School Climate, Connectedness and Academic Achievement - Examining Positive Impacts from High School Mentoring

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag

Study examines long-term effects of a locally developed high school mentoring program in a Southwest urban school district, using descriptive and empirical methods to assess outcomes in school climate, school connectedness, and academic success. Findings support the effectiveness of the local initiative and identify factors useful for guiding future research on mentoring in K-12 settings. The work frames declining U.S. graduation rates and student disengagement through prior education research and emphasizes incorporating student perceptions into school reform decisions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

School Climate, Connectedness and Academic Achievement: Examining Positive Impacts from High School Mentoring

Focus and Significance of the Study

Educational Mentoring Programs

School Climate, Connectedness and Academic Achievement: Examining Positive Impacts from High School Mentoring Services This manuscript has been peer-reviewed, accepted, and endorsed by the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration (NCPEA) as a significant contribution to the scholarship and practice of school administration and K-12 education. Rebecca Angus Phoenix Union High School District Thomas Hughes Northern Arizona University Schools regularly implement numerous programs to satisfy widespread expectations. Often, implementation is carried out with little follow-up examining data that could help refine or determine the ultimate worth of the intervention. Through utilization of both descriptive and empirical methods, this study delved into the long-term effectiveness of a locally developed mentoring program implemented within a large Southwest Urban School District. Findings from the study support the success of the local efforts. Additionally, they reveal several factors that could help guide future research while also contributing to the success of mentoring efforts being implemented within our nation’s schools. NCPEA Education Leadership Review of Doctoral Research, Vol. 4– Spring 2017 ISSN: 1532-0723 © 2017 National Council of Professors of Educational Administration. This manuscript may not be used commercially or edited. When quoting portions ofthis text, full attribution to the author/s is required. According to the U.S. Department of Education (USDoE), graduation rates for American public schools have been in decline for the past 40 years (USDoE, 2012) . During this period of decline, Berv (2002) reported student interests and self-perceived needs are rarely considered or weighed into decision making about potential school reforms. Instead of acknowledging unique attitudes and learner needs, schools are continuously engineered to satisfy demands put in place by a society increasingly inclined to dictate more highly uniform target outcomes. Of little surprise then, considering these conditions, the USDoE confirmed that minimal sustained effort has been directed toward discovering reasons students themselves would give for their decision not to finish school (USDoE, 2012) . Acknowledging the contributions of Fullan (2005) and later Dynarski, Clarke, Cobb, Finn, Rumberger and Smink (2008), who speak to continued concerns over student disengagement, this study sought to delve more deeply into student perceptions and attitudes related to the declining graduation rates just cited. Building on the work of Bridgeland, Dilulio, and Morison (2006) who did actually directly investigate student attitudes, this study aimed to uncover and examine key factors and attitudes that could well prove beneficial for efforts to keep students more thoroughly engaged in completing their education as result of locally developed mentoring programming. Focus and Significance of the Study Schools are constantly scrutinized and regularly subjected to recommended fixes of all types and design. Bridgeland et al. (2006) spoke to the perceived benefits of many improvements, including enhancing the connection between school and work, increasing relevance, along with providing real-world learning experiences. This “getting real” point of view has been supported by others including Voight, Austin and Hanson (2013) as well as Washor and Mojkowski (2014) who find schools rarely attempt to adapt to student needs and future ambitions, let alone attempt to learn what students even want. Tying into these proactive strategies, and even more specifically into mentoring efforts represented by Sparks (2002), this investigation focused on the impacts locally developed mentoring efforts had in three very specific areas. These areas, all believed critical to student success were school climate, school connectedness, and finally academics. Mentoring in some fashion has been utilized since the start of recorded time

FAQs

What does the study investigate about the mentoring program?

It examines the mentoring program’s long-term effectiveness and whether the intervention shows statistically significant links to positive feelings about school climate, school connectedness, and indicators of academic success.

Which factors and outcomes are highlighted as important for student success?

The study focuses on three areas viewed as critical: school climate, school connectedness, and academics.

Why are student perceptions central to the study’s purpose?

The document argues that student interests and self-perceived needs are rarely weighed in school reform decisions, so the study aims to uncover attitudes and perceptions that could support efforts to improve graduation completion.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag