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NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

Statistical Analysis Report April 1995

National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988

A PROFILE OF THE AMERICAN

HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR IN 1992

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Educational Research and Improvement NCES 95-384
NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

Statistical Analysis Report April 1995

National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988

A PROFILE OF THE AMERICAN

HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR IN 1992

Patricia J. Green

Bernard L. Dugoni

Steven J. Ingels

Eric Camburn

National Opinion Research Center (NORC)

at the University of Chicago

1155 East Sixtieth Street

Chicago, Illinois 60637

Peggy Quinn

Project Officer

Jeffrey Owings

Chief, Longitudinal and Household Studies Branch

National Center for Education Statistics

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Educational Research and Improvement NCES 95-384
U.S. Department of Education

Richard W. Riley

Secretary

Office of Educational Research and Improvement

Sharon Robinson

Assistant Secretary

National Center for Education Statistics

Emerson J. Elliott

Commissioner of Education Statistics

National Center for Education Statistics

"The purpose of the Center shall be to collect, and

analyze, and disseminate statistics and other data

related to education in the United States and in other

nations."—Section 406(b) of the General Education

Provisions Act, as amended (20 U.S.C. 12213-1).

April 1995

Contact:

Peggy Quinn

(202) 219-1743
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Highlights: Summary of Findings

The high school experiences of seniors in the 1990’s reflect the larger world in which they live.

Compared to a decade ago, enrollment in college preparatory programs is up1

. The typical senior today

is enrolled in a college preparatory program and has completed at least two math and two science courses.

Nine out of ten seniors demonstrate basic proficiency in reading and mathematics; somewhat fewer

demonstrate basic proficiency in science.

While college was once a path for only a minority of students, three-quarters of all seniors now

plan to continue their education beyond high school, and most of these expect to complete college. This

is in keeping with their career goals: well over half of all seniors expect to hold a professional occupation

at age 30. It appears that high school seniors are trying to prepare themselves for work in the 21st

century.

Background Characteristics of High School Seniors

Any discussion of high school achievement or educational aspirations must include an examination

of the demographic and societal differences that may influence adolescents as they progress through

school. For the high school class of 1992, specific characteristics that can be used to describe this class

include:

• Approximately six out of ten seniors have a parent who continued his or her education

beyond high school.

• Over a quarter of all 1992 seniors (27 percent) are from racial and ethnic minority groups,

73 percent are white.

• Twelve percent are black, 10 percent are Hispanic, about 4 percent are of Asian descent,

and less than one percent are American Indian.

• Less than 20 percent of white seniors come from the lowest quartile socioeconomic status

(SES) group. One half of Hispanics and 43 percent of blacks come from this group.

Note that these figures represent seniors enrolled in high school in the spring of 1992; dropouts

are excluded. An estimated 12 percent of the 1988 expanded eighth grade cohort were considered

dropouts in the spring of 1992.

The School Environment

Almost all seniors report that the quality of teaching in their schools is good, that teachers are

interested in students, and that grading is fair. There is little variation in these perceptions by gender, race,

urbanicity, or region, although Hispanics are somewhat more likely than whites to report that teaching at

1 For a description of earlier cohorts of high school seniors, see Green, P., Dugoni, B., and Ingels, S., Trends Among High

School Seniors, 1972-1992. Washington, D.C.: National Center for Education Statistics. (NCES 95-380).

i
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

their school is good and blacks are somewhat less likely than whites to believe that students are graded

fairly.

School is perceived to be a safe environment by the vast majority of students; only 10 percent of

seniors report that they do not feel safe at school. However, safety at school is still a concern.

• Thirty-one percent of seniors have had something stolen from them while at school.

• Fifteen percent of seniors report that someone has threatened to hurt them while at school.

Curriculum and Achievement

High school program. Typically, high schools place students into one of three broad program

types: college preparatory programs, vocational programs, and general education programs.

• Almost half (48 percent) of all seniors are enrolled in college preparatory programs.

Twelve percent of seniors are in vocational or technical programs, while the remaining

40 percent are in general high school programs.

The gap that was apparent between males and females in program placement 20 years ago has

disappeared. Males and females are now enrolled in college preparatory and vocational programs at

approximately the same rate. However, program placement both for males and for females is still strongly

tied to parents’ education and socioeconomic status (SES).

Courses taken. In 1984, the National Commission on Excellence in Education recommended that

high school students should take a more rigorous sequence of courses. The "New Basics" core curriculum,

first advocated in A Nation at Risk, consists of a standard set of courses that students should be expected

to take: 4 years of English, 3 years of social studies, 3 years of math, and 3 years of science courses.

Progress is being made toward this goal.

• Thirty-nine percent of seniors have completed the recommended sequence of courses.

• An additional 23 percent of seniors have taken 4 years of English, 3 years of social

studies, 2 years of mathematics and two years of science.

• Approximately one-third of students (37 percent) did not complete the minimum

combination of 4 English, 3 social studies, 2 mathematics and 2 science courses.

Patterns of high school coursework vary among social and demographic subgroups.

• Females are more likely than males to have taken the minimum standard

combination of courses.

• Seniors from low SES families are less likely to take the minimum set of

courses than those from high SES families.

• Hispanic seniors are more likely than white seniors to be below the

recommended standards for course-taking.

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A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Tested achievement. As part of the NELS:88 Second Follow-Up, seniors were also asked to

complete a cognitive battery to test their achievement in reading, math, and science. These tests were

constructed to measure achievement at levels ranging from the ability to complete simple tasks to drawing

complex inferences.

Achievement in Reading

• In reading, 62 percent of seniors demonstrate proficiency at intermediate

and advanced levels. These students are able to understand and evaluate

written arguments and make inferences based on the information

presented in the text.

• Thirty-one percent of seniors can grasp the main point of a paragraph but

are unable to go beyond this simple task.

• Approximately one in twelve seniors (8 percent) cannot comprehend basic

written information.

Achievement in Mathematics

• Sixty percent of seniors demonstrate competency at the intermediate level or above.

These students can solve word problems; some at an advanced level.

• Thirty-four percent demonstrate competency in basic arithmetic but are

unable to solve simple problems in mathematics.

• Approximately 6 percent of seniors cannot demonstrate basic proficiency in math. In

short, these seniors cannot successfully perform even simple arithmetic computations.

Achievement in Science

• Fifty-three percent of seniors are able to demonstrate an understanding of fundamental

science concepts.

• Thirty percent of seniors possess only basic, "common knowledge", information

about science.

• Sixteen percent of seniors fail to attain the most basic level of science proficiency.

Disparities in achievement between racial and ethnic groups may reflect economic and social

inequalities that have been an historical reality in U.S. society. To make meaningful comparisons of

achievement across racial and ethnic groups, it is important to hold socioeconomic status constant. When

SES is held constant, a significant difference between black and white seniors in reading proficiency is

observed only for the middle SES group. However, blacks are less likely than whites to demonstrate

advanced proficiency in science; this is true of blacks in low, middle, and high socioeconomic groups.

