School Engagement Higher for Kids Involved in Extracurricular Activities

A new report from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that children tend to have higher levels of school engagement when involved in one or more activities, like sports, after-school learning or clubs.

The report, “A Child’s Day,” found that 42 percent of children who participated in after-school learning programs were highly engaged compared to 33 percent of children who did not. Overall, 42 percent of kids were involved in sports, 30 percent were involved in after-school learning, and 28 percent were involved in clubs. Nine percent of children participated in all three extracurricular activities.

Other findings include:

• Children in poverty were less likely to participate in each of the three extracurricular activities (sports, lessons and clubs) than those not in poverty. That’s why we support dozens of after-school and summertime enrichment programs for children from low-income families across our market area.
• A lower percentage of children in homes that lacked access to sufficient food at some time in the last 12 months were highly engaged in school — 26 percent compared with 38 percent for children in food-secure homes. That’s why we support weekend backpack programs in school systems where a large percentage of children live in low-income households.

The report analyzes data from the 2014 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), a nationally representative panel survey administered by the Census Bureau. School engagement is measured in the report using four questions from the SIPP that ask parents about their child’s school-related attitudes and motivation.