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Co-Curricular Activities

Co-curricular activities in kindergarten through 12th grade (K–12) public schools are generally defined as activities that are closely related to identifiable academic programs and areas of study. It is intended that these co-curricular activities serve to complement curriculum-related academic areas. Examples might include student newspapers that are derived from high school English classes, school music productions that are offsprings of music instruction, or a student art show that stems from art classes. Another way of looking at co-curricular activities is that they typically are associated with the curriculum in a regular classroom.

A distinction should be made between co-curricular activities and extracurricular activities. Erroneously, these two are often considered identical, Co-curricular activities differ from extracurricular activities in that extracurricular activities are often defined as programs that are not part of the regular school curriculum, are not graded, do not offer credit, and do not take place during school time. Examples of extracurricular activities include interscholastic sports, chess club, and cheerleading.

Balancing Curricular and Co-Curricular Programs

The advent of programs and mandates such as No Child Left Behind, standards-based curriculum, and high-stakes testing have forced many school leaders in K–12 school districts to eliminate some co-curricular programs. Administrators have been hard pressed to adjust building schedules to accommodate all of the academic opportunities that students need in order to be successful.

As administrators struggle to find a balance between curricular and co-curricular programs, federal and state mandates, standards-based curriculum, and increased testing have typically resulted in additional classes being added to an already packed schedule in the academic core areas of math, English, social studies, and science. In conjunction with increases in the number of core area classes and more rigorous curricula, intervention opportunities for students who need additional assistance have been increased. Whether these mandates and requirements have resulted in positive changes for school districts, and thus for students, is an ongoing debate. However, the aforementioned changes have made it more difficult for principals to maintain schedules that provide students with opportunities to participate in co-curricular activities. Time is a scarce commodity in all schools, and new programs often replace programs currently in place. With additional core classes and more intervention opportunities, students may not have the time to participate in co-curricular activities. Unfortunately, school administrators may be unwittingly causing more harm than good when it comes to student success. The very programs that are being reduced or eliminated may have significant benefits for student academic achievement.

Educational Benefits of Co-Curricular Activities

Numerous school district policy manuals stress the importance and relevance of co-curricular activities for students. The intent of these policies is to enrich the educational and social development of students. The objective of all school-related activities should be to have a positive impact on some aspect of student learning. The vast majority of school districts have some form of vision or mission statement that typically stresses the importance of programs that aid in the development of student potential. As such, learning experiences that occur outside of the typical classroom and yet are related to identifiable academic programs can play an extremely important role in the development of student learning, increasing student abilities, and addressing learning outcomes and objectives. An example of this is School District 194 in Lakeville, Minnesota. Its policy, which is representative of many other school districts' policies, recognizes the important role of co-curricular programs in the overall educational process of students. In particular is noted that educational benefits of co-curricular activities include promotion of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor growth and development, improved self-concept, positive attitude, and overall academic achievement. Another example of school board policy that emphasizes the importance of co-curricular activities can be found in a California school district policy that states the board should support programs that enhance the regular school program with opportunities for student participation in a variety of suitable activities. The policy further stresses that an educationally sound co-curricular program will promote students' physical, mental, social, emotional, and moral well-being. Thus, it is clear that co-curricular programs have historically been endorsed in school board policy in many school districts across the land.

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