Missing Out: Too Many Youth Cannot Access After-School Programs to Boost Academic Achievement
Afterschool programs are in high demand because of the benefits they provide to students: improving academic achievement, teaching social skills, keeping students safe, and reducing juvenile crime. In urban areas, where economic hardships force parents to work long hours and leave their children unsupervised, these programs are particularly important. But, while the need for afterschool programs is greater than ever, too few programs exist to keep pace with the rising demand, according to a recent study by the Afterschool Alliance, America After 3PM. Urban Debate Leagues (UDLs) represent a high quality, academically rigorous approach to extending the school-day, -week, and -year.
America After 3PM surveyed nearly 30,000 families and found that every afternoon, 15 million students – more than a quarter of the nation’s schoolchildren – are left alone at the end of the school day. This number represents 30 percent of middle school students and four percent of elementary school students. Within this number, a higher percentage of students of color than white students are left alone.
These numbers are high despite parental concern and interest in afterschool programs. Parents of 18.5 million students said that they would enroll their children in an afterschool program if one were available to them. This figure is even higher for African American parents, 61 percent of whom would like to enroll their children in an afterschool program. Interested parents nonetheless cannot enroll their children in these programs because of the barriers of high cost and low availability.
While all afterschool programs provide some benefit to students, ideal programs serve dual purposes of providing a safe, structured, supervised environment for students while supplementing the learning they receive during school hours. Most afterschool programs “keep kids off the streets,” but few actually supplement student learning and increase academic achievement.
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) indicates that afterschool programs that foster academic engagement or increase academic achievement share the following characteristics: (i) they are aligned with the school curriculum; (ii) they provide instructional balance by mixing small group instruction, individual attention, and mentor-mentee relationships among students; and (iii) they provide opportunities for relationships between students and adult mentors. Programs that supplement in-school learning are particularly critical for low-income students since the academic achievement gap between lower-income students and middle- or upper-class students widens without involvement in activities during time spent out of school.
UDLs meet all of these characteristics. Urban Debate Leagues are policy debate programs targeting urban schools that have the highest dropout rates and lowest academic achievement numbers. Students debate policy questions, research evidence-backed answers, and compete in tournaments under the supervision of a teacher-coach. UDLs align with the curriculum by emphasizing research and critical-thinking techniques. For example, the argumentation, research, and communication skills fostered by debate are closely linked to the Common Core Standards in English and Language Arts. UDLs provide an instructional blend, with teacher-coaches working with groups and one-on-one with individual debaters. Older students mentor younger students, and all students develop close mentor relationships with their teacher-coaches. Finally, UDLs satisfy the most basic goal of an afterschool program by extending the school day, week, and year via practices, out-of-school research projects, weekend tournaments, and summer skill-development camps.
The inability of low-income students to participate in afterschool programs can adversely impact their academic performance, leaving them even further behind their peers. In this time of scarce resources, policy-makers should focus on supporting cost-effective afterschool programs that can produce significant impact on student outcomes—programs such as UDLs, that not only provide students with a safe and supportive environment, but also boost student achievement and engagement.
