Transition-to-Success Mentoring Act Introduced to House
By and Reprinted from MENTOR
On January 25, MENTOR received the exciting news that The Transition-to-Success Mentoring Act (H.R. 6481) was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Andre Carson (IN-7). This bill would create a new grant program out of the Department of Education to expand school-based mentoring programs and create partnerships between schools and community-based mentoring programs.
Research has shown that mentoring programs have a significant, positive impact on youth academic achievement and educational success, including improved attendance, grades and test scores, and classroom behavior. The grants established through this program would be awarded to eligible schools and programs in an effort to equip them with the adequate resources and tools to pinpoint and address the needs of students who need further assistance in transitioning from middle school to high school.
The transition from middle school to high school is one that can be jarring for many. Due to the various challenges that students may face by entering a new environment, support and accountability is key.
Students who are dealing with challenges during their time in middle school may need more assistance transitioning to high school than some of their peers. A more advanced level of studying, managing heavy workloads, and the ability to function in high social settings, are just a few of the many changes that students may need assistance adjusting to.
The bill would ensure that each eligible student facing risk of dropping out before graduation would be assigned a mentor or academic success coach. With assistance from a staff member and the parent/guardian of the student, parties would develop a cohesive plan that highlights their goals and steps they’ll take to reach them.
Mentoring relationships have the potential to influence school connectedness, engagement, educational self-confidence, and attitudes toward school. If passed, this bill would not only provide resources for students, but it would help tailor activities to the students’ needs so that they can successfully enter high school with a wide range of support.
You can see more information, bill text, and a list of co-sponsors here.
MENTOR is currently seeking additional co-sponsors for this bill in the House, and lead sponsors in the Senate. Please contact Caden Fabbi at cfabbi@mentoring.org if you are with a congressional office interested in leading on this bill, and Amaris Ramey at aramey@mentoring.org if you are a constituent and would like to advocate this bill to your representative.
To access the resource, please click here.
