Effects of Engagement in Sports and Extracurricular Activities on Hopes of Graduation among Special Education Students Who Have Experienced Bullyin

The purpose of this study was to explore special education graduation rates for students who were involved in sports and/or extracurricular activities. Previous research has established that participation in athletics and extracurricular activities provides important health and social benefits for children. Federal laws help to ensure that Kindergarten through Grade 12 schools provide students in special education with opportunities to participate in physical education and extracurricular athletics equal to those of their peers. This study examined the effects of gender, ethnicity, and age on hopes of graduating in students with disabilities. The sample was taken from the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) cross-sectional study conducted by the California Department of Education. Participation in athletics was found to be not statistically significant in hopes of graduation among special education high school students. However, being a female and being a special education student proved to be statistically significant, suggesting there is a relationship between hopes of graduating and participation in extracurricular activities.