NARROWING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP:

The promise of community learning

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View video of kids in the afterschool programs and CAREI researchers explaining the programs.

Video is less than two minutes long.

By many measures, Minnesota public schools are among the best in the country. But underneath the encouraging statistics lies one of the largest achievement gaps in the nation. On any test, in any grade, and in any subject measured by the state, Minnesota’s students of color score lower than their white peers—a problem that is magnified in urban schools. Lower test scores lead to lower graduation rates and lower rates of college attendance, severely limiting long-term economic opportunities.

While the learning gap defies easy explanation or solution, a recent three-year study by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) found that a St. Paul school-based after-school program contributed not only to higher test scores, but also to improved attendance, behavior, and student attitudes about school. The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC), as they are known, were funded by a federal grant to establish after-school programs in eight St. Paul Public schools that have a large percentage of students at risk for low academic achievement, violence, poverty, and drug use.

The 21st CCLC program is based on a Clinton-era model that reconceived schools as community learning centers, taking advantage of operational efficiencies and putting the school at the heart of the community. The St. Paul after-school program consists of one hour of academic enrichment, a healthy snack, and a second hour of high-interest activities in sports, the arts, or cultural enrichment.

The program works to establish community around the school by offering services to parents and adults in the broader community, such as family fun nights, parenting groups, career education, and citizenship classes. Staffed mostly by teachers from the school, the program fosters deeper relationships between students, teachers, and community members.

What the research shows

Through a three-year study led by research associates Michael Michlin and Timothy Sheldon, CAREI sought to determine the impact of regular participation in the 21st CCLC program. In addition to hard numbers such as test scores and attendance, the CAREI team conducted dozens of interviews with parents, administration, and staff. The research focused on students who had attended the program at least 30 days per year as the experimental group, while the control group was made up of similar students who had never participated. Key findings include:

School attendance: Participants had dramatically better school attendance, attending 18 more days of school each year than members of the control group. Better attendance has a huge impact on academic success in the short- and long-term, Sheldon points out.

Standardized tests: In reading and math, participants demonstrated steady improvement over three years, while the control group showed uneven or falling scores. More participants scored above the national norm on the SAT 10 test. In math, participants scored more than one grade level higher than the control group.

Behavior: Classroom teachers reported that four out of five participants showed improved habits and skills consistent with better academic performance in measures such as completing homework on time, participating in class, and getting along with others.

“By tailoring after-school programs to students’ specific interests, parents and teachers witnessed an attitude shift in the way participants think about school, from a place to avoid to a place they are excited to go to,” explains Sheldon.

Program staff partnered with dozens of community organizations to offer programming that reinforces and honors the cultures of the particular community, including African drumming, salsa dancing, and Hmong cooking, as well as topics that support parents, immigrants and working families.

“What came through in our interviews with parents was the importance of making families feel like this is their school, because many of them didn’t have that sense of belonging before the program,” notes Sheldon.

What others say about this research

“Soon after we launched our 21st Century Community Learning Center, we had great indications that the program was working: School attendance and family involvement were on the rise, and we could tell that participants had renewed excitement about learning,” said Patrick Bryan, principal of Jackson Preparatory Magnet. “The empirical data from the CAREI report is absolutely critical in determining where to focus limited resources to best serve our students. This type of persuasive evidence compels support for high-value, after-school programming that supports both the academic and social development of our children and families.”

Joan DeJaeghere, a professor of educational policy and administration at the College of Education and Human Development who studies the relationship between race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and education, comments, “This study illustrates that making connections through after-school programs with children of color, immigrant children, and other at-risk children and their families plays a role in their participation in and learning outcomes from school.”

Why this research matters

Locating extended day programs such as 21st CCLC in schools provides a big bang for the educational buck. Keeping schools open longer and using existing transportation systems costs around $250, per student, per year, yet has potential for significant payoffs in academic success.

Perhaps the biggest gains may come from fostering the school-family-community bond. “Kids and families who feel comfortable and successful in school and feel like the school is responsive to their needs and interests will have a much brighter future than kids who don’t have those connections,” explains Sheldon.

For more information
Tim Sheldon, 612-626-7237, sheld005@umn.edu.

March 2007