SISI - Standards and Indicators

Standard 1 - Academic Performance - Curriculum
1.1e The school curriculum provides specific links to continuing education, life, and career options.

Standard 3 - Academic Performance - Instruction
3.1b Instructional strategies and learning activities are aligned with the district, school, and state learning goals and assessment expectations for student learning.

Standard 4 - Learning Environment – School Culture
4.1h There is evidence that the teachers and staff care about students and inspire their best efforts.
4.1k The school/district provides support for the physical, cultural, socio-economic, and intellectual needs of all students, which reflects a commitment to equity and an appreciation of diversity.

Standard 5 - Learning Environment –Student, Family and Community Support
5.1a Families and the community are active partners in the educational process and work together with the school/district staff to promote programs and services for all students.
5.1d Students are provided with a variety of opportunities to receive additional assistance to support their learning, beyond the initial classroom instruction.

Standard 6 - Learning Environment- Professional Growth Development and Evaluation
6.1e Professional development is on-going and job-embedded.

Standard 7 - Efficiency –Leadership
7.1g Leadership plans and allocates resources, monitors progress, provides organizational infrastructure, and removes barriers in order to sustain continuous school improvement.
7.1h The school/district leadership provides the organizational policy and resource infrastructure necessary for the implementation and maintenance of a safe and effective learning environment.

Scenario

James was an 8th grade student at Eastchester Middle School who received special education assistance because of his math learning disability.He had always had difficulty in math and never enjoyed it. Although he knew he needed help, he avoided asking questions and resisted his teacher's assistance. He was embarassed by his weakness but had little motivation  to work on  it. Even when he put forth effort, he found himself struggling to understand  concepts and practice problems. The grading period ended with James receiving a failing grade due to incomplete assignments and low test scores. 

 

The following week James found himself standing in front of his teacher, as he  was asked to join the school mentoring program. His special education teacher had identified a local businessman who was willing to tutor a student in math. James' was considered a good match and the next day the two were introduced. The first few sessions were awkward and James put forth little effort. His mentor, Mr. Art, recognized that James was uncomfortable with the situation. As the owner of an electric appliance store, he began to wonder if there was some way to involve James in his work.  He began  by sharing a few stories about his store.

 

For the first time,  James seemed interested in the discussion. After talking with the  teacher, Mr. Art suggested that he and James meet after school in his store and see real math at work. Using the cash register, product manuals, parts catologue and othe business tools, Mr. Art illustrated how math could be applied to the real world.These were the same kind of math problems  which James  never understood in the classroom.

 

Although James continued to need assistance with homework, his attitude toward doing it changed gradually over the next few months.As he applied  skills in the business setting , his interest and motivation to learn improved. Eventually, James was employed in the stock room where he continued to work throughout the summer. The mentoring experience ended with James and Mr. Art  having positive attitudes. James felt he was  able to learn  new math skills and Mr. Art recognized the value of helping a struggling learner.

Introduction

What is mentoring and what makes a successful mentoring program ?

The answer may seem obvious at first:  providing more individual attention, more encouragement and support.   At a time when teachers are faced with over whelming demands and increasingly diverse student needs, this solution may seem unrealistic.  However,  as is illustrated in this scenario, Mr. Art  was able to  academically assist an individual student, without placing additional demands on the classroom teacher.

 

The strategy of mentoring has gained recognition over the last decade. Mentoring refers to pairing adult or older student volunteers with children or youth who are having social or academic difficulties, and are possible at risk of dropping out.Students having academic or social adjustment problems, e.g. failure in school, low self-esteem,and language differences are prime candidates for a mentoring experience.  Mentoring programs provide friends who are personally involved in student’s success and who can both encourage them to attend class and  complete school assignments.

 

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of school-based mentoring programs is that they can be modeled to fit the specific—and constantly changing—needs of individual students, communities, and schools. Whether students need tutoring assistance, help in making career choices, help in avoiding high risk behaviors, or help in dealing with cultural differences in a new school, mentoring is one way schools can utilize  community members as  partners in providing students with  more individual attention.

  

 

 

 

 

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Strategies

Strategies for Developing a Mentoring Program

The success of any mentoring program depends largely on planning and supervision of the program, administrative/teacher support, and appropriate matching of mentor and student.

