Summer Activities of Students Enrolled in Grades 1-12 <mark>

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Vol 1, Issue 2, Topic: Elementary/Secondary Education

Summer Activities of Students Enrolled in Grades 1-12

This article was originally published as an Indicator of the Month, taken from The Condition of Education 1998. The sample survey data are from the October Current Population Survey (CPS), conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Students engage in a variety of activities during their summer vacations that provide them with educational opportunities. Some students attend summer school to retake subjects failed during the academic year, to improve their basic skills, or to take courses that are unavailable or for which there is not sufficient time during the regular school year. If they are older, students may take college-level courses for credit. Other students may choose to participate in organized activities, such as sports or activities for which they do not have time during the academic year, and some may work for pay or participate in internships or community service. Examining which summer activities students participate in may indicate which opportunities are valued most by students and their parents.

In summer 1996, 9 percent of students in grades 1-12 attended summer school, and 38 percent participated in other organized summer activities. Among students who were enrolled in grades 8-12, 26 percent worked for pay during the summer, 2 percent participated in unpaid internships, and 9 percent participated in community service.
In summer 1996, students in grades 1-7 were more likely than students in higher grades to attend summer school to improve basic skills, while students in grades 8-12 were more likely than students in grades 1-7 to attend summer school to retake a subject.
Black and Hispanic students in grades 1-12 were more likely to attend summer school than their white peers. White students in grades 8-12, however, were more likely than black and Hispanic students to work for pay and participate in community service.
Students in grades 1-12 were equally likely to attend summer school, regardless of family income. In contrast, students from high-income families were more likely to participate in community service and other organized summer activities and to work for pay than their peers from low- or middle-income families.

Percentage of students ages 6-20 who were enrolled in grades 1-12 and who participated in various summer activities, by selected student characteristics: Summer 1996

Percentage of students ages 6-20 who were enrolled in grades 1-12 and who participated in various summer activities, by selected student characteristics: Summer 1996

- Not applicable.
¹ For students enrolled in grades 8-12.
² Included in the total but not shown separately are students ages 6-20 whose grade levels were unknown, students from other racial/ethnic groups, and students whose parents' highest education level was not available.
³ A parent's highest education level was determined by merging information from the parent's records with information from the child's records. When no parent resided with the student, information from the child's guardian was used.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Current Population Survey, October 1996.

Percentage of students ages 6-20 who were enrolled in grades 1-12 and who participated in various summer activities: Summer 1996

Total students enrolled in grades 1-12 ¹

Percentage of students ages 6-20 who were enrolled in grades 1-12 and who participated in various summer activities: Summer 1996

By grade level

Percentage of students ages 6-20 who were enrolled in grades 1-12 and who participated in various summer activities: Summer 1996

By race/ethnicity

Percentage of students ages 6-20 who were enrolled in grades 1-12 and who participated in various summer activities: Summer 1996

¹ Included in total but not shown separately are students ages 6-20 whose grade levels were unknown and students from other racial/ethnic groups..
² For students enrolled in grades 8-12.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Current Population Survey, October 1996.

Data source: The U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey (CPS), October 1996.

For technical information, see
Wirt, J., Snyder, T., Sable, J., Choy, S.P., Bae, Y., Stennett, J., Gruner, A., and Perie, M. (1998). The Condition of Education 1998 (NCES 98-013).

For complete supplemental and standard error tables, see either

• the electronic version of The Condition of Education 1998 (http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=98013), or

• volume 2 of the printed version (forthcoming): The Condition of Education 1998 Supplemental and Standard Error Tables (NCES 1999-025).

Author affiliations: J. Wirt and T. Snyder, NCES; J. Sable, Y. Bae, and J. Stennett, Pinkerton Computer Consultants, Inc.; S.P. Choy, MPR Associates, Inc.; and M. Perie and A. Gruner, American Institutes for Research.

For questions about content, contact John Wirt (john.wirt@ed.gov).

To obtain this Indicator of the Month (NCES 1999-008), call the toll-free ED Pubs number (877-433-7827) or visit the NCES WebSite (http://nces.ed.gov).