Program planners considering developing mentoring programs must first consider mentoring's place in the development of career identification/choice and must establish performance standards for mentoring services in career development. Even in the most superficial or limited mentoring experiences, mentors and youths participate in a series of social and psychological interactions resulting in the following outcomes for students: (1) greater access to knowledge; (2) reduced social distance from the world of work; (3) increased achievement orientation; (4) enhanced sense of the ability to achieve; and (5) capacity to use others to further personal career aims. The quality of mentoring and its effect on students can be measured by "authentic assessment" tools, such as portfolios, exhibitions, and student records. In the career development process, mentoring can occur in formal classroom instruction, work experiences, special programs, and/or special services. The quality of mentoring in school settings depends on staff members' ability to incorporate career development concepts/activities into the informal curriculum and consult with/use employers, community groups, and the general public to support schools' career development processes. In many schools, small curriculum/instructional units may be better arrangements for creative use of outsiders than large-scale mentoring programs are. (MN)