Evaluation of the My Brother's Keeper Success Mentors and Student Support Initiative

• In Event: 79.026 - Student-Centered Approaches to Support Student Engagement and School Climate

Abstract

We used ethnographic methods to study the My Brother's Keeper (MBK) Success Mentors and Student Support Initiative’s effectiveness in combatting chronic absenteeism in a high-poverty Southwestern school district, asking: What do participants consider root causes of chronic absenteeism? How does MBK Success Mentors program enhance school culture? What is its impact on student success? In interviews, 12 mentors, 10 mentees, 3 principals, and 3 district officials identified causes of chronic absenteeism rooted in poverty, either directly or because immediate needs obscured awareness of the importance of attendance. The program improved attendance by fostering positive relationships, giving students an advocate, and deepening school understanding of issues facing students. Participants suggested improvements: more resources, an earlier start, and pairing around common interests.

Author

• Richard Lofton, Johns Hopkins University