Inspired Minds

The latest NAEP results reveal the biggest drop in math performance in fourth and eighth grade students since the testing program began initial assessments in 1990, though students have now recovered about a third of what they lost in math during the pandemic. The 2019 NAEP science assessment revealed that only one-third of elementary and middle school students had proficient scores, and scores on the 2024 test are expected to be even worse given the relative inattention to science instruction in learning recovery efforts. Combined, these trends have created an increased awareness of the need for high-quality STEM learning, both in and outside of school, to help address learning loss and increase STEM engagement.

Too often, school-day science suffers from ineffective STEM pedagogy that fails to offer authentic STEM practices that are relevant to kids’ lives and their interests. Additionally, school-day science often faces deprioritization over more frequently tested subjects such as math and English language arts. The most recent 2022 PISA assessment scores reveal a three-point decline in U.S. student achievement in science since 2018.

Students regularly participating in afterschool programs experience increases in academic performance and improve the likelihood of graduating from high school. Additionally, teachers and community members often value out-of-school STEM programs for their impact beyond student outcomes and engagement, including their ability to enhance teachers’ professional development and skills.

Out-of-school settings are particularly well-suited for the promotion of SEL outcomes due to their greater flexibility. This is particularly true for high-quality STEM programs: students in these programs reported greater SEL growth versus those in lower-quality programs, and research shows a strong correlation between STEM and SEL outcomes. According to one survey, 83 percent of parents report that seeing their child happy is the most important child-centric quality driver for out-of-school programs, and 76 percent said the most important aspect of an out-of-school program’s environment is that it is fun.

Math skills upon entering kindergarten are the best predictor of eighth grade performance regardless of race, gender, or SES, and children who consistently struggle with math are less likely to receive a high school diploma or attend college. Yet, over half of 18- to 34-year-olds regularly say they cannot do math and STEM anxiety can be highly transferable from adults to children. One study revealed that first grade students who were taught by teachers with heightened math anxiety performed worse in the subject than their peers who were taught by less anxious teachers. But these mindsets are malleable: Overdeck Family Foundation-funded research that showed improving parents’ perception of their children’s math abilities can improve children’s math performance by as much as three months.

Survey data from Afterschool Alliance show that 72 percent of parents report STEM is important to them in choosing an afterschool program—a 19 percent increase from 2014. Additionally, according to RAND findings, principals say the number-one thing they would change about afterschool programming is to offer more STEM. But, they also report it is challenging to find high-quality STEM program providers and access funding to pay for them.

The pandemic exacerbated hiring challenges for out-of-school programs, leading to reduced access and widespread closures across the country. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, educators cite the inability to find staff as the top barrier to providing afterschool programs. Additionally, the decentralization of funding for out-of-school means that evidence-based practices are not consistently implemented, limiting the number of programs that operate at their full potential.