Issue link: https://takingitglobal.uberflip.com/i/1542824
R. Adeboye, C. Flewelling,V. Ogbole, E. O'Sullivan 72 Medium-Term Outcome #3: Increased Student Retention There is mild evidence that Connected North contributes to increased student retention. In the 2024–25 teacher survey, 62% of respondents at least somewhat believed the program positively influences students' likelihood of staying in school and graduating. The fact that 36% indicated they were not sure highlights that many teachers did not feel that they could reliably attest that Connected North is affecting these outcomes. This sentiment was also evident in interviews: teachers rarely spoke directly to retention, but some described how Connected North may support it—either by helping make school more enjoyable or by contributing to broader, long-term improvements in student engagement and aspirations. For example, one teacher explained how they had been in their position for a long time and how, when they started more than 10 years ago, very few students were attending and completing high school, but that this had greatly improved. The teacher felt that Connected North was an important part of a suite of elements that led to this change, adding that "I think it's something that gives more than we know at the moment." Medium-Term Outcome #4: Improved Teacher Performance In an earlier section on the influence of Connected North on teacher confidence and sense of being supported, teachers described how the availability of expert Content Providers improved their well-being by making them feel like they were doing a good job for their students. That thread is continued in this section, where many interviewed teachers elaborated on the ways in which their performance was tangibly improved as a result of their participation in Connected North. Although there were references to professional development sessions aimed at teachers, comments also highlighted the benefits teachers reaped simply by observing the Content Providers, and learning the facts they shared and emulating the techniques they used. For example, one teacher described how they learned about math teaching techniques through Connected North: "…that opened my eyes on how to teach math in multiple ways…it was absolutely mind boggling and the different techniques that they showed me." Another teacher even described how, once they saw experiments done in "If you can do it in a sense that makes it enjoyable and not monotonous, they're going to stay in school, and I feel like Connected North helped me to do that." - Teacher Interviewee "It changed how I teach my students. I love how Connected North differentiates their programs and allows all students to learn and grow and I have tried to capture that similar essence with my students." -Teacher Survey Respondent Strong Positive Sentiment Low Volume of Relevant Evidence L L Evidence Base L Teacher Interviews Teacher Survey - Content Analysis