are
common to students
Students use mobile device to monitor
I-Connect
Start Screen
SELECT CLASS
Arriving ON TIME?
Monitoring Citizenship Goals
Device Flashes or Vibrates at Intervals
to PROMPT…
SAMPLE OUTCOMES
Student L
Baseline
Intervention
Baseline
Intervention
Percentage of Time On Task
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Sessions
Student B
Percentage of Time On Task
Intervention
Baseline
Intervention
Baseline
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
Sessions
17
19
21
23
25
27
Student C
Why Did You Graduate
I-Connect
Linking one successful day to another
Persistent Mentor
Self-management
www.iwillgraduate.org