An Analysis of Academic and Behavioral Standards for Extracurricular Participation

Many schools implement both academic and behavioral standards as prerequisites for joining an extracurricular activity. While this practice ensures that the students in a club remain accountable for their grades and behavior, it leaves out students who are unable to do so – particularly students who struggle with their grades. There should be behavioral standards for students that permit them to take part in extracurricular activities; however, academic excellence should not be a barrier between students and their participation in these activities.

The Impact of Extracurricular Programs on Student Growth

Extracurricular programs, teams, and clubs are spaces where students can form relationships with other students, build skills that they wouldn’t have the capacity to otherwise, and develop responsibility, teamwork, and leadership – all skills that can enrich their future social lives, academic experiences, and employment opportunities. They also provide an avenue for students to develop their individuality; students must take generally the same courses during their K-12 years and often don’t have a voice in choosing those classes, so offering a way for students to decide their own path helps them develop their own agency. By withholding enriching opportunities from struggling students who don’t otherwise impede the experience of other students, schools actively inhibit their growth as individuals.

Evaluating Prerequisites: Academic vs. Behavioral Requirements

Naturally, many students have certain academic weaknesses; for example, while a student may thrive in History and English classes, they may struggle to grasp the concepts of Math or Physics, no matter how hard they try and how many hours of studying they pour into it. Thus, they may be unable to reach the academic standards for extracurriculars. To bar these students from thoroughly beneficial extracurricular activities is unnecessarily harmful, especially since unsatisfactory grades have no negative consequences for the activities themselves.

By contrast, if school programs are open to students who disrupt the school environment, this would harm the success of the activity (such as distracted or irresponsible participants) and a negative representation of the school in off-campus events. Since it is very likely that disruptive students would behave similarly in a program outside of school hours, implementing behavioral standards for students and specifying that only students with good conduct are permitted to participate in extracurricular activities would improve student and school life. Encouraging excellent conduct by opening extracurricular activities to only well-behaved students also encourages the student body to improve their behavior as a whole.

Comparison of Participation Criteria

Based on the arguments presented, the following points illustrate the differences between academic and behavioral barriers:

• Academic Standards: Often leave out students who struggle with specific subjects but could still benefit from extracurricular activities without harming the program.
• Behavioral Standards: Ensure that students with unsatisfactory behavior do not disrupt the activity or poorly represent the school.
• Impact on Activity: Unsatisfactory grades have no negative consequences for the activities themselves, whereas disruptive behavior harms the success of the program.