The effectiveness of the Check and Connect dropout prevention program was examined, over the course of 2 ½ years, with 54 middle school students from diverse backgrounds experiencing one or more conditions of risk for dropout. Participants were randomly assigned to receive the Check and Connect intervention or business as usual (i.e., control) in sixth grade. Students in the treatment group had significantly better eighth grade attendance than the control. There were no significant differences between the two groups in eighth grade cumulative grade point average or office disciplinary referrals. An in-depth analysis of the quality and quantity of the intervention delivered to the students in the treatment group identified conditions that were associated with higher treatment integrity and better student outcomes.

We assessed the pattern of levo-thyroxine (l-thyroxine) therapy in very premature newborns over a 10-year period. We analyzed the electronic database of a large private neonatal practice group (Pediatrix, Ft. Lauderdale, FL) for 23- to 32-week gestation neonates ( N = 96,813) managed during 1997 to 2006. L-thyroxine use was analyzed by birth year and by gestational age (GA). L-thyroxine use increased with decreasing GA (nadir 0.3% at 32 weeks, peak 8.4% at 24 weeks). L-thyroxine supplementation increased 2.6-fold over time among infants ≤26 weeks' GA (3.4% in 1997 to 1999 to 8.7% in 2004 to 2006), but did not change among infants born at ≥29 weeks' GA. The highest rate of l-thyroxine supplementation (12.8%) occurred among 24-week GA infants in 2006. Median age at start of l-thyroxine was 23 days (25 to 75%, 15 to 38 days). Only 2% of treated infants were started on day of life 1. Despite no clear evidence from randomized trials supporting thyroid supplementation, l-thyroxine treatment of very preterm infants has significantly increased over the past decade. As l-thyroxine treatment was not consistent with protocols from published randomized trials, new focused randomized controlled trials are needed.