Brief Instrumental School-Based Mentoring: Effects on Academic Grades and Behavior of Low-Income Middle School Students

• In Event: 58.071 - Developing Successful Mentoring Programs for Academic Success

Abstract

The gap between children from low-income versus high-income families has been increasing, rather than decreasing, over the last decade. Despite the popularity and funding of mentoring as an intervention, reviews of the effectiveness of mentoring as a means to impact academic factors is mixed. This is largely due to the wide variation in mentoring practices and protocols. This pilot study investigates the impact of a brief, instrumental school-based mentoring program based on Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in a predominantly low-income, Hispanic middle school in south central United States. Results suggest preliminary evidence that this program has promising effects on the academic grades and behavior of low-income, Hispanic middle school students with high but subclinical behavioral problems.

Authors

• Rebecca Reese Johnson, University of Houston

• Jacqueline R. Anderson, University of Houston

• Sara Jolly Jones, University of Houston

• Samuel D. McQuillin