Significant differences are observed between Hispanic and white seniors in reading and in science, but

only in the high SES group: high SES Hispanic seniors are less likely than high SES white seniors to

demonstrate advanced proficiency.

iii
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

In addition to background variables such as SES and school type, other variables, such as student

effort and time on task may be considered as more direct determinants of student achievement. Time

spent on homework is a good indicator of effort.

• Seniors who spend more than one hour a day completing homework

perform better than their peers who spend less than one hour on

achievement tests of reading, mathematics, and science.

• The amount of time spent on homework seems to be strongly related to

mathematics proficiency. Forty-six percent of those who spend at least

7 hours a week doing homework perform at the highest level of

mathematics proficiency, while 20 percent of those who spend less than

one hour perform at that level.

Twelfth Graders’ Postsecondary Plans

Having a college education has become increasingly important for employment and income.

Roughly three-quarters of seniors plan to continue their education after high school.

• Females are more likely than males to intend to continue on to school

immediately after graduation--78 percent of women compared to 69

percent of men plan to go to a postsecondary institution right after high

school graduation.

Overall, two-thirds of the nation’s high school seniors expect to complete a college program, and

nearly half of these expect to receive a graduate degree.

• While approximately equal proportions of male and female seniors expect

to finish college, significantly more females expect to obtain a graduate

degree.

Furthermore, while 5 percent of the total sample expect to go no further than high school, the percentage

is significantly lower for females (3.8 percent) than for males (6.3 percent).

Occupational Goals

The largest percentage of seniors choose business as their most likely field of study, followed by

"pre-professional" programs, health, engineering, and education. A gender gap exists in some occupations:

education, health, pre-professional programs, and psychology are chosen by a greater proportion of

females, while a significantly greater proportion of males choose engineering. Within non-academic

training fields, the largest gender differences exist in health care, cosmetology, secretarial, auto mechanics,

and electronics, with men showing the greater preference with regard to the latter two fields.

iv
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Choices regarding fields of training are consistent with reported occupational goals.

• Nearly half of all seniors think they will have a professional occupation

at age 30.

• An additional 11 percent believe they will hold business management positions

at age 30, either as a manager in an organization (5 percent) or as a smallbusiness owner (6 percent).

Experiences Outside of School

Only part of a student’s life is spent in school. What happens after school--at home, with friends,

at work--is equally as important. Extracurricular activities, for example, can play an important positive

role in students’ growth and development. However, other activities in which many students engage can

be harmful, such as drug and alcohol abuse.

Work. About half of all seniors work in addition to going to school. Two-thirds of working

seniors are employed half-time or less, and one-third work more than 20 hours per week.

• Fewer males than females are employed (48 percent compared to 52 percent).

• A larger proportion of whites are employed than any other racial or ethnic

group (54 percent compared to less than 42 percent).

Community service. Finally, 44 percent of high school seniors report that they have performed

community volunteer work during the past two years.

• More females than males (50 percent versus 39 percent) have performed

community volunteer work.

• Seniors from homes in which parents are well-educated are more likely

to be involved in volunteer activities.

• Seniors who report that they are in academic/college preparatory

programs are more likely to be involved in community volunteer work

than are seniors who report that they are in vocational or general

programs.

Drug and alcohol use. Approximately one-quarter of all high school seniors have tried marijuana.

However, nearly 9 out of 10 high school seniors, 88 percent, report having tried alcohol.

• Over one-quarter of all seniors report drinking five or more drinks in a

row during the past two weeks.

Alcohol use is more prevalent among high school seniors than either marijuana or cocaine. It is especially

prevalent among white and Hispanic seniors, the two groups who are also more likely to report using illicit

drugs.

v
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Television viewing. By their own estimates, seniors watch a great deal of television.

• Forty percent report viewing television for more than twenty hours per

week.

• Less than a quarter of all seniors watch ten hours of television or less per

week.

• The difference between the television viewing habits of black seniors and

seniors of other racial groups is striking. Sixty-two percent of black

seniors report watching more than twenty hours of television each week.

In contrast, 36 percent of white seniors watch television more than 20

hours each week.

The type of school appears to be unrelated to the amount of time a student spends watching television.

However, seniors in the top quarter of their class are less likely than others to watch more than 20 hours

of television each week.

vi
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Foreword

The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) provides a wealth of information

about factors that influence student academic performance and social development and the processes

through which these factors operate. Under the sponsorship of the National Center for Education Statistics

(NCES), with additional support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Office of Bilingual

Education and Minority Languages Affairs (OBEMLA), and other entities and agencies, NELS:88 is being

conducted in several waves.

The first wave (the 1988 base year) recorded the experiences of a nationally representative sample

of eighth graders within a nationally representative sample of their schools. The second wave (the 1990

first follow-up) returned to the cohort two years later, when most were sophomores, and others were

dropouts or in other grades. The third wave (the 1992 second follow-up) examined the eighth grade

cohort at a time when most were high school seniors, while the fourth wave (the 1994 third follow-up)

followed NELS:88 sample from school to the work force or postsecondary institutions. A fifth wave is

scheduled for 1998.

The longitudinal design of NELS:88 permits researchers not only to observe the critical transition

of students from middle or junior high school to high school, but also to identify early student, school,

and parental experiences that promote learning. The study’s longitudinal design also permits researchers

to explore the link between high school achievement and subsequent statuses and attainment, as individuals

are followed after high school, and event histories are chronicled in 1994 of their transition to

postsecondary institutions, the labor market, marriage, and parenthood.

This report delineates the experiences of spring 1992 high school seniors. It describes, in

particular, seniors’ school environment, their course-taking and tested achievement, postsecondary plans

and occupational goals, and such outside-school experiences such as substance abuse, television viewing,

and volunteer community service activities.

In order to produce a concise report in which seniors speak largely for themselves, A Profile of

the American High School Senior in 1992 relies primarily on data gathered from students or their school

records. Nevertheless, readers should be aware that NELS:88 takes into consideration the much larger

environment in which the student functions and develops. Thus, in addition to student test, transcript, and

self-report data, NELS:88 incorporates supporting data from students’ school principals, parents, and

teachers to identify additional factors that affect student achievement and future educational and

occupational outcomes.

We hope that this report will be of interest to policymakers and their advisors, and to educators

and education researchers. Policymakers can use NELS:88 results to turn statistics into practical, workable

programs to help solve the problems facing the American educational system and its students. Researchers

may use NELS:88 data to explore and further illuminate the condition and prospects of American

secondary education.

Paul Planchon

Associate Commissioner of Education Statistics

Jeffrey Owings

Chief, Longitudinal and Household Studies Branch

vii
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the many people, organizations, and institutions that contributed to the

National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) second follow-up.

The NELS:88 Technical Review Panel advised the National Center for Education Statistics’ contractor for NELS:88--the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago--on design

and questionnaire development issues. Members of the panel were Jerald G. Bachman, Program Director

and Research Scientist, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; Gordon Ensign, Supervisor,

Testing and Evaluation, State of Washington; Lyle V. Jones, Director, L.L. Thurstone Psychometric

Laboratory, University of North Carolina; Nancy L. Karweit, Principal Research Scientist, Center for

Social Organization of Schools, Johns Hopkins University; Patricia Shell, formerly the Superintendent of

the Brazosport Independent School District, Freeport, Texas; Marshall L. Smith, Dean, College of

Education, Stanford University; Richard J. Murnane, Associate Professor of Education, Harvard University;

and John Stiglmeier, formerly the Director of the Information Center on Education, New York State

Department of Education.

