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:
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.