Participation in extracurricular activities has also been found to be associated with lower levels of high school dropout. Mahoney and Cairns (1997) found that among at-risk students (with lower levels of social and academic competence as rated by teachers), the dropout rate was significantly lower among students who participated in extracurricular activities. Extracurricular participation was modestly related to dropout among adolescents who were judged as academically and behaviorally competent during middle school. These findings held after controlling for SES, parental occupation, race, academic and behavioral competence as measured earlier by teachers, aggression, and popularity. McNeal (1995), using High School and Beyond data, found that adolescents who participate in sports clubs and fine arts activities are less likely to dropout than students who did not participate in those activities. However, after controlling for participation in academic and vocational clubs, the relationship between participation in fine arts and high school dropout lost its significance. These findings remained after controlling for background factors.