 

Strategies for Successful Mentoring:

·        Make a list.
Preparing for your first meeting: Make a list of the things that you would have wanted to know if you would have been in the position of the person whom you are going to meet. The list might include information about you (the mentor) about the organization or position, about what it was like to be starting out, about what it was like in a new organization, or about expectations concerning the mentor-mentee relationship. Write these details down in note form and then send them to the person you will be mentoring.

·        Take the initiative.
Take the initiative to make the first call if the other person does not. Don’t shift your meeting date unless it’s an emergency.

·        Create an agenda.
Create an agenda and ask the mentee if he/she would like to add any more items to your agenda. Some of the typical items that would be listed in an agenda are:

1. getting to know each other
2. logistics
3. goals and expectations
4. concerns that might interfere with the meeting
5. initial impressions questions about each other (Call the person by the name they would like to be called.)
• Listen deeply and ask powerful questions.
  Not only should a mentor provide judgement but he should also listen to the other person. In-depth listening will create an accepting and supportive atmosphere. Try to ask questions that are challenging in a friendly way and those questions that help the student talk about what she wants and what is important to her.
• Plan for the next meeting.
  At the end of a meeting review the mutually developed agenda to determine your progress. Plan the agenda for the next meeting and find out if there have to be any improvements in your style of mentoring.
• Regular interaction with students.
  Mentors should have regular interaction with the student .This enables the mentor to adapt his/her mentoring approach to the strengths and needs of individual students. Effective mentoring focuses on guiding the students rather than managing them.
• Monitoring academic performance of the student.
  From time-to-time mentors should monitor their student’s academic record. This will enable them to know where the student has to improve and establish a mentoring plan accordingly.
• Maintain and respect privacy, honesty, and integrity.
  For the student to gain confidence and trust, maintaining privacy is a very important aspect.
• Be able to commit at least one school year to the relationship.

How often you meet with your mentee varies from program to program and pair to pair: once every week or biweekly is not uncommon. Typically mentoring classes take place either during or after school hours.

As you consider establishing mentoring programs, keep these general tips in mind:

• Be realistic. Mentoring does not solve personal problems. It is, however, an invaluable tool for helping young people find the best in themselves and live up to their potential.
• Use existing resources rather than going it alone. Help is just a telephone call or e-mail away. Mentor/The National Mentoring Partnership can help link you to the resources you need, and the staff there will be happy to provide the advice, support and encouragement you need to keep going.
• Follow your instincts. If you feel overwhelmed, you probably are. Scale back. Otherwise, you might be tempted to give up before you get your program off the ground.
• Mentors should be trained before they are recruited for the job in order for them to perform their duty efficiently.

Middle school is a critical period in girls' lives as they start to imagine their futures and begin to form opinions about their strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes. As we enter the 21st century, we must strengthen our students' preparation for entering fields in science and technology. We need to address the current gender gap in science and technology so that girls are well-prepared for opportunities in new fields such as computer science, biotechnology, and environmental science.

"Eyes to the Future" is a multi-age mentoring program that supports middle-school girls as they make the transition to high school and make informed choices about the opportunities available to them in high school and beyond. "Eyes to the Future" uses the Web to link middle-school girls with high-school girls in their school districts who have stayed interested in math and science and with women who use science, math, and technology in their careers. The mentoring relationships that result help middle-school girls see how their work at school relates to "real life" -- before they have chosen or ruled out possible futures for themselves.

“Eyes to the Future” helps middle school girls in:

• creating an online magazine to tell other middle-school girls about science and technology
• communicating with women role models in science and technology fields
• developing relationships with high-school girls who have stayed involved in math and science in high school
• engaging in enriched science activities

To maximize the probability of success, consider the following “best practices” identified by researchers and experienced staff involved in mentoring programs.

