Can after-school programs narrow the achievement gap between minority and white students? To Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Child Development and Education at Teachers College, and colleagues Margo Gardner and Jodie Roth, researchers at TC’s Center for Children and Families (NCCF), the answer is yes—but not by much.

 

Speaking at a forum of The Campaign for Educational Equity at TC on October 7, the three colleagues discussed a research report they authored that examines the impact of increasing rates of after-school participation to 100 percent among youth living far below the poverty level—a disproportionate number of whom are black and Hispanic. They found that even with full after-school participation among poor youths, the achievement gap between black and white students would decrease by only 2 to 4 percent in reading and 4 to 7 percent in math. In terms of the gap between Hispanics and whites, the gap would narrow 2 to 5 percent in reading and 5 and 12 percent in math.

 

The lesson, say the researchers: after-school programs aren’t the answer but they’re part of it.

 

“Instead of thinking ‘Oh, my goodness, it’s so small a difference it doesn’t matter,’ the fact is that almost all of our policy interventions are going to be reducing the equity gap maybe 10 percent,” Brooks-Gunn told a standing-room-only crowd at Grace Dodge Hall. “A couple of things may do a better job, early childhood education does a better job. So don’t be discouraged by the effect sizes. What we need is a multifaceted approach.”

 

The presentation by Brooks-Gunn, Gardner and Roth was part of The Campaign’s Equity in Education Forum series, which over the past few years has explored topics ranging from federal policy on bilingual education to funding of early childhood education. The forum in October, the first of the academic year, focused on after-school programs, which have begun to receive more attention as a way to enhance the academic achievement of disadvantaged youths and as an element in the push for more comprehensive services that extend beyond the schoolhouse door.

 

The research report prepared by Gardner, Roth and Brooks-Gunn (who is also Co-director of NCCF), was commissioned by The Campaign. Also speaking at the forum were Lucy Friedman, President of the New York City-based After School Corporation, and Robert Granger, President of the William T. Grant Foundation.

 

During her presentation, Roth pointed out that while the effects on academic achievement of after-school programs are small, they are on par with those for summer school and Title I initiatives, federally-funded programs targeted to high-poverty schools and districts.