The Structuring of Extracurricular Opportunities and Latino Student Retention

Abstract

This study examines extracurricular participation of Latino students in an inner-city high school. Multiple, intensive interviews with 33 participants, along with ethnographic observation, school records, students' transcripts, school reports, yearbooks, and other school documents were used in the research. My findings suggest that there is a strong connection between high school retention and extracurricular participation. The students who stayed in school and graduated had extracurricular participation rates much higher than students who ended up dropping out. I found that this was not due to lack of interest from nonparticipants but to the way extracurricular opportunities were structured. The school's formal and informal requirements for participation such as limited funds, school size, participation criteria, and access to extracurricular activities made joining the programs difficult for many students, especially those at-risk of dropping out. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: <getinfo@ haworthpressinc.com> Website: <http://www.haworthpressinc.com>]

A qualitative study of student attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, outlook and context in Qatar: Persistence in higher education

“…The second relevant theory is the socialization theory. The socialization theory suggests that extracurricular activities help students value social interaction, where the institutions concomitantly commit to social values (Flores-Gonzalez, 2000;Melnick, Sabo & Vanfossen, 1992). Both theories taken together suggest that extracurricular activities may have a positive impact on student achievement and also affectively provide the students with possibilities that peers could help in the achievement of students.…”

The impact of engagement with extracurricular activities on the student experience and graduate outcomes for widening participation populations

“…It is therefore clear that there is a need for a better understanding of the long-term impacts of extracurricular activity, as relatively little research to date has examined the role of extracurricular activities on student life and future career prospects, with emphasis on student demographics. However, research undertaken with high school students suggests that students' engagement with ECAs varies across gender, social class and ethnic group (Brown and Evans, 2002;Dimaggio, 1982;Dumais, 2002;Farkas, 1996;Flores-Gonzalez, 2000), as do the benefits of these activities for academic achievement and employment (Eide and Ronan, 2001).…”

Latina/o Students in K-12 Schools: A Synthesis of Empirical Research on Factors Influencing Academic Achievement

“…Overarchingly, the literature has identified participation in extracurricular activities as having a positive effect on Latina/o student success in the form of test scores (J. A. Espinoza, Lunenburg, & Slate, 2013; Prelow & Loukas, 2003), grades (e.g., Crosnoe, 2005), high school completion (Flores-González, 2000; Lagerwey et al, 2003), college enrollment (e.g., Taggart & Crisp, 2011), attendance (Flores-González, 2000), and discipline (Flores-González, 2000; Prelow & Loukas, 2003).…”