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The purpose of this study was to investigate the connection betweeninterscholastic sports participation and the academic achievement and perceptions ofconnectedness of eighth grade students in the Blue Valley School District. This mixedmethods research study took place in Blue Valley USD 229 School District in OverlandPark, Kansas. The sample included over 1,600 eighth grade students during the 2011-2012 academic year. The quantitative research in the study measured the academicgrowth of eighth grade students using the 2011-2012 Measure of Academic Progress(MAP) assessments. Using the fall and spring RIT scores of every eighth grade studentwho took all four portions of the assessment (fall reading, fall math, spring reading,spring math), a one-factor analysis of variance was conducted to determine if the numberof sports a student played (zero, one, two, or three) had an impact on his/her level ofgrowth from the fall to the spring. The results indicated a statistically significantrelationship did not exist with academic growth as measured by the MAP and students’level of athletic participation. Additional analysis was warranted. The researcher thendivided the students’ fall RIT scores (for both reading and math) into three categories:lowest fall scores, medium fall scores, and highest fall scores. This allowed theresearcher to determine if the level of athletic participation had an impact on studentsbased on their level of achievement at the beginning of their eighth grade year. For thereading portion of the assessment, students who participated in 1 sport (M = 2.71)experienced less growth than students who participated in no sports (M = 20.83).Students who participated in 2 sports (M = 17.2) experienced more growth than studentswho participated in no sports (M = 3.56). For the math portion of the assessment, students who participated in 1 sport (M = 8.11) experienced more growth than studentswho participated in no sports (M = 3.56). Students who participated in 2 sports (M =7.95) experienced more growth than students who participated in no sports (M = 3.56).Students who participated in 3 sports (M = 8.89) experienced more growth than studentswho participated in no sports (M = 3.56).The qualitative portion of the study employed the use of focus groups to measurestudents’ perceptions of connectedness toward school relative to athletic participation.Response to the researcher’s request for participation in the focus groups was limited, soonly one focus group comprised of seven students was conducted. The results indicatedthat students reported the highest levels of connectedness when quality teaching staff andpositive relationships with peers were in place. |
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