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Citation:

Clark, R. (In Press). Ten hypotheses about what predicts student achievement for African American students and all other students: What the research shows. In W. R. Allen & M. B. Spencer & C. O'Conner (Eds.), African American Education: Race, Community, Inequality and Achievement - A Tribute to Edgar G. Epps. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Science.

Annotation:
This article addresses the debate about whether student achievement is primarily the result of social background factors (ethnicity, socio-economic status, family background), resource factors (physical facilities, per pupil expenditure) or factors within the control of students, parents, teachers, coaches/mentors, tutors, siblings, peers, and others in the community. The researcher builds on earlier research to consider two questions specifically related to family and community involvement in education: whether student engagement in out-of-school learning activities guided by adults has a positive effect on academic achievement and whether engagement in specific high yield activities such as reading, writing and studying guided by adults has a positive effect on academic achievement. The study found that student achievement was correlated to factors within the control of students, parents, teachers and others. More specifically, student engagement with adult mentors in structured out-ofÐschool learning activities, especially reading, writing, and studying, was correlated with academic achievement. The results indicated that the combined effect of the quality of studentsÕ out-of-school learning activities, the amount of time exposed to powerful learning activities, and the level of parentsÕ and teachersÕ standards for academic achievement accounted for most of the variance in student achievementÐÒfar more than maternal educational level, parentsÕ age, and economics circumstances combined.Ó (p.20) The researcher analyzed long-term data from nine student samples divided into groups of high and low achievers. Data had been collected between 1984 and 1999 from students in grades 1-12, college seniors, and young adults located in Nashville, TN; Bakersfield, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Long Beach, CA; and KelloggÕs youth and teen afterschool enrichment programs in 13 states. The researcher recommends that given what the data indicate about the importance of out-of-school programs offering high impact activities, adults who guide and instruct students should have opportunities for personal development in helping students organize and manage their out of school time effectively. The findings also suggest that higher levels of academic success can result when schools and youth serving agencies such as the Boys and Girls Clubs and YMCA offer programs that encourage reading, writing, and studying during the school day as well as during evenings, weekends, and summer.