The Effects of Mentoring on Student Outcomes

Historically, African Americans males have scored significantly lower than other subgroups on standardized assessments and in academic grades. In addition, African American males have also acquired more disciplinary infractions than all other subgroups. In general, statistics show that adolescent boys have lower achievement and more deviant behaviors than all other subgroups. Boys often struggle with the lack of motivation to excel in school and display appropriate character. This study compared the academic achievement and discipline of a group of boys participating in a mentoring group to a control group with no mentor over a four-month period. Resulting data was analyzed in three one-way ANOVAs to determine if there was a significant difference in outcomes between the mentor group and the group without a mentor. The study also sought to determine if the race of the mentor (same race vs cross race) had a significant difference in outcomes within the mentoring group. Findings of this study suggest that African American boys excel in academics and in behavior when mentored by an adult male figure. The race of the mentor yielded no significant difference in outcomes