Mentoring for Success

1. Mentoring for Success Mentoring Model designed to Elevate and Accelerate Achievement for African American Males A GROWING INTO MANHOOD Implementation Model

2. THE INTENT This intentional approach to providing education and support to children with the greatest need changes the game. It levels the playing field. It interrupts the school to prison pipeline. A NEW, unique, REFRESHING, and powerful way. Not by a better argument in the juvenile court; not by a referendum of public opinion; not by the authority principal’s office. The school-to-prison pipeline will be interrupted by the youngsters themselves; youngsters who no longer have the desire to steal or bully or limit their own chances for success. They will study the ways of great men and women and reflect on a goals centered life trajectory. They will be able to articulate new goals based on research and keen observation of people, who decided to exit early the school-to-prison pipeline or sidestep it altogether… and achieve their goals. Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

3. The Curriculum and Pedagogy …are centered on… Social Emotional Learning and “FIVE CORE COMPETENCIES…” Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

4. These competencies frame all successful journeys in our contemporary development. They are unfolded in GROWING INTO MANHOOD ! Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

5. 1. Self-Awareness 2. Self-development & Management 3. Positive decision-making 4. Relationships 5. Social Responsibility Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

6. Self-Awareness • Personal Values • Assessing Strengths and limitations • Recognizing emotions and thoughts and their influence on behavior and actions • Character Qualities: empathy, integrity, respect, and responsibility. • Self-evaluation and reflection Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

7. Self-development & Management • Controlling emotions and impulses • Setting and achieving goals • Identifying and handling peer pressure and situational stress • Self-motivation • Resolving conflict • Developing fortitude and persistence • Critical thinking and effective judgment Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

8. Positive Decision-making • Making positive choices • Ethics • Safety • Tolerance • Evaluating circumstances • Understanding consequences • Consideration of others Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

9. Relationships • Establishing friendships and healthy relationships in a diverse world • Effective communication • Cooperation and helping others • Resisting negative social pressure • Addressing conflict appropriately • Seeking help Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

10. Social Responsibility • Understanding the environment • Collaboration and teamwork • Media awareness and savvy • Perception, analysis, and evaluation • Range of perspective • Awareness of your community • Family, school, community paradigm • Citizenship Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

11. PREDICATES “We can, whenever and wherever we choose, teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need in order to do this. Whether we do it or not, finally depends on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far.” Dr. Ron Edmonds “Black Children are the proxy for what ails American children in general. And so, as we fashion solutions to help Black children, we fashion solutions to help all children.” Augustus F. Hawkins, Author of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title I

12. Goals • To provide competent social emotional development • To elevate and accelerate student Academic Achievement • To secure community support based on outstanding demonstrated commitment and high-quality relationships Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

13. ORGANIZATION • Design Team (Youth & Adults) • Action Team (Mentors) • Stakeholder Team (Community) Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

14. Three Key Strategies • Rigorous & Relevant Curriculum • Engaging Learning Environment • High-Quality Relationships Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

15. Mentoring Dimensions • CULTURAL AWARENESS • COMMUNICATIONS and APPLIED MATHEMATICS PROFICIENCY • THE “CITIZENSHIP” CONTRACT Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

16. KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS • Individual and group gains in standard test scores • Improved school attendance • Reduced disciplinary referrals • Improved performance (GPA) • Improved “self-esteem” Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

17. SUPPORTING RESEARCH THEMES • Effective Schools • Opportunity to Learn • Social-Emotional Development • Achievement Motivation • Language Acquisition • Effective Mentoring / Best Practice Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

18. Assumptions 1. Community organizations, in partnership with schools, have the best opportunity and a social obligation to mediate learning and development, particularly regarding careers preparation and mathematics & language literacy. Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

19. Assumptions 2. “Mentoring” is a powerful intervention, particularly when implemented by people who understand thoroughly the cultural dynamics of the children they are serving and the children with “the greatest need.” Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

20. Assumptions 3. Every “Mentor” wants to see their students succeed, but needs the knowledge, experience, initiative, ingenuity and the support of fellow mentors… to accomplish it.. Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

21. Assumptions 4. “We can, whenever and wherever we choose, teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need in order to do this. Whether we do it or not, finally depends on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far.” Dr. Ron Edmonds Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

22. Assumptions • 5. We are savvy enough to design curriculum, build environments, and heighten the quality of relationships between the youth and “mentor resourcres” to effectively educate children and garner support from the “stakeholders” in the school community. Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

23. Goal Attainment Strategies • A. Establish profile and data baseline for each child and family • B. Establish and maintain database of community organizations and agencies • C. Bring the school community together for the purpose of clarifying and interfacing responsibilities through “exchange forums.” Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

24. Goal Attainment Strategies • D. Measure the schools progress and general health against criteria such as: • A clear, visible and shared mission • High expectations for student performance • Curriculum focused on core subjects with culturally relevant pedagogy • Safe and orderly climate • Instructional leadership from principal • Frequent monitoring of student progress and performance • Meaningful engagement of parents & families Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

25. Goal Attainment Strategies • Deliberate and appropriate praise and encouragement of student achievement. • Blended phonetic and whole language approach to language mastery • Library in every classroom and school and public library use by every student • Arts education • Emphasis on applied mathematics Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

26. Goal Attainment Strategies • Tutoring, mentoring, and study groups • Reading aloud • Providing parents and families skills in academic support • Regular and effective communication with families • Feedback regarding communication • Innovations and Formative Evaluation Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

