July/August 2001

Attractions and Distractions

Risky behaviors—rites of passage to some—compete with serious study for the attention of highschoolers, especially seniors.

Percentage of students in grades 9–12* who say they . . .

*15,349 respondents surveyed in 1999

Source: Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Centers for Disease Control, 2000

 
More than three-quarters of students have a part-time job during senior year, but these jobs may be taking away from time spent doing homework.

Hours per week spent on homework . . .

Source: “Monitoring the Future Survey.” Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, 1998. Reported in The Condition of Education 2001. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, 2001.