Does Athletic Success Come at the Expense of Academic Success?

Claims are often made about the impact of high school athletics on academic achievement without reference to empirical research on the issue. This paper examines empirically the relationship between the extent towhich high schools have winning sports teams, offer a variety of sports options, and facilitate student participation in athletics on schools’ overall student achievement and attainment.

The authors find that high school athletics do not appear to detract from academic success. In fact, based on the data they examined from Ohio high schools, an emphasis on athletic success and participation is associated with higher scores on standardized tests and higher graduation rates.

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