Community Service Participation of Students in Grades 6-12 <mark>

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

Community Service Participation of Students in Grades 6-12

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 NCES National Household Education Survey (NHES).

One objective of the National Education Goals is that all students be involved in activities that promote and demonstrate good citizenship and community service. Participating in community service may reduce the feeling of alienation from society that adolescents often experience and may have a positive effect on students' grades and school attendance. Student participation in service activities also benefits the community by providing scarce resources for various service projects. Data on student participation in community service activities may help school administrators assess their current community service requirements and help them find ways to integrate community service activities into the curriculum.

In 1996, about half (49 percent) of students in grades 6-12 participated in community service: 26 percent participated on a regular basis, and 23 percent participated once or twice during the school year.
Students in grades 6-12 were more likely to participate in community service if an adult in the household also did so. For example, 32 percent of students who lived in a household with an adult who participated in community service participated regularly, compared to 19 percent of students in a household with an adult who did not participate.

Students who were involved in student government, other school activities, or nonschool activities, or who worked for pay, were more likely to participate in community service than students who were not involved in these activities.
Student participation rates in schools that only arranged community service were higher than student participation rates in schools that only required community service. Participation rates in schools that both required and arranged community service were similar to the rates in schools that only arranged community service.

Percentage of students in grades 6-12 who participated or planned to participate in community service, by selected student characteristics:1996

Percentage of students in grades 6-12 who participated or planned to participate in community service, by selected student characteristics:1996

¹Data were collected from January 2, 1996, through April 13, 1996. Any student who reported participating in at least one activity more than twice during the school year was classified as a regular participant. Students may have participated in multiple activities without being classified as regular participants if no individual activity was performed more than twice.
² Only students who had performed no community service by the time of the interview were asked if they had plans to participate.

NOTE: Includes students in school in grades 6-12, not just those who participated or planned to participate in community service. Ungraded students or children who were home schooled were not included in this analysis. Details may not add to totals due to rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Household Education Survey (NHES), 1996 (Youth Civic Involvement Component).

Percentage of students in grades 6-12 who participated in community service: 1996

By selected student characteristics

Percentage of students in grades 6-12 who participated in community service: 1996

By parents' highest education level
Percentage of students in grades 6-12 who participated in community service: 1996

By school policy

Percentage of students in grades 6-12 who participated in community service: 1996

NOTE: Includes students in school in grades 6-12, not just those who participated or planned to participate in community service. For schools that required students to participate in community service, students must have completed the community service before graduation.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Household Education Survey (NHES), 1996 (Youth Civic Involvement Component).

Data source: The following component of the 1996 National Household Education Survey (NHES): Youth Civic Involvement.

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).

Nolin, M.J., Chaney, B., and Chapman, C. (1997). Student Participation in Community Service Activity (NCES 97-331).

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 1999-007), call the toll-free ED Pubs number (877-433-7827) or visit the NCES Web Site (http://nces.ed.gov).