Youth Behaviors, Health, and Academic Achievement

Improving educational outcomes involves understanding the impact of student health on the ability to learn and thrive in the academic setting. Students face serious obstacles to learning: alcohol, drug, and tobacco use; violence; depression; poor nutrition; inadequate physical activity; and sexual behavior. Understanding how risky behaviors impact student achievement helps target limited resources to appropriate programs to improve students' health and ability to learn. This session discusses data from the New Mexico Youth Risk & Resiliency Survey (YRRS).

The most comprehensive and complete survey of student health behaviors, attitudes and support systems, the YRRS has been conducted in high schools in New Mexico since 2001. Results have shown that many of the behaviors that endanger student health begin well before high school age. As a result, the state conducted the YRRS in middle schools for the first time in 2007.

Session participants will leave with information about those student behaviors most likely to endanger student health in New Mexico, as well as the relationships between those behaviors and academic achievement. The workshop will also provide data on what aspects of students' lives protect them from participating in those risky behaviors. Finally, participants will have the opportunity to identify at least one way these data can be used to improve student health and/or academic performance.