Running Head: WHITE PAPER IMPROVING STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

White Paper on Improving Student Learning Outcomes with After-School Programs

Victoria Bielomaz
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
CIG 603-1001 Urban Education

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Improving Student Learning Outcomes with After-School Programs
This paper addresses the issue of improving student academic learning outcomes and
focuses on how after-school programs are an option for promoting academic advancement. First,
it addresses the issue school districts have with meeting the needs of all their students. It
identifies both school and home risk factors that contribute to the learning outcomes of at-risk
children and how many Las Vegas schools are facing these same risk factors. Next, it explains
how after-school programs are beneficial to test scores and academic achievement. Then, it
proposes a solution to Downtown Achieves, a Las Vegas group of community leaders that come
together to collectively impact schools and aim to boost student achievement in select downtown
schools. The solution calls for implementation of after-school programs in these schools in which
they are aiding and supporting. Finally, it suggest starting points for the Downtown Achieves
schools by providing examples and elements that have proven successful in other districts.
Background/Problems
Facing the Issues
Gardner and Talbert-Johnson explain the concerns that school districts continue to have
the inability to meet the individualized needs of all students (2000, p. 74). This includes:
minority students, students with special needs, and students who are considered to have a low
socioeconomic status (Gardner & Talbert-Johnson, 2000). Focusing on academic achievement
in urban schools, there are many factors that contribute to achievement rates. Factors both in
school and out of school affect the students academic success and these factors are also evident
in Clark County School District (CCSD). One teaching practice that will aid the achievement gap
and should be taken into consideration is after-school tutoring.
School Risk Factors. Urban schools, schools located in large urban areas, are
disadvantaged when compared to their suburban counterparts (Gardner & Talbert-Johnson,
2000). These urban schools are faced with challenges and inequalities due to factors inside and

Running Head: WHITE PAPER IMPROVING STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

outside the school. There is a high concentration of minority children in these schools who live
in poverty (Gardner & Talbert-Johnson, 2000). This means that schools have to provide more for
these children, and therefore need more resources to support them. Yet, children receive an
education in schools with fewer resources than the schools of their more affluent peers (Gardner
& Talbert-Johnson, 2000, p. 75). Without the proper resources for the students, they do not
receive an equal education and are still expected to achieve the same academic success as their
suburban counterparts. Furthermore, in elementary schools there are high transiency rates of
students moving from school to school multiple times in the school year (Gardner & TalbertJohnson, 2000). This can lead to gaps in knowledge and low academic achievement. Although
these are major issues, they are only a few of the factors weighing in on at risk urban schools.
Another issue urban schools have is retain[ing] well qualified educators who are
committed to high academic achievement for all students (Gardner & Talbert-Johnson, 2000, p.
76). Some reasons this occurs are because teachers may not have experience working with
minority children, or they may be uncomfortable working in urban schools that have problems
with violence, neighborhood safety, and student behavior issues (Gardner & Talbert-Johnson,
2000). Yet, the educator is a valuable resource in the equation as they provide the learning
experiences that are beneficial to the needs of each student (Gardner & Talbert-Johnson, 2000, p.
76).
Home Risk Factors. Other factors that lead to low academic achievement are issues
students face at home or outside of school. As previously mentioned, many of the students in
urban schools have limited resources which causes some children to spend the hours
immediately after school unsupervised because of the parents need to work (Gardner &
Talbert-Johnson, 2000, p. 82). This frequently leads to children making bad choices that are not
beneficial to them, such as watching many hours of television and video-gaming, or engaging in
risky behaviors like juvenile crime (Gardner & Talbert-Johnson, 2000). Even if the children are

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not partaking in these risky behaviors, students in urban settings face an increasing level of
violence in and around the school campuses (Gardner & Talbert-Johnson, 2000, p. 75). These
behaviors and outside stresses transfer to the classroom and become problematic to learning and
achieving high academic achievement.
Las Vegas Schools
Las Vegas schools are facing these risk factors, including the 11 inner-city schools that
Downtown Achieves is working with (Wong, 2013). CCSD is ranked 47th in high school
graduation rates and last in test scores (Byrne, MacQuarrie, Jameson, & Knudsen, 2013). When
focusing on the Downtown Achieves schools (which reaches about 12,500 students), about half
are English Language Learners, [and] about 30% come from families that make less than
$25,000 a year (Wong, 2013). Meaning, these children are living in rough neighborhoods and
are experiencing poverty that affects the children due to the fact that failure to graduate is
closely linked to poverty (Byrne, et al. 2013).
Furthermore, the Hispanic demographic is growing rapidly and by 2050 it is predicted
that there will be more Hispanic children than non-Hispanic children (Greenberg, 2012). These
children have lower academic success than their Caucasian peers (Greenberg, 2012). In fact, they
have higher retention and suspension rates, higher high school drop-out rates, and lower
completion of college rates (Greenberg, 2012, p. 74). These staggering statistics are important
to Las Vegas/Downtown Achieve schools because of their high Hispanic population. If they are
correct, then this means that many of the Las Vegas inner-city children are facing a cycle of
poverty. This can be changed if the students are given assistance with after-school programming.
The Benefits of After-School Programs
After-school programs are beneficial to at-risk urban children. Even though children in
CCSD are experiencing many risk factors, formal after school programs have been shown to be
an effective strategy in mitigating risk factors and thus reducing the likelihood or type of

