The Effects of School-Based Mentoring on Student Achievement for Junior High School Students

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the ISAGE program, a school-based mentoring program designed to facilitate the achievement of junior high school students who were deemed ?at-risk.? Participants included a total of 72 junior high school students from two separate junior high schools, grades 7 and 8, in Utopia Independent School District, a suburban school district in the southwestern United States. The 72 students were either placed in a treatment group (n = 36) using non-random selection or on a waiting list (i.e., control group) (n = 36). The dependent variables in this study are: (a) attendance, (b) discipline referrals, (c) report card grade averages in core courses, (d) TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) Mathematics scale scores, and (e) TAKS Reading scale scores. Data analyses included the use of two-way mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical procedures. The dependent variable data of students in the treatment group was compared with that of students in the control group over a consecutive two school-year period.

Results of the study indicated that the ISAGE program showed significant effects in the number of student?s discipline referrals along with the TAKS Math scale scores. No significant differences were observed for mentees? report card grade averages in core classes, attendance, or TAKS Reading scale scores. These findings provide preliminary evidence that school-based mentoring programs, such as the ISAGE program, may have a positive impact on students who are placed ?at-risk.? The study concludes with implications and limitations of the study, along with recommendations for future research of school-based mentoring programs.