While there is no clear consensus, the results of a Gallup Youth
Survey conducted in early 2003* suggest that teens are not
completely satisfied with the quality of the extracurricular
programs their schools offer.
This finding is important to note for two main reasons.
Primarily, teens derive substantial developmental benefits --
social, physiological, or academic -- from extracurriculars. But
they are also of increasing concern to many teens and parents in
recent years for the role they play in college admissions.
About two-thirds of teens (ages 13 to 17) grade the
extracurricular activities at their schools with an A or B (34% and
33%, respectively). Twenty percent think their school deserves a C.
The remainder would give a D or a failing grade. Based on a
grade-point scale, with 4 points for an A, 3 points for a B, 2
points for a C, and so on, schools would earn a GPA of 2.82 -- a C+
-- for their extracurricular offerings.
Participation in Sports/Exercise Means Higher Ratings
Teens' levels of participation in extracurricular activities
their schools offer may explain differences in the grades some
teens' gave their schools' extracurricular programs. While
extracurricular activities are not limited to sports (they
typically also include theater and academic clubs such as debate or
science), respondents who indicated that they regularly participate
in sports or exercise were more likely to grade extracurricular
activities with an A (37%) than teens who do not participate in
sports or exercise (25%).
Higher Class Ranking Links to Higher Ratings
Teens' perceptions of the extracurricular activities available
at their schools are also more likely to be positive if their class
standing is high. That is, teens who consider themselves above
average or near the top of their class were more likely to give
their schools As than teens who consider themselves average or
below average.
Risk Behaviors
Smoking and alcohol use are often considered to be indicators of
anti-social teenage behavior. Students who engage in these
activities are often less apt to participate in community and/or
school-related extracurricular activities. According to the Gallup
survey, teenagers who smoke have lower opinions of the
extracurricular activities available at their schools than those
who do not smoke, with only 49% of smokers giving an A or B grade
compared to 69% of non-smokers who gave As and Bs.
Bottom Line
The benefits of participation in extracurricular activities can
be enormous for teenagers, socially and otherwise. Mediocre teen
ratings of the extracurricular activities at their schools (a C+
overall) suggest there is ample room for schools to improve the
extracurricular programs they offer. Although it should be noted
that teens grade their schools higher for their extracurricular
activities than they do for its technology and higher than their
overall grade of their school.
Teens who are involved in sports and with higher class standing
are generally more satisfied with the programs than other teens
are, and they are likely to be the ones who more consistently
engage in extracurricular activities. It's a bit of a
chicken-and-egg question, but one approach for schools seeking to
raise students' positivity toward extracurricular groups may simply
be to focus on getting them in the door by increasing participation
requirements.
*The Gallup Youth Survey is conducted via an Internet
methodology provided by Knowledge Networks, using an online
research panel that is designed to be representative of the entire
U.S. population. The current questionnaire was completed by 1,200
respondents, aged 13 to 17, between Jan. 23-Feb. 10, 2003. For
results based on the total sample, one can say with 95% confidence
that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3%. For a
complete description of the sampling and weighting procedures used
to conduct the survey, click here.
