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Dropout
Overview
Twelve Together is a one-year peer support and mentoring program for middle and early high school students that offers weekly after-school discussion groups led by trained volunteer adult facilitators. Each peer discussion group consists of about 12 participants, who are a mix of students at high risk of academic failure and others at lower academic risk. Group discussions are based on student interest, usually focusing on personal, family, and social issues. The program also offers homework assistance, trips to college campuses, and an annual weekend retreat.
Research
One study of Twelve Together met the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence standards with reservations. The study was a randomized controlled trial that included 219 eighth-grade students in nine middle schools in one California school district. 1
Effectiveness
Twelve Together was found to have potentially positive effects on staying in school and no discernible effects on progressing in school.
| Staying in school | Progressing in school | Completing school | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating of effectiveness | Potentially positive effects | No discernible effects | na |
| Improvement index2 | Average: +13 percentile points | Average: -6 percentile points | na |
| na = not applicable | |||
Absence of conflict of interest
The Twelve Together study summarized in this intervention report was prepared by staff of Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (MPR). Because the principal investigator for the WWC dropout prevention review is also an MPR staff member as well as the lead author of the Twelve Together study, the study was rated by staff members from Caliber, an ICF International Company, who also prepared the intervention report. The report was then reviewed by MPR staff members and by members of the WWC Technical Review Team and external peer reviewers.