Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities have proven to be advantageous toward young athletes in the educational system. Research has verified that children who participate in extracurricular activities are less likely to drop out of school. Children who are at risk of failing have also been proven to benefit from extracurricular activities. One study done in 1997 examined the correlation connecting extracurricular activities and early dropout rates. Another study carried out in 2003 found that participation in one of the five areas of extracurricular activities had drastically lower dropout rates than those who did not participate in any activities at all. Athletes were the only one of the five categories that had noticeably lower dropout rates than students who did not participate. While they all had low dropout rates, athletics seemed most successful. In agreement, a study done in 2011 also found that extracurricular activities have an effect on dropout rates. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the dropout rate for 16 to 24 year olds declined from 12 percent in 1990 to 7 percent in 2011.

In an article written in 1997 by Joseph L. Mahoney and Robert B. Cairns, the authors conducted a study that examined the relationship between involvement in school based extracurricular activities and early school dropouts. The article is titled, “Do extracurricular activities protect against early school dropout?”. Participation has been found to be able to elevate an individual's status within the school and develop their social relations in the school community. The study found that sports such as football and other interscholastic athletics have little obvious connection to academic achievement. The study was conducted with 3...

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.... All in all, extracurricular activities have positively affected students across the board throughout the fourteen year time period. The Public School Athletic League has the 4+1 Rule where a student must pass four credit bearing subjects (not four credits) and physical education, if taken, in the most recent final marking period (January or June). An eligible student-athlete must pass four credit bearing subjects and physical education the marking period closest to December 1st or April 15th to continue his/her eligibility. Schools on cycle marking systems shall use the final grade of the cycle closest to January 31st and June 30th for determining final grades at the end of the term. Schools on cycle marking systems shall use the grades of the cycle closest to December 1st in the fall term and April 15th in the spring term for gaining or maintaining eligibility.