" As this review of research suggests...rates of participation in after-school programs remain relatively low among disadvantaged and minority youth – the very youth who may be most in need of academic assistance. The overarching aim of this paper is therefore to highlight potential reasons for these low participation rates, and to examine the proposition that increasing access among economically disadvantaged, minority students will lead to more equitable academic outcomes."

Margo Gardner, Research Scientist, National Center for Children and Families

Jodie Roth, Senior Research Scientist, National Center for Children and Families

Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Child Development and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University

Discussants:

Robert Granger, President, William T. Grant Foundation

Lucy Friedman, President, The After School Corporation

Moderator:

Edmund Gordon, Richard March Hoe Professor, Emeritus of Psychology and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University 

RESOURCES:

• Gardner, M., Roth, Jodie L., Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). Can after-school programs help level the playing field for disadvantaged youth? Equity Matters: Research Review No. 4. New York: The Campaign for Educational Equity.

• Audio Podcast (iTunes required)

Published Monday, Oct. 26, 2009