Support for study supplements was provided by a number of agencies. The National Science

Foundation (NSF) sponsored supplemental questions on the survey instruments as well as the survey of

mathematics and science teachers. The Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs

(OBEMLA) sponsored supplemental samples of Hispanic and Asian Americans and provided supplemental

funding for questionnaire items on language minority issues.

The study was overseen by NCES staff in the Longitudinal and Household Studies Branch, Jeffrey

A. Owings, Branch Chief. Peggy Quinn was the NCES Project Officer. Other NCES staff who assisted

in the 1992 second follow-up include Ralph Lee, Shi-Chang Wu, and Jerry West of the Longitudinal and

Household Studies Branch and Bob Burton of the Statistical Standards and Methodology Division.

Under a subcontract to the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of

Chicago, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) developed the cognitive test battery. Donald A. Rock of

ETS was the Task Leader for Test Development, assisted by Judith M. Pollack. Steven J. Ingels was the

NORC Project Director for the NELS:88 second follow-up. Other principal members of the NELS:88

second follow-up project team included the following NORC staff: Lisa Thalji and Kathryn L. Dowd,

Associate Project Directors; Martin R. Frankel, Task Leader for Sampling and Statistics; Patricia J. Green,

Task Leader for Analysis; Leslie A. Scott, Project Manager for the School Effectiveness Study; Laura

Reed and Virginia Bartot, Data Processing Managers; and Paul Pulliam, Kenneth Rasinski, John R. Taylor,

Supriti Sehra, John Baldridge, and James Stipe. The data files were constructed and weights created with

the help of NORC’s programming staff, particularly Doug Barge, Michael Ma, Gloria Rauens, Shiow-Ling

Tsai-Ma, and Hsiuling Young.

A Profile of the American High School Senior in 1992 was prepared by NORC under the

supervision of NCES. The principal authors are Patricia J. Green, Bernard L. Dugoni, and Steven J. Ingels

of NORC; and Eric Camburn of the University of Chicago, who provided statistical support. Bronwyn

Nichols contributed to early drafts of this report. Document production support at NORC was provided

by Karen L. Sutherlin, Whitney Moore, Vivian Tillman, Marilyn Ford, and Jeffrey C. Cothran.

The authors are grateful for the helpful suggestions provided by reviewers. Robert Burton, Ralph

Lee, Andrew Malizio, Edith McArthur, Jeffrey Owings, and Peggy Quinn of NCES; Anne Hafner of

California State and Gordon Ensign of the State of Washington’s Department of Education.

viii
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table of Contents

Page

Highlights: Summary of Finding ............................................... i

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

Acknowledgements ....................................................... viii

List of Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

Introduction ............................................................ xvii

Chapter 1: A Demographic Profile of Seniors ................................... 1

Background Characteristics of High School Seniors ............................ 1

Types of Schools Attended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Chapter 2: The School and Peer Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Seniors’ Perception of School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Perceived Safety at School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Victimization in School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Peer Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Chapter 3: Course and Program Enrollments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

High School Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Enrollment in Basic New Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Courses Taken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Student Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Chapter 4: Tested Achievement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

An Overview of Proficiency Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Proficiency Levels and Demographic Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Race, Social Class, and Achievement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Social Class, School Composition, and Achievement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Student Achievement by Student Effort and Enrollment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Chapter 5: Short-Term Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Twelfth Graders’ Postsecondary Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Types of Postsecondary Schools Seniors are Most Likely to Attend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Steps Seniors Have Taken to Gain College Entrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Choosing a College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Chapter 6: Plans and Expectations for the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Educational Expectations of Seniors and Their Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Field of Study or Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Occupational Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Education and Occupational Choice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

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A Profile of the American

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Table of Contents (Cont’d) Page

Chapter 7: Experiences Outside of School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

School Government and Volunteer Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Illicit Drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Alcohol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Television . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

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BAD PAGE

List of Appendices

Page

Appendix A. NELS:88 Study Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Appendix B. Description of Variables Used in Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Appendix C. Methodology Used in Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Appendix D. Data for Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Appendix E. Standard Errors any

Page

xi
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

List of Appendices Page

Appendix A: NELS:88 Study Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Appendix B: Description of Variables Used in Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Appendix C: Methodology Used in Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Appendix D: Data for Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Appendix E: Standard Errors and Sample Sizes for Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Appendix F: Tables of Ancillary Analyses of Plans and

Expectations (Chapter 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

Appendix G: Standard Errors and Sample Sizes for the

Estimates in Appendix F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

Appendix H: NCES NELS:88 Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

xi
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List of Tables Page

Table 1.1: Highest Level of Parents’ Education for 1992 High School Seniors by Race . . . . 10

Table 1.2: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors in Each Region by Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Table 1.3: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Attending Various Classifications

of Schools by Race and Social Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Table 2.1: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Who Agree with Statements

about Teaching and Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Table 2.2: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Who Agree with Statements

about School Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Table 2.3: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Who Report Being Victimized

at School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Table 2.4: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Who Report that Close Friends

Feel Various Academic Activities Are "Very Important" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Table 3.1: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Who Report Enrollment in

Different High School Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Table 3.2: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Completing Various

Combinations of "New Basics" Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Table 3.3: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Who Report Spending

Various Amounts of Time Per Week Doing Homework Outside of School . . . . . . 47

Table 4.1a: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Demonstrating Proficiency

at Various Levels of Reading by Demographic and School Characteristics . . . . . . . 56

Table 4.1b: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Demonstrating Proficiency

at Various Levels of Mathematics by Demographic and School Characteristics . . . . 58

Table 4.1c: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Demonstrating Proficiency

at Various Levels of Science by Demographic and School Characteristics . . . . . . . 60

Table 4.2a: Percentage of 1992 High School Seniors Proficiency in Reading,

by Race, Controlling for SES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Table 4.2b: Percentage of 1992 High School Seniors Overall Math Proficiency

by Race, Controlling for SES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Table 4.2c: Percentage of 1992 High School Seniors Proficiency in Science

by Race, Controlling for SES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

xii
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

List of Tables (Cont’d) Page

Table 4.3: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Demonstrating Advanced

Proficiency in Reading, Math, or Science by Social Class

of Student, Controlling for Social Class of School

(percent of students receiving subsidized lunch) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Table 4.4a: Percent of 1992 High School Students Demonstrating Proficiency

at Various Levels of Reading by Student Enrollment and Effort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Table 4.4b: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Demonstrating Proficiency

at Various Levels of Mathematics by Student Enrollment and Effort . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Table 4.4c: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Demonstrating Proficiency

at Science by Student Enrollment and Effort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Table 5.1: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Who Plan to Continue Education

Immediately After High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Table 5.2: Percent of 1992 College Bound High School Seniors Planning to Attend

Various Types of Postsecondary Institutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Table 5.3: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Who Are Taking Steps to

Continue Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Table 6.1: Educational Expectations of 1992 High School Seniors and Their

Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Table 6.2: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Most Likely to Study

