Extra Benefits Tied to Extracurriculars

By Michelle Galley

Students who take part in extracurricular activities such as band, school plays, academic clubs, and sports generally do better in high school, and even beyond, than those who don't, according to an ongoing long-term study of more than 1,000 former Michigan 6th graders.

The activities are linked to better grades, lower rates of truancy, stronger feelings of attachment to a school, and higher rates of college attainment, according to the Michigan Study of Adolescent Life Transitions.

The study began in 1983 with a group of 1,800 6th graders from 10 school districts in southeastern Michigan. A majority of the students are white, and they come from...