The Effect of an Out-of-School Enrichment Program on the Academic Achievement of High-Potential Students From Low-Income Families

Abstract

High-potential students from low-income families are at an academic disadvantage compared with their more affluent peers. To address this issue, researchers have suggested novel approaches to mitigate gaps in student performance, including out-of-school enrichment programs. Longitudinal mixed effects modeling was used to analyze the growth of elementary students from low-income families on a Midwestern state achievement test in mathematics and English/language arts performance after attendance at an enrichment camp in the Midwest ( n = 137). The results of the analysis showed that camp attendance had a positive effect on the state standardized scores in both math (β = 11.370, SE = 3.846) and English/language arts (β = 8.294, SE = 3.874) of these students.