Various Academic Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Table 6.3: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Most Likely to Pursue Various

Types of Non-Academic Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Table 6.4: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Expecting to Have Various

Occupations at Age 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Table 6.5: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Indicating Level of Education

Necessary for the Job They Expect to Have at Age 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Table 7.1: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Employed During the School Year . . . . . . . 106

Table 7.2: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Participating in Student

Government or Volunteer Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Table 7.3: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Reporting Illicit Drug Use:

Marijuana and Cocaine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

xiii
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

List of Tables (Cont’d) Page

Table 7.4: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Reporting Alcohol Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Table 7.5: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Reporting Various Amounts

of Television Viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

xiv
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

List of Figures Page

Figure 1.1: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Whose Parents have Completed

Various Levels of Education ....................................... 2

Figure 1.2: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors in Various Racial and Ethnic Groups ...... 4

Figure 1.3: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Whose Native Language is

English by Race/Ethnicity ........................................ 6

Figure 1.4: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors in Various Racial and Ethnic

Groups by Social Class .......................................... 8

Figure 1.5: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Attending Various Types of Schools . . . . . 12

Figure 2.1: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors who Report that Close Friends

Feel Various Activities are "Very Important" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Figure 3.1: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Completing Coursework in

Various Subjects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Figure 4.1: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Demonstrating Proficiency at

Various Levels of Reading Achievement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Figure 4.2: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Demonstrating Proficiency at

Various Levels of Mathematics Achievement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Figure 4.3: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Demonstrating Proficiency at

Various Levels of Science Achievement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Figure 5.1: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors who Consider Various Factors

Important in Selecting a College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Figure 6.1: Educational Expectations held by 1992 High School Seniors by Gender . . . . . . . 90

Figure 6.2: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Most Likely to Study Various

Academic Fields by Gender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Figure 6.3: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Most Likely to Pursue Various

Areas of Non-Academic Training by Gender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Figure 6.4: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Expecting to Have Various

Occupations at Age 30 by Gender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Figure 6.5: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Indicating Level Education

Necessary for the Job they Expect to have at Age 30 by Gender . . . . . . . . . . . 104

xv
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

List of Figures (Cont’d) Page

Figure 7.1: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Reporting Various Amounts

of Television Viewing by Race/Ethnicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Figure 7.2: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Reporting Various Amounts

of Television Viewing by Class Rank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

xvi
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Introduction

Design and Objectives of NELS:88

The major features of NELS:88 include:

• the planned integration of student, dropout, parent, teacher, and school studies;

• initial concentration on an eighth-grade cohort to be followed over a ten-year period;

• inclusion of supplementary components (for example, oversamples of Asians, Hispanics,

private school students; state augmentations) to support analyses of demographically

distinct subgroups;

• sample "freshening" to provide nationally representative sophomore (1990) and senior

(1992) cohorts; and

• design linkages to previous longitudinal studies (such as NLS-72 and HS&B) and other

current studies (such as the 1992 NAEP mathematics assessment, and the 1990 and 1987

NAEP High School Transcript studies).

Multiple research and policy objectives are addressed through the NELS:88 design. The study

is intended to produce a general purpose dataset to develop and evaluate educational policy at all

government levels. NELS:88 aims to inform decision makers, education practitioners, and parents about

the changes in the operation of the educational system over time and the effects of various elements of

the system on the lives of the individuals who pass through it. Specifically, NELS:88 focuses on a

number of interrelated policy issues, including:

• students’ academic growth over time, and the family, community, school, and classroom

factors that promote or inhibit student learning;

• the transition of different types of students from eighth grade to secondary school;

• the influence of ability grouping and differential course-taking opportunities on future

educational experiences and outcomes;

• determinants and consequences of dropping out of (and of returning to) the educational

system;

• changes in educational practices over time;

• the role of the school in helping students at risk of school failure, and the school experiences

and academic performance of language-minority students;

• the transition from school to work; and

• postsecondary access, choice, and persistence.

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A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

A detailed description of the NCES National Education Longitudinal Studies program, and of the

design and history of NELS:88, is provided in Appendix A of this report.

Analytic Levels: Across-Wave, Within-Wave, and Across Cohort Analyses

NELS:88 was designed to support cross-wave or longitudinal analysis; within-wave or crosssectional analysis; and trend analysis, based on cross-cohort comparisons of within-wave NELS:88 data

with results from earlier studies. In addition, NELS:88 data can be used either descriptively (for example,

one can describe what changes 1988 eighth graders had undergone by their senior year), or relationally,

(for example, one might try to account for why certain changes had taken place). A descriptive analysis

might tell us how many seniors were enrolled in spring term 1992, how much course work the average

senior had completed, or what proportion of different racial/ethnic subgroups were proficient in higher

level mathematical operations. The focus of this report is primarily descriptive. However, a more

sophisticated analysis, which may be undertaken with longitudinal data, might model the process through

which some change occurred such as gains in achievement as measured by the NELS:88 cognitive test

battery.

In longitudinal analysis, whether descriptive or analytic changes from the 1988 baseline are

measured 22 or 4 years later, or 1990 sophomores may be re-examined two years later. Longitudinal

analysis typically involves repeated measures of the same outcome. (For example, test data can be used

to measure growth in academic achievement over time; enrollment status may be measured at multiple

points to determine dropout rates.) Or, longitudinal analysis may illuminate the manner in which

conditions at an earlier time point are predictive of outcomes at a later time point. (For example, one

might examine how eighth graders with various "risk factors"--such as coming from a low-income home,

having parents who did not finish high school, having a poor attendance record in eighth grade, and so

on--fared two years later--for example, what proportion had dropped out, repeated a grade, and so on.)

A second level of analysis is cross-sectional, or focused on a single time point. The base year

sample provided a representative national cross-section of 1988 eighth graders. Because the longitudinal

sample has been "freshened" with 1990 sophomores who were not in eighth grade in the United States

in the 1987-1988 school year, it is a representative sample of the nation’s spring-term 1990 sophomores.

Likewise, for the 1992 round, the NELS:88 sample was freshened to generate a representative sample of

the nation’s 1992 seniors. This descriptive summary--A Profile of the American High School Senior in

1992--illustrates the cross-sectional level of analysis, which, as it were, takes a snapshot at a single point

in time. Earlier NCES reports profiled 1988 eighth graders3 and 1990 sophomores.4

2 For illustrations of 1988-1990 longitudinal analysis, see Kaufman, P., and Bradby, D., (1992), Characteristics of At-Risk

Students in NELS:88 (NCES 92-042); and Scott, L.A., Rock, D.A., Pollack, J.M., and Ingels, S.J. (1994) Two Years Later:

Cognitive Gains and School Transitions of NELS:88 Eighth Graders (NCES).

3 Hafner, A., Ingels, S.J., Schneider, B., and Stevenson, D.L. (1990). A Profile of the American Eighth Grader (NCES 90-

458).

4 Ingels, S.J., Schneider, B., Scott, L.A., and Plank, S.B. (1994). A Profile of the American High School Sophomore in 1990.

(NCES 95-086).

