No Pass No Play Rule

Historical Perspective No pass, no play has been a part of Texas high school football since 1985. During that time, Ross Perot spearheaded a campaign to require higher standards for athletic participation. According to the state law, students must have a passing grade in each class during the grading period they are attempting to participate in the extracurricular activity in order to be eligible to participate. Although the state of Texas was the first to initiate the academic standards, most states quickly followed behind passing similar “no pass / no play” rules. The passing of this law has created controversy since its inception. Many educators, lawmakers, and members of the community support the law; however, some community members, coaches, and family members of athletes have expressed great disdain for the law and the effects it has on the possibility of a high school athlete pursuing a professional career in athletics. The requirement to pass classes in order to participate in athletics has also become a part of the NCAA. The NCAA sets eligibility standards for athletes that are interested in participating in extracurricular activities at the collegiate level. In 1986, Proposition 48 mandated that high school students maintain a minimum GPA, SAT and/or ACT score in order to practice or compete during their freshman college year. Students that did not meet the minimum requirements were required to demonstrate that they could meet those requirements before being allowed to participate in any activities or face losing their college scholarship (Putnam, 1999). In 1995, Proposition 16 was made more restrictive than Proposition 48. The minimum GPA, SAT and/or SAT requirements were increased under Proposition 16 and thus drastically affected the number students eligible to play in the NCAA.

Role of Extracurricular Activities Extracurricular activities have played an important role in the life of our school district. These activities traditionally

References: Klesse, Edward (2005). Student activities in today 's schools: essential learning for all youth. Landham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. Putnam, Douglas (1999). Controversies of the sports world. Oxford, UK: Greenwood Publishing Group. Rallis, Sharon (2007). Leading Dynamic Schools: How to Create and Implement Ethical Policies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press Zepeda, S., & Langenbach, M. (1999). Special programs in regular schools historical foundations, standards, and contemporary