Citation

Portwood SG, Ayers PM, Kinnison KE, Waris RG, Wise DL. J. Prim. Prev. 2005; 26(2): 129-145.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This evaluation explores the effectiveness of school-based mentoring as a universal prevention strategy. The impact of mentoring on students displaying risk factors is also addressed. The evaluation of YouthFriends, a school-based mentoring program, employed a pretest-posttest control group design. Students (n = 170) across five school districts provided data on eight dependent variables. At posttest, there was a statistically significant difference favoring YouthFriends over controls on sense of school membership. In addition, for students who had low scores at baseline, results indicated a statistically significant improvement unique to YouthFriends on community connectedness and goal-setting. Analyses of studentsí academic performance also indicated a positive effect for those YouthFriends who had low grades at baseline.
Editors' Strategic Implications: Important lessons are provided for school administrators and mentoring program staff and evaluators. As a universal prevention program, school-based mentoring may produce few (and small) short-term effects. A greater understanding of the effects of dosage and quality of the mentoring is needed as we seek to evaluate the efficacy of school-based mentoring across a variety of student risk levels. (Abstract Adapted from Source: Journal of Primary Prevention, 2005. Copyright © 2005 by Springer)

For more information on YouthFriends, see VioPro record number 385.

Mentoring Effectiveness
Prevention Program
Program Effectiveness
Program Evaluation
School Based
School Achievement
School Performance
At Risk Child
At Risk Youth
At Risk Juvenile
Late Childhood
Middle Childhood
Early Adolescence
Late Adolescence
School Performance
School Achievement
04-06