1. Give yourself ample time to organize and structure the program. It takes time to establish a group of committed, reliable mentors. (McPartland & Nettles, 1991)
2. Identify school needs and the program’s target students. Determine goals and objectives for the program.
3. Plan for the program to last at least one full school year. If possible, mentors should meet with the students they are helping for an hour or more each week. (Crockett & Smink, 1991)
4. Identify resources (staff, volunteers) and schedule periods of time for discussions, planning & procedures. Mentoring programs are more successful if the mentors have been carefully selected and have been involved in preparation sessions on mentoring techniques prior to meeting with students.
5.  Avoid making the student feel they are chosen because something is wrong with them or because they are a “problem” student (Crockett & Smink, 1991). Be creative in your approach and keep the program positive and rewarding for all involved. Example: Mentoring Programs in Extended School Services Program Scott County ESS Mentoring Program
6.  Inform parents of the mentoring program and the positive benefits it can provide their child. (Present this information in a way that will not cause the parent(s) to feel they are inadequate as a parent.)
7. Plan a way to positively reinforce ALL mentors. Ideas for reinforcement might include: certificates, T-shirts, pizza party, receptions, verbal & written praise/recognition. Communicate that serving as a mentor is a worthwhile and important activity and can make a difference for students struggling with success in school and in life.
8. Encourage mentors to relate to their mentees as a friend, not as a "teacher or preacher" (Grossman & Garry, 1997). The most successful mentoring relationships are those in which the mentor focuses primarily on developing trust and friendship with his or her mentee (Sipe, 1996).
9. Don’t underestimate the difficulty of building successful mentoring relationships. Inexperienced mentors may need a great deal of supervision and support (Freedman & Baker, 1995).
10. And finally, avoid creating extra work for teachers. Mentoring programs should not place an additional burden on teachers or other school staff (Crockett & Smink, 1991; Pringle et al., 1993).

 Recruiting Mentors

 

According to the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, procedures for recruiting mentors should include the following:

 

• Identify the qualities you are looking for in mentors and the expectations of the program, such as, how much time mentors need to commit to the program, what skills and/or experiences they need to possess. Mentors need to have positive “people skills” and dependability.
• Decide where you will look for mentors. Do you want to recruit mentors from within the school (teachers, administrators, older students), from the community (volunteers from local business, churches, community organizations, colleges, etc.), or from both the school & community.
• Solicit volunteers. Advertising on the radio and in newspapers, posting fliers around the community, and speaking to community groups are ways to attract volunteers.

 

Training Mentors (NREL)

 

Quality orientation and training for mentors is essential to the success of any mentoring/tutoring program (Grossman & Gary, 1997; Sipe, 1996)

 

• Establish mentoring program goals and objectives (NYSMP, 1991)
• Select strategies for developing effective mentoring relationships.
• Communicate methods of building trust with mentees (Smink, 1991)
• Discuss listening and communication skills, how to use corrective feedback and positive reinforcement.
• Present basic information on child and youth development, such as reasonable expectations of specific age groups, issues/challenges facing targeted age groups, different learning styles of students.
• Include cultural awareness and diversity training (National Mentoring Partnership (NMP, 1991).

 

Benefits due to Mentoring:

Benefits for students include:

• Improved academic performance (indicated by higher report card grades and standardized test scores) (Cragar, 1994; Pringle et al., 1993; Sipe, 1996)
• Increased attendance rates (Cragar, 1994; McPartland & Nettles, 1991; Sipe, 1996)
• Higher college enrollment rates and higher educational aspirations (Floyd, 1993)
• Better attitudes about school (Pringle et al., 1993)
• Enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence (Sipe, 1996)
• Improved behavior, both at home and at school, including fewer disciplinary referrals and less violent and disruptive behavior (Pringle et al., 1993; Sipe, 1996)
• Improved relationships with parents, teachers, and peers (Project PLUS, 1990; Sipe, 1996)
• Enhanced social, communication, relationship and decision making skills (Grossman & Garry, 1997)
• Heightened career awareness and ability to make vocational and educational choices
• Decreased likelihood of dropping out of school (Project PLUS, 1990); initiating drug and alcohol use (Sipe, 1996); or becoming a teen parent (Grossman & Garry, 1997)

Benefits for mentors include:

• Friendships with young people
• Connections with youth
• The satisfaction of having contributed to the community (Mosqueda & Palaich, 1990; Smink, 1990)
• Opportunities to enhance personal strengths and develop new skills (Smink, 1990)

Benefits for schools include:

