THE CASE FOR STUDENT ACTIVITIES Co-curricular Activities are a critical component to the success of students in 21st Century seconday schools with in the school setting and beyond the school doors. Advisors, YOU Are the Key to this Effort. Speak out for the value of what you do. Build a case by reading Student Activities: The Third Curriculum by Dr. Ed Klesse distributed by NASC. Download the attached article by Dr. Bryan Shelly, PASC Alum and Professor of Political Science at Wake Forest University. You can also contact Dr. Shelly (shellybt@wfu.edu) to obtain more facts to back up your beliefs. Keep Doing What You Do Best…Care about Kids. Dr. Ed Kleese, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum in New York in his noted work Student Activities: The Third Curriculum distributed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals highlights the impact of student activities and most importantly the role of Student Council and class government organizations in building a positive school climate and long-term positive tools that are essential to academic success in schools and the fostering of a spirit of community locally, statewide and nationally. PASC Alum, Dr. Bryan Shelly, Department of Political Science at Wake Forest University, has prepared extensive studies on the impact of student activities on secondary students focusing on four major areas: Academics Civic Skills Reduced Deviance Future Outcomes Impact on Academics
Better attendance More challenging courses Better grades Even Better PSSA scores
A 2007 study by Davila and Mora shows that involvement in student activities correlates with a 2.1% increase in test score performance in four major subjects. Civic Skills
Volunteering Voting All Political and Civic Activity, Present and Future
Zaff et al in 2003 found that consistent participants in student activities in high school were 50% more likely to start college, volunteer, and vote.
Reduced Deviance
Student activities has one of the biggest effects on “at risk” students. Students with low academic performance Student with discipline problems Women Racial and ethnic minorities
Mahoney and Cairns’ research in 1997 finds a significant impact on the drop out rate. They thus challenge administrators, teachers, and school boards to find ways to expand student activity opportunities to “at risk” students? The challenge for us in the activities arena is to “look outside the box” and work with our student leaders, faculty and staff colleagues in creating new and varied activities that appeal to these non-traditional students. Future Outcomes Involvement in sustainable student activities is found in more than 100 studies to be a major factor in the future success of our students in college, in the work force, and as participants in a viable democratic society. Multiple studies show that nothing else has as great an impact on future success than participation. Student Activity Advisors YOU MAKE THAT DIFFERENCE. Low tests scores? More activities Discipline problems? More activities Any problem? MORE MORE MORE However this means not just participation in student activities……BUT Good Participation
Participation must be structured so that Real time commitment Engage a student’s interests Make decisions with real effects
Dr. Shelly writes, “For kids to become who we want them to be, these co-curricular activities are arguably as important to the future success of our students as the curriculum taught in our classrooms.”