203 - Listening to the Voices of Teachers: Findings from an Integrated Student Support Intervention

Abstract Information: Integrated student support (ISS) interventions are an approach to addressing out-of-school factors so that students can thrive and learn. While a lot of evaluation efforts have been focused on assessing the impact of different ISS interventions on student outcomes, the impact on, and perceptions of, other key stakeholders (e.g., teachers) have not been extensively studied. In this study, we share some of the lessons learned from the voices of teachers working in high-poverty urban schools that are implementing an ISS intervention called City Connects. We draw on data from online feedback surveys administered to teachers in schools where the intervention was implemented from 2018-19 to 2021-22 school years. The sample included a total of 2,225 teacher responses received over the course of four years of implementation. Findings suggest that keeping teachers informed and engaged in the student support process is critical for teachers’ satisfaction with the student support intervention, and early career teachers may derive particular benefit from discussing students holistically with a student support professional. To continue building on the research-practice partnership, these findings were shared back with the team that supports implementation to discuss ways to use these areas as leverage points to further build on program fidelity.