- Evaluation Studies Underway
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Teacher Quality
- Choice
- English Language Learning
- Effectiveness of Educational Technology Interventions
- Supplemental Educational Services
- After-School Programs
- School-Based Violence Prevention Program
- Adult Education
- Student Mentoring Program
- Random Mandatory Drug Testing Study
- Career and Technical Education (CTE)
- Upward Bound Program
- Comprehensive Technical Assistance Centers
- Magnet School Assistance Program
- Technical Assistance
- Special Education
Impact Evaluation of the U. S. Department of Education's Student Mentoring Program
Contractors: Abt Associates; Branch Associates, Moore & Associates, and Center for Resource Management (CRM)
Key Staff:
Larry Bernstein (Abt)
Alvia Branch (Branch)
Jack Moore (Moore)
Kenneth Godin (CRM)
Research Questions:
- Do students in the mentoring program have lower levels of high-risk and delinquent behaviors and higher levels of pro-social behaviors and positive behaviors than students not in the mentoring program?
- Is school involvement of the students in the mentoring program greater than that of the students not in the mentoring program?
- Do students in the mentoring program have better relationships with adults in their lives than students not in the mentoring program?
Design: The U.S. Department of Education's Student Mentoring Program is designed to assist local educational agencies and community-based organizations to promote mentoring programs for children with greatest need in the 4th through 8th grades. There have been several randomized-control studies of specific mentoring programs (e.g., Big Brothers/Big Sisters) indicating some positive effects, but the impact of the Department's Student Mentoring Program has not been evaluated.
The impact study of the Student Mentoring Program will use a sample of approximately 2,400 students from 32 student mentoring grantees and randomly assign these students either to participate in the program or to be in a control group. The study sample is comprised of two cohorts: i) students referred to the program for mentoring in the 2005-06 school year, and ii) students referred to the program for mentoring 2006-07. Data for the impact evaluation will be collected through student self-reports and abstraction of student school records. Data to assess implementation of the mentoring program will be collected through surveys of students, mentors, and grantees.
Duration: 3 1/2 years (March 2005 - October 2008)
Reports: The final report on this study will be announced on http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/.
Current Status: (December 2007) Analyses and report preparation on the first-year impact and implementation findings of the study are underway.
