The Impact of Mentoring on GPA and Behavior of African American Males

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were achievement and behavior differences between three groups of students: (1) African American males from single-parent homes who had a mentor, (2) African American males from single-parent homes who did not have a mentor, and (3) African American males from a two-parent home that includes the presence of a father or step-father. This study compared the impact of mentoring on the GPA of 35 African American males in a Middle Tennessee urban public charter school that came from single-female-parented homes with a male mentor, single-female-parented homes without a mentor, and two-parent homes where a male was present. This study also examined the relationship between African American male mentors and their influence on the behavior of African American males in an urban elementary charter school. The mentors were African American males trained in the Boyhood to Manhood Rites of Passage program and taught lessons based on a curriculum. The students and mentors met over six weeks. The variables were the students' GPA, calculated on a four-point scale, and behavior referrals (BEH). Behavior referrals measured the behavior. Student GPA and BEH were obtained by using the Infinite Campus program. This study's first research question asked if there was a statistically significant difference in the GPAs of African American males with mentors from a single-parent home and African American males from two-parent homes in an urban elementary public charter school. This study found no statistically significant difference in GPA between students with and without mentors. The second research question examined the impact of mentoring on the BEH of African American males. The study found no statistically significant difference in the BEH of the young men in the study. The student did not find a statistically significant difference in student academic or behavioral performance; however, the results may have differed if the sample size were larger. In addition, the duration of the study was shorter than that of mentoring programs that did show positive outcomes. Additionally, the study found a slightly better outcome for students from single-female-parent homes without a mentor, which could implicate the level of parental involvement or parental culture within the home. This study provides additional research on mentoring, which has been studied extensively in previous studies. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]