COOL CATS CARE CLUB (4C’s)MENTORING PROGRAM

1. COOL CATS CARE CLUB (4C’s)MENTORING PROGRAM Ms. LaVette Hunter, Principal Ms. Carla Patrick, Assistant Principal Ms. Althea Dixon-Hooks, Teacher Leader Westview Middle School Superintendent’s Urban Principal Initiative (SUPI) Program

3. Abstract of the Study Improving academic achievement through increased student attendance of selected 8th grade students who had ten or more days of unexcused absences during the 2006-2007 school year. Participating students were provided with one-to-one mentors composed of faculty and staff members. Students’ academic grades, attendance reports, and mentor logs were compared and analyzed to determine the effectiveness of this mentoring program. The results of our research indicated that students who were provided with mentorship increased the amount of days spent in school whereby increasing their academic grades.

4. Introduction Eight grade students at Westview Middle School are the only grade level tested on all portions of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), including Science and Writing. Eight grade students who had ten or more unexcused absences during the 2006-2007 school year were selected to participate in the 4C’s mentoring program. According to Reid (2006), there is a clear link between attendance and performance at every phase of schooling from infant and primary stages to the later years of secondary education. Therefore, if we as educators want to increase the quality and standards of our schools, we must first ensure that our students attend. The research above speaks directly to our major concerns at Westview Middle School.

5. Background • Westview middle school is located in an urban neighborhood in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The school is situated in a residential community on approximately 20 acres of land. The school was built in 1956, and began renovation for the first time since it was constructed during the 1999-2000 school year.

6. Student Ethnical/Racial Demographics • 598 African Americans • 122 Hispanics • 3 Asians • 2 Whites • 2 Multicultural students Faculty/Staff Ethnical Demographics. • 76 African Americans • 12 Hispanics • 4 Whites

7. Research Question • How will the implementation of individualized mentors increase selected 8th graders’ attendance? • How will the implementation of individualized mentors increase selected 8th graders’ academic achievement?

8. Literature Review • Students who form good relationships with officials at school have higher educational expectations and are more likely to attend college (Young, 2003). • Without students regularly attending school, it is difficult to raise the quality, standards and achievement levels of both pupils and schools alike as measured by performance league tables, assessment targets, external examinations and inspections conducted by the Office for Standards in Education (Reid, 2006). • The primary role of mentors is to build relationships with each student to establish produce processes of self-development and promote school engagement.

9. Methodology/Intervention • Reviewed 2006-2007 attendance report to identify 8th grade students with 10 or more unexcused absences. • Determined need for establishing mentoring program for 8th grade students. • Reviewed identified students’ grades prior to implementation of mentoring program. • Developed student packages which included pictures, grade reports, and student schedules. • Presented mentoring program to faculty and staff members. • Faculty/staff members selected mentees. • Conducted kickoff breakfast to introduce program and all mentors and mentees.

10. Methodology/Intervention Continued….. • Mentors provided services to mentees that included phone call, guidance/support, lunch, field trip, and home visit. • Mentors completed monitoring logs weekly on the status of mentorship. • Reviewed available data from benchmark tests, district assessments, and report cards. • Reviewed result of monitoring logs and attendance reports.

11. Data CollectionServices Provided by Mentors:

12. Data CollectionAbsenteeism Report:

18. Data CollectionImprovement Survey:

19. Findings/Results • Services provided by mentors decreased each quarter. • Attendance report shows that 6 students increased the amount of days absent, 17 had up to a 50% decrease in days absent and 16 had up to a 100% decrease in days absent. • Comparison of quarterly grades resulted in students’ maintaining or improving their academic grades. • Mentor/Mentee surveys concluded that at least 76% percentage of participants believed that students made significant improvement in their attendance. • Mentor/Mentee surveys also concluded that at least 74% of the participants believed that students made significant improvement academically.

20. Implications • Participating students will be enthusiastic about attending school. • Participating faculty/staff members will become concerned advocates for participating students. • Increased attendance will result in increased classroom instruction. • Increased classroom instruction will result in improved academic grades.

21. Recommendations • Cool Cats Care Club should begin its implementation at the beginning of the school year. • Additional students should be given the opportunity to become members. This might result in changing the criteria for qualifying members. • Funds should be facilitated through grant applications to provide members with additional outing opportunities. • Monthly mentor meeting should be facilitated to better assist mentors with problems that may arise.

22. Conclusions • 85% of students in the program increased the amount of time spent in school and decreased the amount of days absent • 15% of students decreased the amount of time spent in school and increased the amount of days absent • 26 of the students achieved a 4.0 or higher on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Writing Test, two of them achieved a score of 6 • Mentor/mentee interaction assisted in decreasing student absenteeism through on-going services • More time spent in school assisted 66% of the students to increase academic achievement based on the School Improvement Zone Post-Test as compared to the Pre-Test

23. References Reid, Ken, 2006, Raising school attendance: a case study of good practice in monitoring and raising standards, Quality Assurance in Education Young, Jeffrey, 2003, Black students lack mentors in schools, study finds, The Chronicle of High Education DeSocio, Janiece, Engaging truant adolescents: Results from a multifaceted intervention pilot, Preventing School Failure