The Value And Impact Of Extra Curricular Activities On Student Achievement

"This article reviews the contemporary literature on extracurricular activity participation, focusing on patterns of participation, academic achievement, substance abuse, psychological adjustment, and young adult outcomes. Throughout the article, many different groups are referenced to, with the majority of those surveyed from various middle and high schools around the country. The review indicated that the associations between extracurricular activity participation and these outcomes are mostly positive, with some limitations due to unmonitored and unmeasurable variables. Adolescents who participated in ECAs reported higher grades, more positive attitudes toward schools, and higher academic aspirations once demographic characteristics and prior adjustment were controlled. In contrast, results were examined with information related to participation in team sports were linked to positive educational trajectories and to high rates of involvement in risky behaviors. The author suggests application for information from this review as well as future research including discovering new methods for measuring activities and attitudes related toward student's attitude and their school experiences."--leaf 3.