• Lower dropout rates (Project PLUS, 1990)
• Opportunities to further develop partnerships with businesses and community organizations (Faddis et al., 1988; Smink, 1990)
• Improved image of the school in the community (Pringle et al., 1993)
• Increased community support—through mentors who often become school advocates, the community gains a better understanding of the challenges students, teachers, and schools face and becomes more aware of schools’ accomplishments and achievements (Pringle et al., 1993)

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Barriers

While mentoring has been shown to have numerous positive impacts for students, mentors, and schools, it is important to remember that mentoring is not a "fix-all" strategy. Mentoring alone cannot remedy all of the social and environmental factors which contribute to poor student attendance, performance, self-esteem, and behavior (Smink, 1990). In their two-year study of Project RAISE, a mentoring program for at-risk middle school students in Delaware, McPartland and Nettles (1991) found that while the effects of the mentoring program were "sizable, [they] were not sufficient to neutralize the academic risks with which students entered the program" (p. 568). Although middle school students who participated in Project RAISE improved attendance and report card grades in English, they remained below district averages in attendance, standardized test scores, grade retention rates, and nearly all academic areas. Researchers emphasize that mentoring programs targeting low-performing and at-risk students especially are most effective when offered in conjunction with other social and academic services geared toward improving student performance and addressing students’ individual needs (Mosqueda & Palaich, 1990).

Phillip Jones states “finding and making use of the right mentors is the most critical step you’ll ever take in your career” (1982:16). Finding a mentor appears to be a major problem for some people. There is often the impression that a mentoring relationship is unattainable because of a lack of mentors. The numbers of personnel in management positions, however, indicate that this is not the case. Some barriers reside within junior members. These can include lack of self-confidence; lack of knowledge on how to go about getting mentors; and resistance to initiating a relationship due to questions of appropriateness, fear of rejection from mentors, and fear of rejection by members of the organization, including the supervisor (Ragins & Cotton, 1991). Other barriers reside with potential mentors. These can include lack of time and energy, lack of information, and fear of organizational rejection (Ragins & Cotton, 1991; Searcy, et. al.,1995).

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Resources

1. National Dropout Prevention Center
http://www.dropoutprevention.org

This center functions as a clearinghouse and research center, providing technical assistance on issues related to school reform and dropout prevention. The National Dropout Prevention Network was created to provide linkages between educators, communities, researchers, parents, and the private sector.

2. National Mentoring Partnership
http://www.mentoring.org
You may reprint for personal use provided you list the sources. Public use requests to reproduce articles for commercial or public use must be made in writing to: community@mentoring.org. This organization (formerly known as The One to One Partnership, Inc.) is an advocate for the expansion of mentoring and a resource for mentors and mentoring initiatives nationwide. Its mission is to increase the availability of responsible personal and economic mentoring for America’s youth.

3. http://www.mentoring.org/common/effectivementoringpractices A “nuts and bolts” planning document of mentoring.

4.www.delawarementoring.orgDelaware Mentoring Council Resources for mentoring program. Discusses mentoring: how to start/run a program; how to find/become a mentor, and mentor training. 

5.www.youthstartswithyou.org
This training program teaches adult volunteers about mentoring troubled children in the elementary and middle school age range.

 

6. The ABC’s of Mentoring Kit
This is an excellent resource to introduce businesses and other potential partner organizations to mentoring. Information is included from experienced volunteer mentors that will help others develop and maintain a mentor program. This kit includes a general guide for building the program, including an introductory video, models of handouts to be used in the program, and even a sample logo. This kit provides an excellent overall framework for establishing a mentoring program. Should you want more information about the ABC’s of Mentoring Kit, call 800-272-8306.

7. The Mentoring Guidebook
This is one of the best resources in the field with proven results. Issues are addressed relating to designing, implementing, and coordinating a successful mentoring program. Use it to guide you throughout the entire process, from needs assessment and recruiting of both mentors and protégés to training and recognition. The Mentoring Guidebook is available from the National Dropout Prevention Center, 205 Martin Street, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0726, (864) 65-2599.