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A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Finally, by maintaining a degree of comparability in questionnaire and test measures employed,

NELS:88 first follow-up results support comparisons with HS&B sophomores of 1980,5 and NELS:88

1992 senior results may be compared to findings on HS&B and NLS-72 seniors.6

Focus of This Report

This report examines the nation’s high school seniors in the spring term of the 1991-92 school

year. The senior year of high school marks a critical point in the passage of adolescents to adulthood.

High school graduation represents the completion of formal schooling and the point of entry into the work

force for some individuals, and the point of transition to postsecondary schooling for others. For some,

marriage and parenthood have already begun. High school seniors follow different paths: these transition

events--completion of schooling, entry into the labor force, and family formation--take place in different

sequences and at different times for different individuals. But all seniors find themselves at a crossroad.

The decisions they make at this point in their lives will have a lasting impact not only for them, but for

society as well.

Earlier in the century, most high school seniors were at the point of transition into the work force,

having completed the course of their formal education. Today, about 75 percent plan to continue their

education immediately after high school, and nearly 90 percent expect eventually to obtain at least some

college training. Whether their plans include further education or the beginning of a career, data gathered

at the completion of high school provides a unique vantage point for evaluating the experiences of the past

and assessing the promise of the future.

This report examines the background of 1992 high school seniors, the school environments that

shaped their educational experiences, the curriculum in which they were enrolled, their academic

achievement, their plans and expectations for the future, and their non-academic experiences during this

important period of development. Chapter 1 of this report provides a demographic profile of high school

seniors. Chapter 2 depicts their school and peer environment by recording seniors’ perceptions of school

and school safety, as well as the values of their peers. Chapter 3 describes their course and program

enrollments. Chapter 4 examines the tested achievement of 1992 seniors. Chapter 5 describes their shortterm plans--their postsecondary plans, steps they have taken to gain entrance to college, and factors they

considered in choosing a postsecondary institution. Chapter 6 reports on seniors’ plans and expectations

for the future. Finally, Chapter 7 describes the senior cohort’s experiences outside of school--use of illicit

drugs and alcohol, television viewing, jobs, participation in school government, and community volunteer

work. Taken together, these seven chapters provide a statistical profile of the American high school senior

in 1992.

Clearly, with a data set of this size, it would be impractical to analyze all of the possible pairwise

subgroups comparisons in a single report. We have attempted to provide an overview of the 1992 Senior

Cohort and hope this sampling of results will prompt interested readers to conduct further research on

additional questions.

5 See, for example, Rasinski, K.A., Ingels, S.J., Rock, D.A., and Pollack, J.M. (1993). America’s High School Sophomores:

A Ten-Year Comparison, 1980-1990. (NCES 93-087).

6 See, for example, Green, P.J., (1993), High School Seniors Look to the Future, 1972 and 1992, (NCES 93-473); and Green

et al., Trends Among High School Seniors, 1972-1992.

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A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

In order to streamline the analysis of data and provide a consistent, workable set of comparisons

throughout, we have adopted the following procedures, recognizing that this is certainly not the only

meaningful way to look at the data. Unless specifically prompted by previous work reported in the text,

generally comparisons on variables reported in quartiles or as subgroups based on cutpoints are conducted

only as a contrast of the upper and lower quartiles (e.g., socioeconomic status, class rank, test quartiles),

or as a contrast of extreme groups (e.g., percent of students receiving free or subsidized lunch).

For non-quantitative variables, a single comparison group was used for all contrasts. For

example, comparisons on type of school compare public to all other types; comparisons on race/ethnicity

compare all groups to white. Once again, this is in no way meant to imply that these are the only

meaningful comparisons, and the tables in the text and appendices provide means and standard errors that

will allow the interested reader to conduct further analysis using the approach described in Appendix C.

No data or comparisons are represented for American Indians because of the small sample size.

xx
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Chapter 1: A Demographic Profile of Seniors

Background Characteristics of High School Seniors

Any discussion of high school achievement or educational aspirations must begin with an

examination of the demographic and societal differences that exist between high school students. Many

of these background characteristics have a lasting impact on students’ performance in high school and on

their pursuit of further education.7 Social class, parents’ education, and race have all been demonstrated

to have direct effects on achievement and expectations. For nearly 30 years, following the publication of

Equality of Educational Opportunity by James Coleman and his colleagues,8 controversy has raged over

mechanisms that might be used to diminish the gap between students from advantaged backgrounds and

those from disadvantaged backgrounds, majority and minority students. Rather than enter this debate, this

chapter will use NELS:88 data to outline social and economic differences that exist between subgroups

of high school seniors. This will be followed by an examination of the types of schools these various

social and economic groups attend.

Parental educational attainment. There is strong evidence that the educational attainment of

parents strongly influences their children’s educational choices.9 It is typical for children to meet or

exceed the educational attainment of their parents. Figure 1.1 presents information on the highest level

of schooling completed by seniors’ parents. Approximately six out of ten seniors (62 percent) have a

parent who continued his or her education beyond high school; almost four out of ten seniors (38 percent)

come from families with parents who have a high school diploma or less.10

7 For a description, based on NELS:88 data, of background characteristics that put students "at-risk" of school failure, see

Kaufman, P. and Bradby, D. 1992. Characteristics of At-Risk Students in NELS:88, Washington, D.C.: National Center for

Education Statistics, NCES 92-042.

8 Coleman, J.S., et al. 1966. Equality of Educational Opportunity. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health

Education and Welfare.

9 The literature on social class and educational attainment is substantial. For a discussion of recent trends in these

demographic characteristics see Pallas, A., Natriello, G., and McDill, E. 1989. "The Changing Nature of the Disadvantaged

Population: Current Dimensions and Future Trends," Educational Researcher (June-July 1989).

10 See Table 8, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for

Education Statistics. 1993. Digest of Education Statistics, 1993. Washington, D.C.: NCES. NCES 93-292.

1
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Figure 1.1: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Whose Parents have Completed Various Levels

of Education

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

2
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

BAD PAGE

Racial and ethnic background. During the past several decades, there has been substantial growth in

the number of minority students enrolled in the nations’ schools. For example, by some estimates,

"minority" student^Ay^Et) are from racial and ethnic minority groups. Twelve percent are black, 10

percent are Hispanic, about 4 percent are of Asian descent and less than one percent are American Indian.

Approximately 73 percent of seniors are white non-Hispanic students, a substantially smaller proportion

than a decade earlier, in 1980, when 80 percent of seniors were white.

3
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Racial and ethnic background. During the past several decades, there has been substantial

growth in the number of minority students enrolled in the nations’ schools. For example, by some

estimates, in Califorina, the most populus state in the nation, "minority" students will comprise the

majority of entering students by the year 2010.11 The distribution of high school seniors for NELS:88

by race or ethnic group is presented in Figure 1.2.

Over a quarter of all 1992 seniors (27 percent) are from racial and ethnic minority groups. Twelve

percent are black, 10 percent are Hispanic, about 4 percent are of Asian descent12 and less than one

percent are American Indian. Approximately 73 percent of seniors are white non-Hispanic students, a

substantially smaller proportion than a decade earlier, in 1980, when 80 percent of seniors were white.13

11 King, G. D. (1990). Educating minority students in California: Descriptive analysis and policy implications.

Sacramento, CA: Joint Publications Office (AOR-0321A).

