Bridging the Diversity Gap and Improving Educational Opportunities for African American Students With Out-of-School Time

• In Event: The State and Future of the Out-of-School Time Field

Abstract

Objectives
Recognizing the diversity gap between teachers and students in US public schools, this paper describes out-of-school time (OST) programs as one viable approach to expose students to diverse teachers and role models. The paper focuses specifically on African American students for whom the diversity gap is large and widening.
Perspectives
The paper draws from the literature on the diversity gap, culturally responsive pedagogy, and OST programming, presenting Children Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools as an illustrative case. Specifically, the paper discusses African American students’ increasingly limited exposure to same-race teachers and role models despite research showing their importance for these students’ wellbeing and academic success, and the role of OST programs in bridging this gap.
Methods and Data
To identify literature for the paper, the authors searched several education databases for books, book chapters, reports, and journal articles. We used search terms related to the areas of interest including: African American teachers, diversity gap, culturally responsive pedagogy, same-race teachers, CDF Freedom Schools, out-of-school time learning, community partnerships, and African American student success. We analyzed these documents to address the primary objectives of the paper.
Results
The results of our analysis of the literature are summarized below:
I. Nationally, African American students have increasingly limited exposure to same-race teachers (Putman, Hansen, Walsh, & Quintero, 2016). However, studies have shown the benefits of same-race teachers for these students’ educational experiences and outcomes (see Hrabowski & Sanders, 2015).
II. Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) is a body of knowledge that theorizes frameworks, describes practices, and provides evaluations of culturally centered classroom strategies (Houchen, 2013). CRP is associated with enhanced academic and behavioral student outcomes (Gay, 2000), underscoring the socio-cultural dimension of education that is significant for learning in and out of school.
III. OST programs provide supervised learning and extracurricular activities for children and adolescents during non-school hours. A larger percentage of children of color (88%) than European American children (12%) participate in OST programs (Afterschool Alliance, 2014), which makes them especially well-suited to help bridge the diversity gap.
IV. OST programs can ensure that they meet standards for staff diversity (NAA, 2011) by partnering with volunteers and organizations in students’ communities (Sanders, 2006). In particular, OST programs serving African American students can tap into the community’s legacy of educational engagement (Sanders & Campbell, 2007).
V. Through its community partnerships, CDF Freedom Schools establish sites around the country that serve primarily African American students, employ staff that reflect student diversity, and enhance outcomes for all stakeholders (CDF, 2015).
Significance
This paper contends that high-quality OST programs are a viable means to ensure that African American and other students of color have the opportunity to benefit from same-race teachers and role models in culturally responsive learning environments. Additionally, it argues that through community partnerships, OST programs can broaden the diversity of their staff as evidenced by CDF Freedom Schools. OST programs, therefore, should be part of national and local efforts to promote educational equity for African American and other historically underserved students.

Authors

• Mavis G. Sanders, University of Maryland - Baltimore County

• Karen Watkins-Lewis, University of Maryland Baltimore County