Exploring Possible Moderation Effects on the Outcomes of the Check, Connect, and Respect Program

Mentorship-based interventions have been found to have positive effects for youth at-risk of negative academic and behavioral outcomes. Implementation studies of school-based mentorship programs, such as the Check & Connect (C&C) program, have mixed results with some studies supporting positive academic and behavioral outcomes for students at-risk of dropping out of school. Limited research supports the efficacy of the Check, Connect, & Respect program (CCR), an adaptation of the C&C program, which uses a strength-based mentorship model in hopes to improve student psychological engagement at school. Thus, the following study investigated the effects of the CCR intervention on student academic (i.e., weekly grades) and behavioral (i.e., attendance and office discipline referrals) outcomes as well as the potential moderating effects of measures of psychological wellbeing and engagement on these outcomes. Participants included a diverse sample of 17 middle-school students from a 2019-2020 school-based implementation of the CCR program using undergraduate students as mentors. Linear growth curve analyses were performed to investigate changes in the participants' grades and for possible moderation effects. Behavioral data was analyzed using Poisson and negative binomial regression along with possible moderation effects. The results showed no significant changes in the CCR students' academic or behavioral outcomes. In addition, the measures of the students' psychological wellbeing and school engagement were not associated with the student outcomes. Limitations to this study include a great deal of variability in the student outcomes suggesting alternative research designs might have better explained the results. [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.]