12 Asian includes those from the subcontinent (India, Pakistan, etc.), the Pacific Basin, and Pacific Islands.

13 Data are from National Center for Education Statistics, High School and Beyond, 1982.

3
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Figure 1.2: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors in Various Racial and Ethnic Groups

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

4
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Language minority status. Nine out of ten seniors speak English as their native language.

Figure 1.3 presents these data.

• English is the native language of nearly all white (98 percent) and black (96 percent) seniors.

• Approximately the same proportion of Asian (46 percent) and Hispanic (44 percent) seniors

report English as their native language.

5
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Figure 1.3: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Whose Native Language is English by

Race/Ethnicity

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

6
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Race and social class. Gaps in achievement and attainment between racial groups have been the

subject of intense scrutiny over the years. Because race and class covary, it is important to consider race

and class simultaneously. Figure 1.4 presents information on socioeconomic status (SES), a measure based

on income, education, and occupation, by racial group (described in detail in Appendix B). From these

data it is evident that race and class are related:

• Hispanics and blacks are more likely than whites to come from families in the lowest quartile

of socioeconomic status. While fewer than 20 percent of white seniors come from the lowest

SES quartile, one-half of Hispanics and 43 percent of blacks come from this group.

• Hispanics (10 percent) and blacks (10 percent) are far less likely than whites (29 percent) to

come from high SES families.

7
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Figure 1.4: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors in Various Racial and Ethnic Groups by Social

Class

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

8
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Distribution of parental education by race. Data in Table 1.1 demonstrate that the level of

parental education varies greatly across racial and ethnic groups. Students who are Hispanic are far more

likely than white students to have parents who did not complete high school. And, compared with Asian

and white seniors, a smaller percentage of black and Hispanic seniors have parents who graduated from

college.

• Over one-quarter of Asian seniors (29 percent) come from families in which one or more

parents completed graduate school. Approximately 20 percent of white seniors are from

families in which one or more parents completed graduate school. Black and Hispanic seniors

are far less likely than whites or Asians to have parents who completed graduate school: 10

percent of black and 10 percent of Hispanic seniors have parents who completed graduate

school.

• Over 30 percent of Hispanic seniors have parents who did not graduate from high school,

while 5 percent of white seniors have parents who did not complete high school.

Distribution of racial and ethnic groups. Racial and ethnic groups are not distributed evenly

throughout the United States. As Table 1.2 shows, nearly half of all Hispanic and Asian seniors live in

the West, while black seniors disproportionately reside in the South. These figures are consistent with

those reported by the U.S. Census Bureau for the same age group.14

14 U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1992. Current Population Survey.

9
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 1.1

Highest Level of Parents’

Education for 1992 High School Seniors by Race

Lt. High

School

High

School

Some

College

College

Degree

Graduate

Degree

TOTAL 8.4 29.8 24.7 19.2 18.0

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian 9.2 21.3 17.0 23.9 28.6

Hispanic 30.6 28.7 20.4 10.0 10.3

Black 10.3 33.0 30.7 15.5 10.5

White 5.3 29.8 24.7 20.7 19.5

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

Table 1.2

Percent of 1992 High School

Seniors in Each Region by Race

Northeast Midwest South West

TOTAL 19.8 26.0 34.7 19.5

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian 19.4 14.6 18.3 47.7

Hispanic 14.3 9.8 32.0 44.0

Black 13.4 13.4 65.7 7.5

White 21.7 31.2 31.1 16.0

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

10
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Types of Schools Attended

Academic outcomes vary by the types of schools students attend. Whether this results from selfselection, a superior environment for teaching and learning, or both, students who attend independent

private schools with rigorous academic standards, or Catholic schools, demonstrate higher levels of

achievement on standardized tests than students in public schools.15

Type of school. Differences in achievement between public and private school students are well

documented. There is widespread agreement that much of this gap is due to the cost of private education

and the resulting selection bias of students into such schools--affluent families are more likely to send their

children to private or parochial schools than less affluent parents. More controversial is the contention

that, when background characteristics of students are held constant, students in private schools still appear

to perform at a higher level than their public school peers.16 Figure 1.5 presents information on the

distribution of seniors at each type of school.

• Nine out of ten seniors (90 percent) attend public schools.

• Approximately 6 percent of seniors attend Catholic schools.

• Four percent of seniors attend private (not including Catholic) schools: 1.3 percent attend

schools that are members of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), an

organization of schools emphasizing academic preparation for college; 2.7 percent attend other

non-NAIS, non-Catholic private schools.

15 Coleman, J.S., Hoffer, T., and Kilgore S. 1982. High School Achievement: Public, Catholic, and Private Schools

Compared. New York: Basic Books.

16 Loc. Cit.

11
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Figure 1.5: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Attending Various Types of Schools

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

12
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 1.3 presents information on the types of schools attended by race and social class.

• Nearly 20 percent of seniors in the highest quartile of socioeconomic status attend private or

parochial schools, while 2.5 percent of seniors in the lowest quartile of socioeconomic status

attend private or parochial schools.

• A larger percentage of black seniors (94 percent) than white seniors (90 percent) attend public

schools. Black seniors (one-tenth of a percent) are somewhat less likely than white seniors

(3 percent) to attend other private schools.

• In comparison to white seniors (1 percent), a smaller proportion of Hispanic seniors (twotenths of a percent) attend NAIS private schools.

In addition to school control, several other characteristics of schools are associated with differential

student outcomes: the location of the school in an urban, suburban, or rural environment; the

socioeconomic status of the students attending school; and the racial and ethnic composition of the school.

Table 1.3 also presents information on all these factors by race and social class.

Location. Twenty-eight percent of seniors attend high schools located in urban areas.

Approximately 42 percent of seniors attend suburban high schools and 31 percent go to high schools

located in rural areas and small towns. Again, there are marked variations in this pattern by race.

• Whites are less likely than others to attend urban high schools. Twenty percent of white

seniors attend urban high schools compared to between 46 and 49 percent of all other groups.

• Black seniors are under-represented in suburban schools; 29 percent of black seniors attend

suburban high schools compared to 45 percent of whites and 43 percent of Asians.

• Over one-third (35 percent) of white seniors attend schools in rural areas. In contrast, 11

percent of Asians, 20 percent of Hispanics and 22 percent of blacks attend rural schools.

• Forty-nine percent of seniors from high SES families attend suburban schools compared to

31 percent from low SES families. By contrast, 41 percent of low SES seniors attend rural

schools, compared to 21 percent of high SES seniors.

All social class groups are equally represented in urban schools. However, seniors from high

socioeconomic status families disproportionately attend suburban schools and those from the lowest

socioeconomic groups are disproportionately found in rural schools.

