The lagging educational performance of black, Latino and low-income U.S. students behind their peers, and of all U.S. students behind those in other nations, costs the economy more than the current recession, according to new research by McKinsey & Co.

On average, the study found, black and Latino students are two to three years of learning —measured in test scores and graduation rates — behind white students of the same age. Students eligible for free school lunches are also roughly two years behind other students their age. That raises moral and ethical problems, write the report authors, in a country that strives to provide equal opportunity.

It’s also an economic problem, for both individuals and the country as a whole. Youth with poor educational outcomes will earn less as adult workers, have more costly health problems and are more likely to be incarcerated. Collectively, that creates a sizable drain on the nation’s economy. What’s more, U.S. students lag behind their counterparts in other countries, which means that failing schools affect nearly all students at some level.

Researchers also found huge differences in the success rates of students of similar racial and economic backgrounds in different school systems. And that’s the good news: race and poverty do not inevitably doom students to lower achievement. Effective educational policies and strategies in some school systems are making a difference, and so can individual teachers, parents, families and organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs, which have been shown to improve educational achievement.

Ask at your Club about educational offerings such as Project Learn and Power Hour. For ideas about what you can do to help your children and teens achieve in school, visit the Your Club and Your Child sections of our site.