It takes time: How brief mentoring relationships
impact academic performance

TAKE-HOME MESSAGE…


This study showed that a one-semester long school-based mentoring program that aimed to help students transition from elementary to middle school resulted in worse reading grades for students in their first semester of middle school, with neutral effects on other outcomes. The study also found that mentoring effects were more positive at an 8-week follow-up than a 3-week follow-up, perhaps showing that mentoring initially causes a disruption in students’ lives. This study is in line with prior research showing that brief mentoring relationships can be more harmful than helpful.


 This study reinforces the need for mentoring programs to have a method for reliably evaluating their program and their mentors, including through measuring practical outcomes for students such as grades and behavior problems, as well as measuring mentor competence. In addition, programs need to evaluate possible negative effects of the mentoring. Monitoring potential negative impacts may be especially important for school-based mentoring programs that typically involve brief mentoring relationships that are known to have drawbacks.

 

THE DETAILS…


What was the purpose of this study? 
To evaluate a single-semester school-based mentoring program, as a way to explore the value of brief school-based mentoring programs.


Who were the mentors?
Mentors were 60 college students who were participating in special programs at the local university, such as volunteer or honors student programs. Mentors were 90% White, 7% African American, and 3% other.


What type of mentoring was provided?
School-based individual


What did the researchers find?
Researchers randomly assigned 60 students in their first semester of middle school to a school-based mentoring program to ease their transition from elementary to middle school. Researchers found that random assignment to the mentoring program correlated with significant reductions in reading grades and no effects on other measures, including measures of connectedness to teachers and school. Researchers also found that the effects of the mentoring program on school connectedness were less negative as time went on (e.g. were less negative at 8 weeks than at 3 weeks).


 

Source: McQuillin, S., Smith, B., & Strait, G. (2011). Randomized evaluation of a single-semester transitional mentoring program for first-year middle school students: A cautionary result for brief, school-based mentoring programs. Journal of Community Psychology, 39, 7, 844–859. DOI: 10.1002/jcop.20475

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