Higher Academic Achievement

Stronger performance on report cards: City Connects students who had significantly lower report card scores in reading and math at the beginning of implementation outperformed comparison peers in reading and math in grades 3-5.

Stronger performance on statewide assessments: Students who experienced City Connects in elementary school significantly outperformed comparison peers on statewide assessments of English and mathematics in grades 6, 7, and 8. In a large-scale study, students who were randomly assigned to City Connects schools in kindergarten scored significantly higher than their peers randomly assigned to comparison schools on fifth-grade statewide ELA and mathematics assessments. These findings suggest that the City Connects model leads to improvements in academic performance for elementary school students.

Improved Attendance, Effort, and Engagement

Stronger academic effort and behavior: Students who were randomly assigned to City Connects schools in kindergarten were reported by teachers in elementary school to have better effort and behavior than their peers randomly assigned to comparison schools. These findings suggest that City Connects causes improvements in student behavior and effort in elementary school.

Fewer days absent from school: City Connects students were found to have a significantly lower total number of days absent than students from a comparison group beginning in grade 4 and continuing through grade 12.

Less likely to be chronically absent: Students who received City Connects during elementary school were significantly less likely to be chronically absent, meaning they missed 10 percent of school days or more, throughout middle school and high school than comparable students who never received City Connects.

Less likely to repeat a grade: City Connects students who were at the greatest educational risk demonstrated lower rates of retention (being held back in grade) than comparable students who never enrolled in City Connects.

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The Impacts

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Long-Term Outcomes

Lower drop-out rates: Students enrolled in a City Connects school from kindergarten through grade 5 were half as likely to drop out of high school than students who never experienced City Connects.

Postsecondary enrollment: Students who experienced City Connects in elementary school are more likely to enroll in postsecondary education after high school.

Postsecondary completion: Among students who enrolled in postsecondary education, students who received City Connects in elementary school had a significantly higher probability of completing postsecondary education than comparison peers, on average.

Conclusion

There is evidence that City Connects has a long-term, positive effect on students’ academic achievement and many indicators of thriving from elementary school through college.

The Underlying Research

Walsh, M. E., Madaus, G. F., Raczek, A. E., Dearing, E., Foley, C., An, C., John, S., & Beaton, A. (2014). A new model for student support in high-poverty urban elementary schools. American Educational Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831214541669.

City Connects (2022). The Impact of City Connects. Progress report 2022. Chestnut Hill, MA: Center for Thriving Children, Lynch School of Education, Boston College. https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/bc1/centers/city-connects/Publications/The%20Impact%20of%20City%20Connects-Progress%20Report%202022.pdf

Bowden, B., Muroga, A., Wang, A., Shand, R., & Levin, H. M. (2018). Examining Systems of Student Support.https://repository.upenn.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/4e6c5c7b-99a8-4baf-8bcc-50ffb31a4e53/content

Walsh, M. E., Madaus, G. F., Raczek, A. E., Dearing, E., Foley, C., An, C. Lee-St. John, T. & Beaton, A. (2014). A new model for student support in high-poverty urban elementary schools: effects on elementary and middle school academic outcomes. American Educational Research Journal, 51(4), 704-737. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831214541669

Moore, K. A., Lantos, H., Jones, R., Schindler, A., Belford, J., & Sacks, V. (2017). Making the grade: A progress report and next steps for Integrated Student Supports. Washington, D.C.: Child Trends. Retrieved from: https://www.childtrends.org/publications/making-grade-progress-report-next-steps-integrated-student-supports

Walsh, M.E., Lee-St. John, T., Raczek, A.E., Vuilleumier, C., Foley, C., & Theodorakakis, M. (2017). Reducing high school dropout through elementary school student support: An analysis including important student subgroups. [Policy brief]. Center for Thriving Children. www.bc.edu/content/dam/bc1/schools/lsoe/sites/coss/pdfs/Dropout%20Policy%20Brief%202017.pdf

Pollack, C., Lawson, J. L., Raczek, A. E., Dearing, E., Walsh, M. E., & Kaufman, G. (2020). Long-term effects of integrated student support: An evaluation of an elementary school intervention on postsecondary enrollment and completion. https://doi.org/10.35542/osf.io/byadw11 Ibid.

City Connects (2022). The impact of City Connects Progress report 2022. Chestnut Hill, MA: Center for Thriving Children, Lynch School of Education, Boston College. www.bc.edu/content/dam/cityconnects/Publications/CityConnects_ProgressReport_2014.pdf

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