13
Table 1.3

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Attending Various Classifications

of Schools by Race and Social Class

Type of School

Urbanicity

of School

Percent of Studen

Body Receiving

Subsidized Lunch

Public Catholic NAIS

Other

Private Urban Suburban Rural 0-10 11-49 50

TOTAL 90.2 5.8 1.3 2.7 27.7 41.5 30.8 44.0 45.0 1RACE/ETHNICITYAsian 85.7 7.7 2.6 4.1 46.2 42.7 11.2 49.5 37.2 1Hispanic 92.7 6.0 0.2 1.1 47.1 32.5 20.3 21.7 44.2 3Black 94.3 5.0 0.6 .1 49.2 28.7 22.1 21.3 55.3 2White 89.5 5.9 1.4 3.2 20.5 45.0 34.5 50.4 44.3 SOCIOECONOMIC STATUSLow 97.5 2.2 0.0 0.3 28.2 30.6 41.3 22.9 54.7 2Middle 91.2 6.4 0.3 2.2 26.0 43.1 30.8 43.9 47.2 High 80.7 8.5 4.5 6.3 29.8 49.4 20.8 64.7 31.5 

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 199
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Socioeconomic composition of school. As a result of residential housing patterns, schools vary

enormously in the proportion of their students who are poor or rich. Previous research suggests that the

wealth or poverty of neighborhoods has a direct impact on children’s achievement.17 In addition, the

social class composition of schools has often been correlated with student success although the causal

relationship has been debated. Arguments have been offered that the association between social class

composition and student achievement results from the economic resources of the school, the influence of

peer groups, or the instructional process.18 The one thing that is not debated is that school composition

is related to measures of school achievement.

An indicator of the number of economically disadvantaged students within a school is the

proportion of students who are receiving free or reduced-price lunches. Overall, 44 percent of seniors

attend schools where fewer than 10 percent of students receive reduced-price lunches and another 45

percent attend schools in which between 10 percent and 49 percent receive reduced-price lunches. Just

11 percent of seniors attend schools in which 50 percent or more of the students receive free or reducedprice lunches.

Again, there are substantial differences between racial and ethnic groups.

• Five percent of white seniors attend schools in which the majority of students receive free or

reduced-price lunches.

• In contrast to whites, a far greater percentage of Hispanic and black seniors attend schools

that have high concentrations of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches. One-third

of Hispanic seniors and 23 percent of black seniors attend schools in which the majority of

students receive reduced-price lunches.

It should be noted that, even among low SES seniors, the majority (78 percent) attend schools in which

less than half of all students receive subsidized lunches. Twenty-two percent of low socioeconomic status

seniors attend schools in which more than 50 percent of students receive subsidized lunches.

17 For example, see Brooks-Gunn, J., Duncan, G., Klebenov, and Sealand. 1987. "Do Neighborhoods Influence Child and

Adolescent Development?", American Journal of Sociology, Volume 99, Number 2, pp 353-393. (September 1993); Wilson, The

Truly Disadvantaged, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

18 A prominent example of research examining social class and achievement in light of the economic resources of schools

is Coleman, J.S., et al. 1966. Equality of Educational Opportunity. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health, Education

and Welfare. A review of the literature on normative influences and an examination of the importance of instructional processes

can be found in Dreeben, R., and Barr, R. 1988. "Classroom Composition and the Design of Instruction", Sociology of

Education, 61, July, 129-142.

15
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Minority enrollment. School desegregation was a major policy goal in the late 1960s and 1970s.

A variety of means (for example, busing and magnet schools) have been used to accomplish this end.

However, housing patterns and residential segregation persist to the present, influencing the distribution

of students within schools. Table 1.3 presents information about the proportion of seniors attending

schools in which over half of all students are members of racial or ethnic minority groups.

• About 8 percent of white seniors attend schools in which over half of the students are from

racial or ethnic minority groups.

• Over one-third of Asian seniors (35 percent) attend schools which have high concentrations

of minority students.

• Over half of black seniors (59 percent) attend schools in which minority students are the

majority.

• Over two-thirds of Hispanic seniors (68 percent) go to schools that are primarily composed

of minority students.

• Thirty-five percent of seniors in the lowest socioeconomic status group attend schools in

which 50 percent or more of the students come from minority groups; 13 percent of those in

the highest socioeconomic status group attend such schools.

16
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Chapter 2: The School and Peer Environment

The school environment sets the stage for student learning. As a nation, we expect all schools

to provide quality teaching, fair discipline, and high standards of academic integrity and safety, and the

formal organization of the school is structured to achieve these goals. Within that structure lies another

informal organization--schools provide a social forum for adolescents and an organizing basis for forming

friendships. These friendships are important because peer influence is perhaps more pronounced during

this stage of life than during any other stage, and friends’ attitudes toward school, grades, studying, and

social life often set boundaries for a student’s own views.

Together these two forces, the school and peers, shape the context for learning. This chapter

explores seniors’ perceptions of the school climate, the prevalence of fear and crime within schools, and

friends’ value systems.

Seniors’ Perception of School

Perceptions of teaching. As Table 2.1 demonstrates, over three-quarters of all seniors report that

the quality of teaching in their schools is good, that teachers are interested in students, and that grading

is fair. There is little variation in these perceptions by gender or region. However, differences between

other subgroups do exist.

• Hispanics are somewhat more likely than whites to report that teaching at their school is good

(88 percent compared to 85 percent, and blacks are somewhat less likely than whites to

believe that students are graded fairly (72 percent compared to 80 percent).

• The largest differences observed occur between students in public and private schools. Five

out of six public school seniors, 85 percent, agree with the statement "the teaching is good."

But a greater percentage of seniors at NAIS private schools, 99 percent, and Catholic schools,

90 percent, believe the teaching at their school is good.

• Ninety-one percent of seniors enrolled in Catholic schools, 98 percent in NAIS private

schools, and 94 percent in other private schools report that teachers are interested in students,

compared to 80 percent of seniors in public schools.

• Similarly, 84 percent of seniors at Catholic schools, 95 percent at NAIS private schools, and

90 percent at other private schools indicated that students are graded fairly, compared to 77

percent of the seniors at public schools.

17
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 2.1

Percent of 1992 High School

Seniors Who Agree with Statements about Teaching and Grading

Teaching is good at

this school

Teachers are

interested in students

Students are

graded fairly

TOTAL 85.4 81.6 78.3

GENDER

Male 84.8 81.5 78.6

Female 86.0 81.8 78.0

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian 85.5 80.1 77.3

Hispanic 88.5 83.7 77.6

Black 84.1 78.4 71.6

White 85.1 81.9 79.5

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Low 85.0 80.2 74.6

Medium 84.6 80.6 78.0

High 87.3 85.1 82.7

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less than H.S. 87.1 81.5 77.4

High School Graduate/GED 84.6 80.3 75.5

Some College Work 83.7 78.8 77.2

Completed College 87.2 83.5 81.4

Graduate Degree 86.6 85.8 81.5

REGION

Northeast 85.6 81.2 77.9

Midwest 84.2 81.9 77.0

South 86.2 81.6 79.3

West 85.2 81.5 78.6

18
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 2.1

Percent of 1992 High School

Seniors Who Agree with Statements about Teaching and Grading (Cont’d)

Teaching is good at

this school

Teachers are

interested in students

Students are

graded fairly

TESTED PROFICIENCY

Below basic in at least one area 80.3 76.5 69.6

At least basic in all areas 85.9 82.3 79.4

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM1

General 83.5 79.1 76.6

College Preparatory 88.0 85.2 81.6

Vocational 84.6 79.3 75.2

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter 88.9 87.6 85.2

Third Quarter 88.3 83.4 80.0

Second Quarter 84.7 79.7 75.9

Lowest Quarter 79.1 74.7 69.2

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban 85.5 83.3 77.7

Suburban 85.3 79.5 78.3

Rural 85.4 82.9 78.8

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public 84.7 80.4 77.3

Catholic 90.4 91.1 84.1

NAIS Private 99.0 97.9 95.0

Other Private 91.2 94.2 90.4

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

0-10 percent 88.6 84.2 80.3

11-49 percent 83.6 79.1 76.4

50-100 percent 84.4 83.4 75.7

1 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they participated.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988: Second Follow-Up,

1992.

