highlights of apex student survey 2011

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Highlights of the APEX Student Survey: Life Outside the Classroom

Funded by a grant from Diploma Plus

Spring 2011

Highlights of the APEX Student Survey: Life Outside the Classroom, Spring 2011


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Table of Contents

Background, Objectives and Methodology 3

Sleep and Alertness Habits 4

Reasons for Tardiness 6

Education and Employment Plans After APEX 8

Attitudes about College and Outside Influences 10

Parental Involvement and Family Responsibilities 14

Emotions, Feelings, and Stressors 18

Bullying and Harassment 23

Demographics 28



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Background, Objectives and Methodology

This project aims to gather data about the lives of APEX students by giving the students an opportunity to candidly answer a scientific- and research-based survey.

The goal of this survey is to provide an opportunity for APEX to better understand the context of the lives of students.

Feedback gathered in the survey will better enable the APEX staff to see where to expend resources and support to help the students be more academically successful.

The survey ran from March 14, 2011 to March 25, 2011. Of the 323 APEX students at the time of the survey, 264 started the survey, and 215 finished it, resulting in a

participation rate of 80% and survey completion rate of 81%. Due to conventions about rounding of percentages, in some cases, the totals for findings round to 99% or 101%.



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Sleep and Alertness Habits

Not only do seven-in-ten students (72%) know that they should get seven hours or more of sleep per night, close to that same number (69%) believe seven or more hours of sleep is what they personally need to function optimally at school.

Far less of those students (40%) get seven or more hours of sleep on the average school night.

How much sleep do you...?



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Sleep and Alertness Habits

The majority of students nap (63%: 16% often, 47% sometimes). One-third of students (33%) use legal stimulants to stay awake,

with one-in-ten students using legal stimulants often (11%) and twice that using legal stimulants at least sometimes (22%).

Just over one-in-ten (13%: 7% often, 6% sometimes) report using illegal drugs to stay awake.

About how often do you…?



Reasons for Tardiness

Over half the students are late to school because they oversleep (56%), with transportation problems (27%) being the second-most cited reason.

One-in-four (25%) are late – at least sometimes – due to morning responsibilities.

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About how often are you LATE to school because you...?



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Reasons for Tardiness

Boys are more likely to be late because they oversleep (62% boys vs. 50% girls).

Boys are late due to family responsibilities four times as often as girls (25% boys vs. 6% girls). Whether this surprising difference may be due to the unexpected nature, timing or other aspect of the responsibilities for boys is unclear.

Girls are more likely to be late attempting to avoid bullies or gang members on the way to school (16% boys vs. 26% girls).

Male Never Hardly Ever Sometimes Often

Oversleep 19% 19% 44% 18%

Have transportation problems (late bus, late drop-off, etc.) 61% 11% 18% 10%

Hope to avoid gang members, bullies or others GOING TO SCHOOL 74% 9% 9% 7%

Have morning family responsibilities (watching younger kids, etc.) 56% 19% 21% 4%

Female Never Hardly Ever Sometimes Often

Oversleep 28% 21% 37% 13%

Have transportation problems (late bus, late drop-off, etc.) 56% 19% 18% 7%

Hope to avoid gang members, bullies or others GOING TO SCHOOL 55% 19% 22% 4%

Have morning family responsibilities (watching younger kids, etc.) 82% 12% 4% 2%

About how often are you LATE to school because you...?



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Education and Employment Plans After APEX

Most students (77%) appear very likely to attend college after APEX, with half (49%) indicating they are very likely to attend a four-year college and over one-quarter (28%) very likely to attend a two-year college or vocational school after APEX.

One-third (35%) plan to work part-time work and almost one-in-five (18%) plan to seek full-time work, which for many, may be concurrent with further schooling.

How likely do you think it is that you will do the following within six months of leaving APEX?



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Education and Employment Plans After APEX

Many more girls indicate they are “very likely” to attend a four-year college (40% boys vs. 61% girls), while boys more often cite full-time employment (21% boys vs. 12% girls), and the military (15% boys vs. 8% girls), as “very likely” paths for them after APEX.

Male Very Likely Somewhat likely Not at all Likely

Unsure/Don't know

Attend a four-year college 40% 36% 9% 15%

Attend a two-year college or vocational school 28% 44% 16% 13%

Find full-time employment 21% 36% 24% 19%

Find part-time employment 36% 49% 4% 11%

Join the military 15% 21% 37% 27%

Female Very Likely Somewhat likely Not at all Likely

Unsure/Don't know

Attend a four-year college 61% 22% 5% 12%

Attend a two-year college or vocational school 29% 43% 14% 14%

Find full-time employment 12% 37% 28% 22%

Find part-time employment 36% 43% 10% 11%

Join the military 8% 6% 56% 30%

How likely do you think it is that you will do the following within six months of leaving APEX?



