Large undergraduate courses make it difficult for students to achieve learning outcomes, in part due to the lack of resources available to course instructors to support student learning in these intimidating and often impersonal settings. One way to support instructor teaching and student learning is the implementation of undergraduate peer…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between GEAR UP academic support services and student achievement. GEAR UP is an evidence-based college readiness program. This study focused on a subset of academic support services designed to impact student achievement including: academic mentoring, math tutoring, English tutoring, study…

A number of important studies have pointed to the significance of active participation in learning as a determinant of student performance on tests and of grades. As these studies showed, student engagement can result from development of personalized learning. Each of the Breakthrough High Schools (BTHS) has taken various paths to personalization…

Examines the effects of tutoring on trained college tutors and tutees. Reports on interviews of 39 tutors and evaluations from 838 of their tutees, concluding that tutoring plays an integral role in the development of college students and that tutoring programs have value on campus. Lists the qualities of a good tutor, describes tutoring processes…

The District of Columbia Junior High School Intensive Care and School Involvement Program (JHSICSIP) was designed to improve achievement and attendance among at-risk students, with the ultimate goal of preventing school dropouts. This program completed its second year of implementation during school year 1990-91 and operated in six junior high…

Two tables summarize effects of mentoring in 10 middle schools in De Kalb County (Georgia) and from mentoring programs sponsored by the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization. Both sets of programs show improved attendance and improved conduct, and the Georgia programs were associated with better grades. (SLD)

Describes the mentorship programs of the Midtown Education Foundation (MEF), Chicago (Illinois), an initiative that began as an outreach of the Catholic Opus Dei movement. The MEF emphasis on biblically based character development, taught by role models, and embedded in an academic curriculum, is very popular. Early evaluation indicates that best…

Discusses the benefits tutors gain from the tutoring experience, some of which--deemed "silent benefits"--include personal and professional growth, and even significant changes in future careers. Examines effects of tutoring job on three outstanding tutors, all of whom speak English as a second language. (NB)

The lack of Black mentors, counselors, and role models at predominantly White colleges is one factor in poor retention of Black students. Access to academic advising, career counseling, and student personnel services can help Black college students to define priorities and give them a sense of shared values and achievement. (AF)

Sixteen underachieving gifted students at Oliver High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were identified for a pilot program called Project Inspire, which sought to improve student achievement and build self-esteem, especially for disadvantaged Afro-American students. Teachers were selected as mentors for the students, and the mentors were…

A study of 170 foreign university students in the Netherlands shows that while their success rate was similar to native students', it took them more time to complete examinations, and language proficiency and home-country selection procedures were major factors in achievement. Implications for foreign student policy are explored, and a mentor…

How students are affected by a mentoring relationship and to what degree were studied over 3 years in the evaluation of a mentoring program that aims to improve student motivation, achievement, and behavior. In addition to a survey of 85 mentors and 89 teachers, the study examined some objective measures of student achievement for 40 elementary…

This paper describes a pilot mentoring/tutoring program which paired undergraduate and graduate students with homeless, at-risk, urban elementary students. The project addressed students' poor school performance and disparities in access to technology for minority and disadvantaged students. It purchased computer software and established a…