Extracurricular activities offer opportunities for students to develop skills that are important in the workplace and in society, such as team values, individual and group responsibility, physical strength and endurance, competition, and a sense of community. Consequently, equal access to opportunities to develop such skills is an important component of educational equity.
In 2001, females were more likely than their male peers to participate in music or other performing arts, belong to academic clubs, work on the school newspaper or yearbook, or to participate in the student council or government (figure G). Male students, however, were more likely to participate in school athletics than female students. Roughly one-third of female seniors reported participating in music or other performing arts, and one-third reported participating on athletic teams. In contrast, 19 percent of male students reported participating in music or other performing arts, while 45 percent reported participating on athletic teams (indicator 15). It is difficult to assess the relative importance of the different types of skills learned in the various activities.