Extracurricular Activities and African American and Latino Males in Middle School

This quantitative study focuses on the effectiveness of extracurricular programs in middle schools that serve African American and Latino males. Surveys were given to male students from a suburb just south of the Greater Los Angeles Area. For many years, these two subgroups have found themselves at the lower end of most positive academic data while topping the charts in negative data such as suspensions, attendance issues, and drop out rates. Historically, these students have been drawn towards activities at school that involve sports or entertainment. The findings show that, whereas, students feel a sense of safety and acceptance in afterschool or enrichment programs, the students do not express a strong interest in the programs that are available to them. The study also looks into how Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) programs can assist in improving relationships and self-efficacy amongst these young men. This work contributes to the educational research discourse by attempting to discover significant measures to close the achievement gap that exists between African American and Latino males and their age and grade level counterparts.