Need for LW

See the summary of student demographics.

The ultimate goal of LearningWorks is to support students on the path to college. Research has shown that students form their expectations of their own educational success early in their academic careers. Students begin self-selecting for high academic achievement as early as third grade, and courses that students take in middle school and early in high school are closely related to future college attendance (Ghere, Moore, & Schel, 1999). By working with students during the formative middle school years, modeling excellence and high academic expectations, LearningWorks hopes to play a large role in shaping long-term goals for its students.

For 6th through 12th graders, time spent in structured groups, doing homework, and extracurricular activities is positively correlated with higher grades and test scores. This is the case even when factors such as a student’s income level, race/ethnicity, gender, and grade level are controlled for (Miller, 2003). These higher grades and test scores can then translate into greater opportunities for educational enrichment and achievement. LearningWorks students do have access to an opportunity for academic enrichment through LearningWorks, but there are still many variables that can affect a student’s likelihood of graduating high school and attending college. Many studies (some are cited at left) have pointed out the strong correlations between factors such as economic status, family educational background, and race/ethnicity. These factors represent the challenges that LearningWorks students, other students from low-income backgrounds, and other students of color face on their path to college.