Running Head: WHITE PAPER IMPROVING STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

engagement in risk behavior (Beck, 1999, p. 108). Meaning, if they are a part of the after-school
program, they are in a safe environment where they are able to learn and better themselves rather
than engaging in crime or harmful behaviors.
Additionally, according to Gardner & Talbert-Johnson, students in after-school programs
perform better academically and behaviorally than students who do not partake in after-school
programs (2000, p. 82). This is because students are able to spend more time being instructed in
skills they need improvement in, they can receive help with homework, and they are in a safe
and positive environment (Gardner & Talbert-Johnson, 2000). Not only does this help them with
academics but it also keeps the students in a safe place with adult supervision where they are
staying out of trouble (Gardner & Talbert-Johnson, 2000).
In an article about at-risk children, and how federal after-school programs affect them, it
stated that after-school programs are beneficial to students and the community because the
federal assistance provides the resources needed for the young people (Chappell, 2006). If the
students are partaking in after-school programs, they are then able to access materials and
resources that are needed to excel academically.
Solution
Downtown Achieves can implement after-school programs as one way to solve the
academic issues in the CCSD Downtown Achieves schools. As previously mentioned, afterschool programs can help schools meet the academic needs of the children. This brings a lot of
possibility to schools as after-school programs can range from relatively unstructured study
halls, in which youth seek assistance on a specific question from the adult supervisor, to regular
tutoring sessions, to immersion in structured curricula (Hirsch, 2011, p. 66). Now, schools need
to decide what type of programming should be incorporated that will meet their students' needs.
A good place to start is to utilize what has been proven to raise academic success in students.

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Downtown Achieves schools should incorporate elements that have proven successful in other
districts.
Try What Works
Characteristics of Effective Schools. Effective schools are defined as schools in which
minority and poor students make high scores on standardized test (Gardner & Talbert-Johnson,
2000, p. 83). Seeing as low-test scores are part of a major issue in the Downtown Achieves
schools, these characteristics are important for reforming them. Characteristics of effective
schools are also characteristics of effective after-school programs. So, using these qualities is
beneficial when creating an after-school program. Effective schools have teachers who set high
standards for their children, an orderly yet not oppressive environment, a clear set of goals, a
strong emphasis on basic skills, a high percentage of time on task, frequent student evaluation,
and close ties between home and school (Gardner & Talbert-Johnson, 2000). If Downtown
Achieves creates after-school programs that have these characteristics, they will foster high
academic achievement and high scores on standardized test.
While characteristics of effective schools can be incorporated into after-school programs,
one article identifies elements of effective after-school programs specifically. One element is that
schools should be child-centered, meaning that activities should be individualized and the
student-to-teacher ratio should be low, so that the teacher can give more individualized attention
to the child (Protheroe, 2006). Secondly, students should be assessed before a program,
intermittently, and after the program (Protheroe, 2006). This is to make sure the students are
making gains and to be sure the program is working for the students (Protheroe, 2006). Also, the
after-school staff, whether licensed teachers or outside individuals, should be trained with
effective strategies (Protheroe, 2006). This is important because the teacher, or adult, is there to
instruct and provide guidance, not childcare (Protheroe, 2006). Lastly, there should be specific
communication between school day and after school staff (Protheroe, 2006, p. 36). This is

Running Head: WHITE PAPER IMPROVING STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

