Evaluation of a Mentoring Program for Elementary School Students at Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Background: For healthy development, children need positive relationships with adults. Due to changes in family systems and shifting social norms, many children may be receiving less parental support than in the past and may be discouraged from forming natural mentoring relationships with other adults. Mentoring programs are designed to facilitate appropriate, meaningful relationships between children and adults leading to positive outcomes such as improved social skills and self-esteem. Mentoring programs are being more widely implemented in schools, though additional evaluation of the effects of these programs is needed. Aims: The purpose of this article is to describe and evaluate a school-based mentoring program in which adult volunteers were paired with elementary school students at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. A secondary question addressed how the school-based mentoring program was perceived by those involved (e.g., students, mentors, teachers, and parents). Sample: Primary participants were 16 students and their adult mentors located in a suburban elementary school in the western United States. Method: Students were selected for the mentoring program using a school-wide screening for emotional and behavior disorders. Evaluation focused on what impact the school-based mentoring program had on ratings of students' social competence, antisocial behaviors, academics, and attendance. Results: Quantitative analysis of data, based on parent and teacher ratings, indicated improvements in students' social competence and decreases in antisocial behaviors, teachers also noted improvements in students' grades. Qualitative analysis revealed that parents, mentors, students, and teachers were all generally pleased with the mentoring experience. Conclusion: Results suggest that participation in the mentoring program was associated with improved social skills, decreased antisocial behaviors, and improved academic behaviors, though teachers noted more of these improvements than did parents. Steps for those wanting to initiate school-based mentoring programs are provided. (Contains 4 tables.)