ERIC Number: EJ1218305
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1098-1608
EISSN: N/A
The Perceived Impact of Educational Management Organization Mentors among Former High School Dropouts Who Subsequently Graduated High School
Hickman, Greg; Anderson, Shannon
Journal of At-Risk Issues, v22 n1 p1-8 2019
The high school dropout problem has been the focus of educational leaders and researchers for several decades. Despite efforts, students continue to drop out of high school. In an effort to prevent at-risk youth from dropping out of school, educators have paired mentors with youth in hopes of increasing graduation rates. These efforts have produced mixed results at best. Given such, Educational Management Organizations (EMOs) have surfaced in recent years to provide educational support to help students who once dropped out to graduate high school. A major component of EMOs is pairing employed mentors with students. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain an understanding of how mentors employed by EMOs helped former high school dropouts graduate high school. Using survey sampling, 34 participants responded to open-ended questions regarding their experiences with their mentors. The sample included 27 females and 7 males ages 18-24 of Hispanic and Caucasian ethnic backgrounds. The open-ended questions were analyzed using thematic analysis. The resulting themes were (a) communication, (b) encouragement, (c) motivation, (d) understanding, and (e) caring. Findings from this study may help inform educators how to improve communications with youth at risk for dropping out of school.
Descriptors: High School Students, Dropouts, Mentors, Educational Administration, Organizations (Groups), Graduation Rate, Prevention, At Risk Students, Case Studies, Interpersonal Relationship, Hispanic Americans, Whites, Student Motivation, Caring, Educational Experience, High School Graduates, Program Descriptions, Teacher Student Relationship
National Dropout Prevention Center. 3325 Hwy 81 N, Anderson, SC 29621. Tel: 864-642-6372; e-mail: ndpc@dropoutprevention.org; Web site: http://dropoutprevention.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A