High School Students as Mentors: Findings from the Big Brothers Big Sisters School-Based Mentoring Impact Study
Herrera, Carla; Kauh, Tina J.; Cooney, Siobhan M.; Grossman, Jean Baldwin; McMaken, Jennifer (2008). Public/Private Ventures. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED503112
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examining510Students, grades4-9
High School Students as Mentors: Findings from the Big Brothers Big Sisters School-Based Mentoring Impact Study
Review Details
Reviewed: March 2013
- Single Study Review (175 KB) (findings for Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS))
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Classroom Effort, Teacher Report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Youth Mentor Group |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
2.87 |
2.70 |
No |
-- | |
|
Number of assignments completed: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
3.07 |
2.87 |
No |
-- | |
|
Substance use: Child report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
0.20 |
0.13 |
No |
-- | |
|
Classroom Effort, Teacher Report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
2.90 |
2.76 |
No |
-- | |
|
Quality of Class Work: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
3.03 |
2.86 |
No |
-- | |
|
Misconduct outside of school: Child report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
0.95 |
0.91 |
No |
-- | |
|
Prosocial behavior: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
3.16 |
3.08 |
No |
-- | |
|
Substance abuse: Child report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
0.24 |
0.19 |
No |
-- | |
|
Social acceptance: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
2.67 |
2.57 |
No |
-- | |
|
Skipping school: Child report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Youth Mentor Group |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
0.12 |
0.08 |
No |
-- | |
|
College expectations, Child Report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
3.27 |
3.17 |
No |
-- | |
|
Absence without Excuse: Teacher Report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Youth Mentor Group |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
0.12 |
0.09 |
No |
-- | |
|
Assertiveness: Teacher Report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
3.34 |
3.26 |
No |
-- | |
|
Scholastic Efficacy: Child report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
2.76 |
2.72 |
No |
-- | |
|
School preparedness: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
3.49 |
3.41 |
No |
-- | |
|
Scholastic Efficacy: Child report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
2.77 |
2.72 |
No |
-- | |
|
Task orientation: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
2.93 |
2.87 |
No |
-- | |
|
School preparedness: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Youth Mentor Group |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
3.31 |
3.23 |
No |
-- | |
|
Academic Self-Esteem: Child Report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
3.22 |
3.18 |
No |
-- | |
|
Task orientation: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
3.10 |
3.06 |
No |
-- | |
|
Positive classroom affect, teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
3.15 |
3.11 |
No |
-- | |
|
Quality of Class Work: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
2.92 |
2.84 |
No |
-- | |
|
Academic Self-Esteem: Child Report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Youth Mentor Group |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
3.19 |
3.16 |
No |
-- | |
|
Number of assignments completed: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Youth Mentor Group |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
3.17 |
3.11 |
No |
-- | |
|
Task orientation: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Youth Mentor Group |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
2.99 |
2.94 |
No |
-- | |
|
Difficulty in Class: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
2.34 |
2.30 |
No |
-- | |
|
Number of assignments completed: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
2.99 |
2.95 |
No |
-- | |
|
School preparedness: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
3.28 |
3.29 |
No |
-- | |
|
Skipping school: Child report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
0.10 |
0.10 |
No |
-- | |
|
Absence without Excuse: Teacher Report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
0.11 |
0.11 |
No |
-- | |
|
Academic Self-Esteem: Child Report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
3.13 |
3.13 |
No |
-- | |
|
Misconduct outside of school: Child report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
0.90 |
0.91 |
No |
-- | |
|
Positive classroom affect, teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
3.19 |
3.21 |
No |
-- | |
|
Social acceptance: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
2.89 |
2.91 |
No |
-- | |
|
Prosocial behavior: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
3.08 |
3.10 |
No |
-- | |
|
Connectedness to School: Child report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
3.06 |
3.10 |
No |
-- | |
|
Engaging in serious school misconduct: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Youth Mentor Group |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
0.14 |
0.16 |
No |
-- | |
|
Classroom Effort, Teacher Report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
2.67 |
2.70 |
No |
-- | |
|
Connectedness to School: Child report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
3.01 |
3.05 |
No |
-- | |
|
College expectations, Child Report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Youth Mentor Group |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
3.29 |
3.35 |
No |
-- | |
|
Engaging in serious school misconduct: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
0.15 |
0.18 |
No |
-- | |
|
Assertiveness: Teacher Report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
3.39 |
3.47 |
No |
-- | |
|
Difficulty in Class: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Youth Mentor Group |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
2.23 |
2.31 |
No |
-- | |
|
Difficulty in Class: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
2.23 |
2.33 |
No |
-- | |
|
Engaging in serious school misconduct: Teacher report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
0.15 |
0.20 |
No |
-- | |
|
College expectations, Child Report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Youth Mentor Group;
|
3.30 |
3.40 |
No |
-- | |
|
Skipping school: Child report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
0.12 |
0.19 |
No |
-- | |
|
Absence without Excuse: Teacher Report |
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) vs. Unknown |
Posttest |
Adult Mentor Group;
|
0.12 |
0.20 |
No |
-- |
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Study sample characteristics were not reported.An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
An outcome is the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are attained as a result of an activity. An outcome measures is an instrument, device, or method that provides data on the outcome.
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The sample on which the analysis was conducted.
The group to which the intervention group is compared, which may include a different intervention, business as usual, or no services.
The timing of the post-intervention outcome measure.
The number of students included in the analysis.
The mean score of students in the intervention group.
The mean score of students in the comparison group.
The WWC considers a finding to be statistically significant if the likelihood that the finding is due to chance alone, rather than a real difference, is less than five percent.
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Study findings for this report.
Based on the direction, magnitude, and statistical significance of the findings within a domain, the WWC characterizes the findings from a study as one of the following: statistically significant positive effects, substantively important positive effects, indeterminate effects, substantively important negative effects, and statistically significant negative effects. For more, please see the WWC Handbook.
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Tier 2 Moderate indicates moderate evidence of effectiveness, and
Tier 3 Promising indicates promising evidence of effectiveness,
as defined in the
non-regulatory guidance for ESSA
and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).