PARTNERSHIPS AMONG SCHOOLS AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS : IMPACT ON STUDENT SUCCESS

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived effect of faith-based mentorship on student academic and behavioral success by examining the impact of a specific partnership--the Uplift Mentor Program--a faith-based partnership with a high school in a large urban public school system in North Carolina. The partnership was established with a goal of improving student academic and behavioral success. Group data for students participating in the partnership were compared to group data for a similar demographic sample of students who did not participate in the program to determine if North Carolina End of Course exam growth scores as measured by the North Carolina State ABCs, core course passing rates, and attendance showed improvement while discipline referrals and subsequent suspensions from school decreased. A mixed methods approach using qualitative and quantitative data was used for the study. Using qualitative data enriched the quantitative information by providing personal perceptions gained by administrators, mentors, and teachers about the program's impact on student outcomes. To gain these perceptions, the study included a focus group with teachers and mentors and interviews with school administrators and a church leader. The Mann-Whitney U Test was used to compare differences between the mentor program group and the control group. G-Power software was used to test the effect size of the differences. Although there were no statistically significant relationships found, teachers, mentors, administrators, and the church mission pastor perceived that the program had a positive impact on student outcomes. Additional research with larger samples needs to be conducted to determine the impact of school and faith-based partnerships on student outcomes.