Expanded Learning: Making It Work for High School Students
In light of the current state of neighborhood schools and the achievement and graduation gaps that leave many students of color at a disadvantage throughout their lives, the Campaign for High School Equity (CHSE) believes that educators and policymakers should substantively reframe and expand teaching and learning to include additional supports and opportunities for students that go beyond the traditional school day. This would allow schools to bring an array of public and private agencies together with school-based educators to provide integrated services that offer a full range of learning and developmental assets for students and their families.
Ultimately, an expanded learning approach creates a foundation for a positive shared culture that values learning, skill-development, and the making of important contributions to society.
Every day, students of color struggle to graduate from schools designated as "dropout factories"-schools where the typical freshman class shrinks by 40 percent or more by the time students reach their senior year. For those students who do not graduate from high school, one-third will be underprepared for college and the modern workforce. African American, Latino, American Indian, and Alaska Native high school students have worse than a 6 in 10 chance of graduating from high school on time with a regular diploma. Unfortunately, the lack of specific data for Southeast Asian American students, who are generally grouped together with the larger "Asian American" designation, hides a similar struggle.
Lagging graduation rates underscore the urgent need to redesign America's high schools. These rates point to the necessity of redefining the schooling process by incorporating the innovative and flexible interventions that expanded learning opportunities can offer all students, preparing them to graduate ready for college and work. High-quality expanded learning opportunities-including programs sponsored by schools, community-based organizations (CBOs), and Native American tribes working alone or in partnerships-are vital to efforts to reverse the achievement and graduation gaps in our nation's high schools.
Expanded learning programs: promote student engagement in academic and enrichment activities; provide more time for academic learning; and can lead to greater preparedness for college and the modern workplace. However, research shows that the students most likely to benefit from these activities, particularly students of color, currently do not have access to effective programs. This is true for high school students in general: nationwide, 17 percent of elementary school students are in after-school programs, compared to 12 percent of middle school students and 7 percent of high school students.
Students of color should have access to innovative and effective expanded learning opportunities that increase their investment in their learning and overall development. Expanded learning opportunities that are strategically designed and targeted to increase achievement, improve student engagement, and enhance knowledge and skill development are important community-based solutions that can equalize educational opportunities, curb dropout rates, and prepare all students for college and careers.