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Attitudes about College and Outside Influences

Four-in-five (79%) students want to go to college, and even more students (83%) agree that college is an option for them after attending APEX.

How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?



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More girls than boys want to go to college, regardless of what their family thinks (74% boys vs. 89% girls).

Both girls and boys feel APEX has given them the option of going to college (82% boys and 86% girls).

Male Strongly Agree

Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree

Disagree Strongly Disagree

Not applicable

Regardless of what my family thinks, I want to go to college.

49% 25% 19% 4% 1% 2%

My mom wants me to go to college 65% 26% 6% 1% 1% 1%

My dad wants me to go to college 55% 19% 10% 2% 2% 13%

College is an option for me after APEX 52% 30% 15% 2% 1% 1%

Female Strongly Agree



Not applicable

Regardless of what my family thinks, I want to go to college.

65% 24% 7% 0% 0% 4%

My mom wants me to go to college 77% 15% 6% 0% 0% 3%

My dad wants me to go to college 69% 17% 6% 1% 0% 7%

College is an option for me after APEX 60% 26% 10% 3% 0% 1%




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Over one-in-four students (26%) feel that, even working part-time and/or with financial aid, they won’t be able to afford college.

Despite one-in-four students (24%) saying family members are concerned about them spending time with a bad influence, few students (13%) feel they spend time with people who are a bad influence.




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More boys than girls feel they won’t be able to afford college (27% boys vs. 10% girls).

Male Strongly Agree



Not applicable

APEX is not going to make a significant difference on my future

8% 8% 24% 25% 28% 6%

Even with financial aid and working part-time, I won't be able to afford college

8% 19% 30% 23% 17% 3%

I spend too much time with people who are a bad influence 5% 8% 35% 19% 27% 6%

I'm going to end up stuck in this neighborhood, no matter what

4% 6% 28% 22% 31% 9%




Not applicable

APEX is not going to make a significant difference on my future

7% 17% 24% 32% 17% 4%

Even with financial aid and working part-time, I won't be able to afford college

7% 3% 22% 31% 32% 5%

I spend too much time with people who are a bad influence 7% 5% 19% 32% 30% 7%

I'm going to end up stuck in this neighborhood, no matter what

4% 11% 14% 33% 35% 4%




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Parental Involvement and Family Responsibilities

Four-in-five (80%) students are told that they are loved by one or more parents, and most parents appear to be involved and engaged with their kids.

Helping with homework is an area where students’ needs are not met, suggesting a lack of ability and/or time prevents APEX students from getting attention that could better support their academic progress and success.

About how often, if at all, has a parent or guardian spent time with you in the following ways?




About half of APEX parents attempt to set limits and impose rules on their teenagers in many areas of their lives, including where they go and with whom they associate.

There are still some kids who -- in certain areas of their lives -- appear to have no parental limits (Never, 14-20%).

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How often does a parent or guardian set -- or attempt to set -- rules or limits on...?



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Some APEX students (15%) live in households with frequent yelling and another chunk (30%) sometimes yelling, meaning that almost half (45%) hear yelling sometimes or often, along with name-calling and insults (30%).

In addition, there are households where people in conflict go without talking to each other for various periods of time.

When conflict arises, how do one or more members of your household generally deal with it?



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About one-in-three students are at least sometimes responsible for looking after children, older adults or others after school (35%) or on the weekend (34%).

How often are you responsible for looking after children, older adults, low functioning adults?



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Emotions, Feelings and Stressors

About one-in-five students suffer from emotional stressors, including post-traumatic stress (20%), witnessing something traumatic (24%) or feelings of hopelessness (19%).

A surprising 16% suffer from insomnia at least once per week, exacerbating the already disturbingly high number of students who get inadequate sleep.