27. Goal Attainment Strategies P. Daily warm-up exercises in academic classes • Review of “test-taking” strategies • Individual and group goal setting • Journal writing • Letter writing • Visits to off-campus learning sites • Read and compare maps Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

28. Goal Attainment Strategies • Read and compare daily and weekly local, regional and national newspapers • Emphasize “systems” i.e. plants, animal, human, mechanical, analog, digital, etc. • Study and dramatize historic events • Photo-document goal attainment strategies Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

29. PRIORITIES for MENTOR DEVELOPMENT • 180 DEGREE-trained resource persons are convened at regular intervals to review, share, and build pedagogy. • Mentors visit school classrooms and be visible and accessible to support common • Community, business, and other stakeholders are secured as partners in achieving Mentoring goals. Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

30. PRIORITIES for MENTOR DEVELOPMENT • Relevant and contemporary articles are identified and shared as “good reading.” • Mentors are acquainted with requisite standards for each grade level and discuss the options to meet learning objectives. • A range of test-taking preparation options are provided to Mentors. • Decisions are informed by relevant data. Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

31. Personal Development and School Achievement Protocols • The Protocols… Achievement Model and Development System is a simple “values-centered” student responsibility model that attempts to enhance the mentors’ effectiveness by providing better “tools” to do the job; and accelerate student achievement by helping students better understand their roles as learners and their opportunities as citizens. Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

32. Personal Development and School Achievement Protocols The “Protocols” Achievement Model and Development System has several components that enable Mentors to “OPTIMIZE” the amount of time devoted to helping youth appreciate the value of “Mentoring” time spent with positive adults. Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

33. Personal Development and School Achievement Protocols • THE “VIRTUES” PROTOCOL • THE CALL AND RESPONSE PROTOCOL • THE HANDSHAKE PROTOCOL • THE 30-DAY CALL PROTOCOL Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

34. Personal Development and School Achievement Protocols • THE DICTIONARY PROTOCOL • THE STAND AND SPEAK PROTOCOL • THE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOIN PROTOCOL Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

35. Personal Development and School Achievement Protocols • THE NOTE-MAKING PROTOCOL • THE AFFIRMATION PROTOCOL • THE LETTER-WRITING PROTOCOL • THE BULLETIN BOARD PROTOCOL Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

36. Personal Development and School Achievement Protocols • THE LIBRARY USE PROTOCOL • EXPLORING TECHNOLOGY PROTOCOL • THE STUDY GROUP AND SCHOLARSHIP PROTOCOL Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

37. Effective Mentoring Characteristics • Quantity and consistency of time allocated • Quality of student engagement • Assigning high “success rate” tasks • Being an “active” and caring listener • Making optimum use of internet resources • Emphasis on “relationships” • Focus on the “task at hand” Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

38. Effective Mentoring Characteristics MENTOR-DIRECTED MEDIATION • Mentor-led learning activities • Asking questions of all participating youth • Calling on specific youth, versus accepting inputs from volunteers • Demonstration, Practice, Feedback Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

39. Effective Mentoring Characteristics GROUP INSTRUCTION • Acknowledge the value of individual time • Acknowledge the limited time available for individual instruction • Recognize the value of well-used media communications and technology Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

40. Effective Mentoring Characteristics • DEMONSTRATION • PRACTICE • FEEDBACK Proven techniques • Model the lesson • Supervise first efforts • Give specific, immediate, and abundant… feedback ! Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

41. Effective Mentoring Characteristics • MASTERY Mastery of topic or skill enables moving to the next level and appropriate task Create an environment that nurtures the importance of achievement in personal development and educational attainment. Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

42. Sample References • A Blueprint for Action, NCEBC.org • Family Life and School Achievement • by Reginald Clark • Other People’s Children by Lisa Delpit • The Measure of Our Success • by Marian Wright Edelman • The Black Man’s Guide to Parenting • by C.F. Gipson • Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind by Eric Jensen • Growing Into Manhood by Dean Renfrow • Empowering African American Males to Succeed by Mychal Wynn Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

43. Mentoring for Success THANK YOU. Additional Workshops… Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

44. Mentoring for Success • The Protocols… an achievement motivation strategy that incorporates rigorous and relevant curriculum, engaging learning environment, and high quality relationships between teachers and students, students and school, and school and home. These three, converge to reduce classroom management issues significantly and yield higher achievement Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

45. Mentoring for Success • Accelerated Achievement: Writing through Arts Education…is a short course in exploring visual art – painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, collage, etc. – as a vehicle to improve writing. Students write about their legitimate responses to the work of great artists in varying styles, tempos, lexicon, and forms against state writing standards. Additional frequency will generate commensurate new and improved writing skills. Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

46. Mentoring for Success • Writing for Democracy… Introduces and explores the “editorial page” as a vehicle for seeing both sides of a given issue. Practice writing model “letters to the editor” for the development of language and writing skills; and using the national network of Black Newspapers, offers an incredible resource for historic and contemporary cultural understanding. Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org

47. Thank you, again. • Ralph Evans, President • Coalition of Black Men • P.O. Box 55401 • Portland, Oregon 97238 • Phone: 920.841.2090 • E-mail: info@cobmportland.org • Web: www.cobmportland.org Mentoring for Success www.cobmportland.org