Challenging Underserved Children to Achieve Academic Excellence

Between 1998 and 2002, federal funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grew from $40 million to $1 billion a year. At the state and local levels, public and private investment in such out-of-school-time (OST) programmes has also soared. These programmes are intended to develop academic and leadership skills needed for success in middle school, high school, and beyond. Are they delivering results? Higher Achievement intends to answer that question.

Purpose and Impact of the Grant

Since 1975, Higher Achievement has provided intensive OST programming to middle school students in the Washington DC area. Higher Achievement scholars commit 650 hours a year, in addition to the 900 hours they spend in school, for four years (grades 5-8). They attend the SummerAcademy and the AfterschoolAcademy, working with mentors on mathematics, language arts, visual arts, and technology. The Follow Through Program sustains relationships through high school and into college, including SAT preparation and college application support.

Programme impact on academic success has been impressive. After just one year, 76% of C students improved their report cards a full letter grade, and more than half of all the scholars boosted their scores on standardised tests significantly. Higher Achievement has received numerous awards, most recently the national recognition represented by the 2006 Excellence in Summer Learning Award from Johns Hopkins University.

But Higher Achievement wants a more scientific answer to the question of results delivered. With Atlantic support, the organisation is conducting a random assignment study that will show whether and under what conditions its programmes have positive impact on disadvantaged students. The study will provide valuable data to strengthen OST programmes nationwide and secure the funding to sustain them.