Extracurricular Activities and High School Dropouts

Abstract

Previous research on high school dropouts has typically examined the relationship between a student's attributes and dropping out, but research on the more voluntary or behavioral attributes associated with dropping out of high school has been limited. The findings presented here indicate that participation in certain extracurricular activities (athletics andfine arts) significantly reduces a student's likelihood of dropping out, whereas participation in academic or vocational clubs has no effect. When all activities are examined simultaneously, only athletic participation remains significantly related to dropping out. Furthermore, participation in athletics and in fine arts serve as key intervening variables in the process, magnifying the direct relationships between race, gender, academic ability, and dropping out. These findings persist even after crucial dropout (such as race, socioeconomic status, and gender) and pullout forces (such as employment) are controlled.