important to make sure the child is getting help with what they need, filling in gaps in
knowledge, and staying caught up with the current curriculum.
Columbus Public Schools. One article focused on the Columbus Public School System
what they do for their after-school program. There were significant gains in reading and math
performances for children that were in [this] after-school program (Gardner & Talbert-Johnson,
2000, p. 83). In fact, the average reading gain for these students was one year and five months
(Gardner & Talbert-Johnson, 2000). In their program they met four days a week for 60 minutes
per session, in which they taught reading and math strategies (Gardner & Talbert-Johnson,
2000). Their program used men from the church and students from Ohio State University to
tutor the children. Not only did they instruct and mentor, but they also served as role models for
the youth in this program (Gardner & Talbert-Johnson, 2000). The gains they made are
outstanding. Using credible outside sources, such as university students, and having them teach
and be a role model for the children is just one solution that might be useful for the Downtown
Achieves schools.
Student Voice. According to a study by Litke, student voice is imperative in an after
school program (2009). She focuses on after-school programs for high-school-aged students and
notes that because they have more freedom in deciding whether or not to attend a program, if
they feel dissatisfied with a program they will choose not to come (Litke, 2009). She explains
that in order to keep attendance record high, the program should: be flexible within a small
setting, have some degree of structure, and students should be given individual attention (Litke,
2009). This should also be kept in consideration for the Downtown Achieves schools, especially
because they are targeting two high schools. The after-school programs need to give the students
individual attention so they can focus on what they need to succeed in their individual pursuit of
academic success. This is not only pertains to high-school students, but to elementary and
middle-school students as well.

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Another article talks about student voice and how negotiation can take a positive role in
after-school programs (Nocon, 2005). It explains that when students have a voice they will go
from being resistant/non-compliant to having a willingness to change; meaning they are more
willing to complete the after-school activities that can help with academic gains, such as
homework (Nocon, 2005, p. 194). This is important because many times, students come to
tutoring/after-school programs with low morale and are not always eager to work (Nocon, 2005).
One example presented in the article refers to when one student did not want to complete a
writing assignment. The teacher negotiated with her by dividing the work with the student. The
teacher suggested the student dictate a story for her while she typed it. The student was
responsible for the writing and editing. In this case, the student was able to work on the academic
skills she needed help with, and through this negotiation, and the support of the teacher, she did
not give up. Downtown Achieves may have students with low morale in their program and the
teachers will need to implement strategies to negotiate with the students in order to focus on
academic skills to make gains.
Conclusion
It is more than a CCSD issue that these inner-city schools are doing poorly, it is a
community issue. Downtown Achieve students are facing many challenges that are impediments
to learning. Downtown Achieves, consisting of more than 60 community leaders/organizations,
is coming together to collectively impact schools with hopes that the students succeed, graduate
high school, and go on to be productive citizens (Byrne, et al. 2013). One area to begin is to
provide support in academics and provide assistance to the students who so severely need it.
After-school programming is a good starting point for Downtown Achieves because they are
proven to assist in academic gains.
The need and desire for after-school programs are evident. After-school programs are a
possible way to help students succeed academically, yet, in 2005 it was reported that only 11

Running Head: WHITE PAPER IMPROVING STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

percent of American children (6.5 million) participate in after-school programs [but] an
additional 15 million students report[ed] that they would participate if more programs were
available (Varty, 2005, p. 23). This being said, the desire for after-school programs and the
positive impact they have on the students is apparent. It then becomes necessary to fund them
and decided what type of program should be incorporated in the schools. This is where the
Downtown Achieves will greatly impact CCSD inner-city schools and make a difference in the
lives of many children.

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References
Beck, E. L. (1999). Prevention and Intervention Programming: Lessons from an AfterSchool Program. The Urban Review, 31(1), 107-124.
Byrne, C. (Producer), MacQuarrie, K. (Producer), Jameson, G. (Executive Producer), &
Knudsen, B. (Executive Producer), (2013). Downtown Achieves [YouTube
Video]. United States of America: MacQuarrie Byrne Films
Chappell, S. V. (2006). Children At Risk: Constructions of Childhood in the 21st
Century Community Learning Centers Federal After-School Program, Arts
Education Policy Review, 180(2), 9-16, DOI:10.3200/AEPR.108.2.9-16
Gardner, R., Talbert-Johnson, C. (2000). School Reform and Desegregation: The Real
Deal or More of the Same?, Education and Urban Society, 33(1), 74-87.
Greenberg, J. P. (2012). Serving Hispanic School-Aged Children in After School
Programming: Implications for School Social Work. School Social Work Journal,
36(2), 73-88.
Hirsh, B. J. (2011). Learning and Development in After-School Programs. Phi Delta
Kappa International, 92(5), 66-69.
Litke, E. (2009). After the Bell Rings: Student Perceptions of After-School. Teachers
College Record, 111(8), 1954-1970.
Nocon, H. (2005). Productive Resistance: Lessons from After-School about Engaged
Noncompliance. American Journal of Education, 111(2), 191-210.
Protheroe, N. (2006). Successful after-school programs. Principal-Arlington-,
85(5), 34-37.
Varty, A. (2005). Environmental Education in After-School Programs. Green Teacher,
34(77), 23-26.

Running Head: WHITE PAPER IMPROVING STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

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Wong, D. (Producer). (2014, November 3). Downtown Achieves aims to boost students in innercity schools [Television broadcast]. Las Vegas, NV: Channel 13 Action News.