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Impact Evaluation of the U. S. Department of Education's Student Mentoring Program
Contractors: Abt Associates; Branch Associates, Moore & Associates, Center for Resource Management (CRM)
Background/Research Questions
The U.S. Department of Education's Student Mentoring Program is intended to address the lack of supportive adults in the lives of students in grades four through eight at risk for academic failure and behavioral problems. The program provides funds to schools and to community- and faith-based organizations to create school-based mentoring programs. The program is authorized under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2002, Section 4130 and was funded at $47,264,000 in FY09. The evaluation of the program cost $5,600,000 over four years. The study addressed these questions:
- Does the program assist students in developing prosocial behaviors (e.g., personal responsibility; community involvement) and in decreasing high-risk and delinquent behaviors?
- Does the program assist students in developing stronger school engagement (e.g., increased attendance) and higher academic achievement?
Design:
The study included approximately 2,573 students from 32 mentoring grantees. The students were randomly assigned either to receive the student mentoring program or not. Outcome data collected after one school year were student self-reports and student school records. Program implementation was assessed through surveys of students, mentors, and grantees.
Cost/Duration: $5,600,000 over 4 years (March 2005–March 2009)
Current Status:
The report was released on February 25, 2009 (http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20094047/).
Key Findings:
- For the full sample of students, the program did not lead to statistically significant impacts on any of the targeted outcomes. Statistically significant subgroup findings included: increased self-reported scholastic efficacy and school bonding for girls, increased self-reported future orientation for boys, decreased truancy for students under age 12, and decreased self-reported prosocial behavior for boys.
- Approximately a third of the students in the control group received mentoring services from mentoring providers that were not part of the study. Eight-five percent of the mentored students in the treatment group reported meeting with their mentors at least twice a month compared to 66 percent of the mentored students in the control group.