Research: After the Bell Rings

By Catherine Gewertz

Photographs by Benjamin Tice SmithWashington

Amber Long was sick of going home every afternoon and watching television. So when her middle school launched an innovative after-school program, she hung around after the dismissal bell. She figured she had nothing to lose.

The teachers at Stuart-Hobson Middle School in the District of Columbia will tell you: As a 6th grader, Amber was a "diamond in the rough," expert at concealing her many facets beneath a bored, cynical air. All that was visible was the tough basketball player who couldn't rank school low enough on her list of priorities. Then a friend let it slip to the school's music teacher: Amber could sing. Really sing.

Friends and teachers in the music-and-theater portion of the after-school program finally wore down Amber's resistance, and one day she let out a little gospel. Eyebrows went up, and jaws dropped. The more smiles spread round the room, the louder Amber sang. Now, as an 8th grader, she's taking lead roles in the stage numbers. The reading and math tutoring she receives in the program have helped her improve her grades. For the first time, Amber feels...