WISE INTERVENTIONS

Predominantly African American inner city students in a high poverty middle school took part in an 11-session program delivered approximately twice weekly over 7 weeks to encourage children to imagine themselves as becoming more successful in school and becoming successful adults, to identify potential obstacles, to understand these as normal and not self-defining, and to identify strategies to overcome obstacles. As compared to a randomized control group this improved students’ standardized test scores and grades, and reduced depression, absences, and in-school misbehavior through a 2-year follow-up. A prior study using non-random assignment to condition found improvements in school bonding and attitudes, better self-reported attendance and, for boys, better reported behavior in school (Oyserman et al., 2002).