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These stressors impact more girls than boys across the board.– Hopelessness about the future (15% boys vs. 29% girls) – Witnessing something violent (16% boys vs. 26% girls) – Traumatic experience (12% boys vs. 20% girls) – Insomnia weekly or more often (11% boys vs. 19% girls)

Male Strongly Agree



Not applicable

I feel hopeless about my future 9% 6% 25% 19% 30% 10%

I witnessed something violent, dangerous or scary that still bothers me

6% 10% 20% 29% 24% 11%

I've had traumatic experiences that affect me to this day 4% 8% 25% 22% 26% 15%

I suffer from insomnia at least once per week 3% 8% 19% 24% 32% 13%




Not applicable

I feel hopeless about my future 16% 13% 13% 16% 26% 16%

I witnessed something violent, dangerous or scary that still bothers me

11% 15% 16% 21% 25% 12%

I've had traumatic experiences that affect me to this day 11% 9% 11% 21% 29% 18%

I suffer from insomnia at least once per week 9% 10% 17% 24% 29% 10%





Over one-in-five students are sometimes or often involved in drugs (23%: 11% often, 12% sometimes)

One-in-five students are sometimes or often involved in unprotected sex (19%: 9% often, 10% sometimes).

Over one-in-ten students (13%) are at least sometimes physically punished by a parent or guardian.

2020

About how often have you PERSONALLY been...?



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At least one-third of students sometimes or often experience emotions warranting talking to a counselor (37%), including anxiety (47%) and depression (40%).

Close to half the students feel unmotivated (45%) and/or overwhelmed (40%).

One-third (35%) feel teachers sometimes (25%) or often (10%) give up and stop teaching.

About how often, if at all, do you feel...?



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Most students (62%) say they see students acting out and disrupting the classroom often (29%) or sometimes (33%), while two-in-five (40%: often 12%, sometimes 28%) see verbal abuse of teachers.

Almost half (45%) the students see gang activities at school (often 19%, sometimes 26%).

About how often do you personally witness?



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Bullying and Harassment

The classroom is the second most likely place for students to see or experience bullying or harassment (24%: often 5%, sometimes 19%), preceded only slightly by the hallway (28%: often 8%, sometimes 20%).

Slightly less bullying happens in the restrooms and locker rooms than in the classrooms (both 22% vs. 24%).

How often do you see or experience bullying or harassment in the following places at school?



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Bullying and Harassment

One-in-five students report having sometimes or often been harassed verbally (20%) and/or socially (21%).

About how often have you personally been the victim of any of the following types of harassment ...?



Bullying and Harassment: LGBT Students

One-out-of-ten students (10%) have been bullied because of their tolerance for homosexuality (7%) or because they are or are perceived to be gay (3%).

Over half the students (54%) report bullying of gays does not happen at APEX, raising the question of what “much” means to students.

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Which statements best reflect your opinions about bullying of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender...?



Bullying and Harassment: LGBT Students

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Boys are more likely than girls to bully students based on sexual orientation (boys 8% vs. girls 3%).

While two-thirds of boys (65%) think bullying does not happen much, less than half the girls (45%) feel similarly.

Girls appear more sympathetic than do boys to victims of bullying based on sexual orientation (boys 42% vs. girls 58%).

Male Female

I feel sad for kids who get bullied for this. 42% 58%

Bullying of homosexuals is exaggerated to draw attention to their cause. 12% 11%

I bully kids because I don’t like them and they deserve it. 8% 3%

Happened to me because I am sympathetic/tolerant of homosexuality. 7% 7%

Happened because I am gay, or seem or act gay. 4% 3%

Bullying doesn’t happen much at our school. 65% 45%

Total 149 135

Which statements best reflect your opinions about bullying of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender...?



Bullying and Harassment:Taking a Stand

One-quarter of students assert that they always take a stand against bullying, but for many, reasons for not wanting to take a stand against bullying and harassment are that they did not want to get involved (43%), they did not consider the incident their business (41%), they did not want to get in trouble (19%) or they did not consider the situation that bad (17%).

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There are lots of reasons that we have for not wanting to take a stand against bullying, harassment...?



Demographics: Moving

Over one-quarter of the students have moved in the past year, with some moving twice (4%) or even more (2%).

2828

How many times have you moved in the last twelve months?



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Demographics: Home and Automobiles

Two-thirds of students live in homes with one toilet (66%) and one shower (68%) that they share with an average of 5.3 people.

Almost half the students (47%) live in places with less than two bedrooms, while one-third (33%) have two bedrooms.

One-third (33%) of the students’ families have one car while some do not have a car (14%).

*Students have an average of 5.3 people per household.

How many of the following do you have in your home?



Demographics: Hunger and Food

About one-in-four (24%) students use food stamps.

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In the past twelve months, did any of the following occur to you or any member of your family?



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Demographics: Gender and Age

How old are you currently? Male Female

15 or younger 25% 40%

16 32% 24%

17 28% 25%

18 or older 15% 10%

Total 108 107

Are you male or female?

How old are you currently?