DKC Public Relations
Bruce Bobbins / Megan Lavery
(212) 981-5190 / (212) 981-5147
_____________________________________________________________________________
SEO SCHOLARS CLOSES ACHIEVEMENT GAP
BETWEEN BLACK/HISPANIC AND WHITE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Proof that Out-of-School-Time Can Be Used to Close the Achievement Gap
Also Between Low-Income and Affluent High School Students
(New York, June 19, 2012) – A two-year independent study by Policy Studies Associates, Inc. confirms
that an academic out-of-school time program, SEO Scholars, has closed the achievement gap by
dramatically improving outcomes for its low-income students. The study has system-wide implications,
proving that out-of-school time is a solution that can be capitalized upon well beyond its current use to
improve student performance.
The study shows that participants of the SEO Scholars program attain higher GPAs, better SAT scores
and are accepted to more selective colleges than New York City public high school students of the same
socio-economic status and ethnic background. Most SEO Scholars (80%) are Black and Hispanic, lowincome and enter the program with at least a 77% GPA.
Most significantly, the performance of SEO Scholars on the SAT matched or exceeded that of all
American students as reported by the College Board. Further, Black and Hispanic SEO Scholars perform
as well as, or better than, their more affluent White counterparts on the SAT, closing the racial
achievement gap that has befuddled policymakers and plagued American public education for decades.
Another affirmation of the program’s effectiveness is the fact that although Scholars are predominantly
selected from families whose income hovers near the poverty line, they earn SAT scores higher than
those of students from families whose average annual income is around $140,000 a year. Various
studies have shown that SAT scores are strongly correlated with family income.
Based in New York, SEO Scholars is an eight-year program that services motivated low-income students
from ninth grade through college graduation. In high school, SEO Scholars provides a carefullycalibrated, rigorously-assessed course of supplemental education delivered through a weekly Saturday
Academy, after-school classes and a Summer Academy. In all, Scholars receive the equivalent of over
2.5 years of additional instruction in English and 1.5 years of additional instruction in Math during high
school.
“More than a quarter billion dollars in public and private dollars is spent annually in New York City on outof-school time programs. We could get a much greater return on those dollars if we put real education
into supplemental education, helping our nation's public school systems close the opportunity and
achievement gaps facing low-income students. ” said William Goodloe, president and CEO of SEO. “This
study indicates that kids do not have to fall victim to the achievement gap that looms over their heads due
to socio-economic disadvantages.”
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P. 2—SEO Study
Study Results
The report, “Preparing for College Success: Evaluation of the Educational Impact of the SEO Scholars
Program,” was commissioned for trustees of the Edwin Gould Foundation, which supports non-profit
organizations that deliver innovative academic programs aimed at closing the achievement gap. The
report shows that SEO Scholars:

Score an average of 1616 on the SAT, outperforming not only evenly-matched students (who
average 1492) but national test-takers (who average 1509).

Surpass the SAT score (1550) students need to be “college ready” as identified by the College
Board.

Maintain an average GPA of 3.3 as compared to 2.7 for evenly-matched students.

The SEO Scholars program has the strongest impact on low-income Black and Hispanic males
who, without intervention, have poor academic outcomes relative to their female counterparts.

Are much more likely to attend very competitive, highly competitive and most competitive fouryear colleges as determined by Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges, 2009 Edition.
“By preparing students for high levels of academic success and college admissions, SEO Scholars
addresses the achievement gap at one of its most critical junctures,” said Mark Bieler, Chairman of the
Edwin Gould Foundation, which has provided ongoing input and funding for SEO. “SEO Scholars is
creating a groundbreaking roadmap to success and is paving the way to college admissions for some of
New York City’s most underserved students.”
The Future for SEO Scholars
Since 2006, SEO Scholars has tripled the number of students served. Currently, 400 high school students
in New York City and San Francisco are enrolled in addition to 212 college students at 97 different
schools throughout the country.
Experts suggest that over 10,000 NYC public school 9th graders could qualify for the SEO Scholars
program. At their current level of funding, SEO Scholars was only able to admit 120 of the over 1,000 9th
graders who applied in the fall of 2011.
“We are seeking additional funding so that we can have a greater impact,” said Walter Booker, Chairman
of the Board of Directors of SEO. “We also hope that the study will serve as a catalyst for a reexamination of what is being provided for low-income students beyond standard classroom hours. The
potential is clearly life-altering for students and families.”
Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) was founded in 1963 with a mission to provide talented
and motivated young people from underserved and underrepresented communities with access to
educational and career opportunities. Currently, SEO runs three programs. SEO Scholars provides outof-school time academic classes and advising to ensure that low-income public high school students get
to and through college; SEO Career recruits, trains and mentors outstanding underrepresented college
students of color for internships that lead to careers in some of the nation’s most competitive industries;
SEO Alternative Investments provides education, exposure, training and mentoring opportunities to
talented professionals traditionally under-represented in the alternative investments sector. SEO’s
powerful network of 8,000 alumni spans 46 states and 45 countries including affiliate programs in London,
China and Vietnam.
www.seoscholars.org