8. Elements of Effective Practice
This is an excellent resource produced by One to One/The National Mentoring Partnership. This nuts and bolts checklist for mentoring programs is a vital tool to use in reviewing the basic standard components of the program. Write or call: One to One/The National Mentoring Partnership, 2801 M Street MW, Washington, DC 20007, 202-3338-3844.

9. National Mentoring Technical Assistance Corps Directory 1997
Thisional network has identified some of the foremost experts in the field of mentoring, strategic planning, leadership development, community collaboration, and fundraising, to assist mentoring programs. The consultants listed in this directory can provide technical assistance in a variety of ways. One to One/The Mentoring Partnership has established a website on the World Wide Web. One can access the entire directory on this site: www.mentoring.org. This directory is found under Organizations, Resources, and Experts.

10.Northeast Regional Educational Laboratory http://www.nwrel.org/request/sept98/articles3.html
This article includes specific guidance for designing and implementing a mentoring program: What makes mentoring work, references, and guidebooks for developing mentoring programs & internet sites.

11. Peer Mentoring
www.nurel.org/mentoring/peer.html
This site provides research/reports, program guides, volunteer management, peer mentoring/cross-age tutoring, funding resources, vocational mentoring and organizations. This training program teaches adult volunteers about mentoring troubled children in the elementary and & middle school range.

12. This site lists free resources, including Life Skills assessment, Life Skills Guidebook, and Ready, Set, Fly! These life and daily living skills and material maybe helpful for developing mentor/mentee relationships.
www.caseylifeskills.org

13. This provides fun mentoring ideas as a springboard to find new ways for a mentor and mentee to spend time together.
http://www.mentoring.org/be-a-better-mentor/things-to-do.adp

14. Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America Mentoring Program
www.bbsa.org

15. The Norwalk Mentor Program began in 1986 as a school-based mentor programs for elementary and middle school students who lacked self-esteem and had negative attitudes about school, motivation, and the need for positive role models for students. For more information: Donna E. Custer, Coordinator, Norwalk Mentor Program, 125 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06852, (203) 854-4011

16. Telementoring with Students Interested in Math and Science
The Hewlett-Packard (HP) Telementor Program is a program in which the Hewlett-Packard employees volunteer to mentor fifth through twelfth grade students. The focus of this program is to help students excel in math and science, with a particular emphasis on career explorations. For more information: David Neils, International Telementor Center, 3919 Benthaven Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80526, (970) 206-9352, davidn@telementoring.org

17.Kentucky Department of Education
www.kyschools.org
This is the Kentucky Department of education’s website. You can choose Dropout prevention from the area of interest menu and know more information about the dropout rate, the Dropout prevention standards, and much more.

18.Mentors Peer Resources
www.mentors.ca
This site provides information about how to become an effective mentor, various mentoring programs, many books and videos that focus on mentoring.

19.Strategies to Help Solve Our School Dropout Problem
Franklin P.Schargel and Jay Smink(2001) . This book provides a whole chapter on mentoring which gives us information about structured mentoring programs, key components of a mentoring program, limits and concerns etc.

Kentucky Resources

Peer mediation/Mentoring (Service Learning Mentoring Site), Augusta Independent Schools

The Augusta Independent Schools have begun peer mediation on junior high/high school levels and student mentoring at both the elementary and junior high/high school levels. In the elementary grades, they developed the "Adopt-A-Classroom" project. This program was open for pre-school-grade7. Preschool was adopted by kindegarten, kindegarten by first grade, first grade by second grade, second by third, third by fourth and so on. Each student was assigned a mentoring buddy to follow them throughout the 2001-2002 school year and to better prepare them for requirements of the coming grade. For more information: Phyllis Reed, Community Director,(606) 756-2105

Students Helping Other Eminence Students (SHOES) (Service Learning Mentoring Site), Eminence Independent Schools. This program involves 30 high school students who work with middle and elementary students for approximately 40 minutes each morning.The high school students received training in tutoring and mentoring. The mentees were chosen by their teachers and have parental approval. A daily log  is kept by the mentors and read by the teachers so that preparations can be made for additional help. For more information: Jean Tischner, FRYSC Director, (502) 849-5427.   

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Comments

While all statements in this article are not all specific to middle school students,it provides a wealth of information about mentoring and the qualities of a good mentor.

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Key Words

Mentor, mentoring program

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