19
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Perceptions of school are also tied to seniors’ performance in school, as measured by their class

rank reported on their transcript, tested proficiency assessed by a standardized achievement test, and selfreported enrollment in a college preparatory program.

• Seniors who rank in the top quarter of their class are more likely than those in the lowest

quarter to believe that teaching is good (89 percent compared to 79 percent), that teachers are

interested in students (88 percent compared to 75 percent), and that students are graded fairly

(85 percent compared to 69 percent).

• Seniors who demonstrate basic proficiency in reading, math, and science are more likely than

those who failed to demonstrate basic proficiency in one or more of those areas to agree that

teaching is good, that teachers are interested in students, and that grading is fair.

• Those enrolled in a college preparatory program are more likely than those in general

education or vocational programs to report that teaching is good, teachers are interested in

students, and that grading is fair.19

• Seniors at urban high schools are more likely than seniors at suburban high schools to believe

teachers are interested in students (83 percent compared to 80 percent).

• Those attending schools with more than 50 percent of students receiving free or reduced-price

lunches are less likely to report that teaching is good than those in schools where fewer than

10 percent of the students receive a free or subsidized lunch (84 percent compared to 89

percent).

Parents’ education and socioeconomic status influence seniors’ perceptions of teacher interest in

students.

• Eighty-six percent of seniors whose parents have graduate degrees perceive that their teachers

are interested in the students, compared to 80 percent of seniors whose parents are only high

school graduates. These two groups also differed in their perception of the fairness of

grading: 82 percent of those whose parents have graduate degrees believe grading is fair

compared to 76 percent of seniors with parents who completed only high school.

• Similarly, a significantly greater percentage of seniors from high socioeconomic status

families (85 percent) than low SES families (80 percent) report that teachers are interested in

students. And 83 percent of high SES seniors report that the grading is fair compared to 75

percent of low SES seniors.

19 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they participated.

20
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Perceived Safety at School

One of the national educational goals, instituted in 1989, is that "every school in America will be

free of drugs and violence and offer a disciplined environment conducive to learning" by the year 2000.

Obviously, the ability of schools to keep children safe is as important as the ability of schools to promote

student learning. The climate for learning is also affected by student perceptions of their own safety.

Feeling unsafe at school. The majority of seniors perceive schools to be safe places;

approximately 90 percent of seniors report they feel safe at school. However, the crime and violence that

occurs on our nation’s streets has also spilled over to threaten some students’ feelings of safety at school.

From Table 2.2, it can be observed that one-in-ten seniors report that they do not feel safe in school.

Minorities are more likely than whites to feel unsafe in school.

• Sixteen percent of black and Asian seniors, and 15 percent of Hispanic seniors, report feeling

unsafe in school compared to less than 9 percent of white seniors.

• Seven percent of seniors from families in the highest SES quartile, compared to 13 percent

of seniors from the lowest SES quartile, feel that their schools are unsafe. Similarly, 7

percent of seniors whose parents have graduate degrees feel unsafe at school, compared to 11

percent of seniors whose parents did not continue their education beyond high school.

Feeling unsafe is more prevalent at public schools than at any other type of school.20 And, in

keeping with the fact that crime rates are highest in urban areas, seniors in urban schools are more likely

to feel unsafe than their peers in suburban or rural schools.

• Eleven percent of seniors at public schools say they do not feel safe at school compared to

5 percent of seniors at Catholic schools, 4 percent of seniors at other private schools, and 2

percent of seniors at NAIS private schools.

• Fourteen percent of seniors in urban schools report they do not feel safe in school compared

to 10 percent in suburban schools and 8 percent of seniors in rural schools.

Seniors whose native language is not English are more likely than native English-speaking seniors

to report feeling unsafe (14 percent compared to 10 percent).

Fights between racial and ethnic groups. Seniors were also asked about fights between different

racial and ethnic groups at school. Approximately 23 percent of seniors report that such fights occur

often. Seniors whose parents have only a high school diploma are more likely to report interracial fighting

occurring often than seniors whose parents have graduate degrees (30 percent compared to 19 percent).

However, this percentage fluctuates widely among demographic subgroups.

20 This finding should be interpreted cautiously. As noted in the first chapter, there is greater cultural and racial diversity

within public schools than within other schools.

21
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 2.2

Percent of 1992 High School

Seniors Who Agree with Statements about School Safety

I don’t feel safe at

this school

Fights often occur

between different

racial and ethnic

groups

There are many

gangs in school

TOTAL 10.4 22.7 16.3

GENDER

Male 10.8 22.2 16.4

Female 10.1 23.2 16.2

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian 15.8 30.5 27.2

Hispanic 14.7 31.9 36.4

Black 16.1 22.2 17.5

White 8.6 20.9 12.5

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Low 13.0 25.0 21.0

Medium 10.4 23.1 15.6

High 7.4 18.7 12.4

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less than H.S. 13.8 30.4 24.2

High School Graduate/GED 11.1 23.0 15.8

Some College Work 10.5 23.1 16.8

Completed College 8.9 18.8 13.3

Graduate Degree 6.6 18.7 12.4

REGION

Northeast 10.0 20.3 10.2

Midwest 8.7 17.5 12.8

South 12.2 25.6 14.4

West 9.8 26.9 30.4

TESTED PROFICIENCY

Below basic in at least one area 14.6 30.2 22.6

At least basic in all areas 8.4 20.3 13.7

22
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 2.2

Percent of 1992 High School

Seniors Who Agree with Statements about School Safety (Cont’d)

I don’t feel safe at

this school

Fights often occur

between different

racial and ethnic

groups

There are many

gangs in school

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English 9.8 21.6 14.2

Non-English 14.4 30.0 32.1

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM1

General 11.8 23.5 18.1

College Preparatory 8.1 19.6 13.3

Vocational 13.0 28.4 19.2

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter 7.5 19.8 14.4

Third Quarter 8.8 19.7 13.3

Second Quarter 10.9 24.0 18.0

Lowest Quarter 12.5 27.9 17.0

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban 14.1 25.7 26.9

Suburban 9.7 24.0 15.5

Rural 8.1 18.3 7.9

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public 11.1 24.5 17.7

Catholic 4.9 8.3 4.5

NAIS Private 2.4 2.3 1.3

Other Private 4.0 3.4 1.6

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

10% or less 6.8 18.1 10.0

11% - 49% 12.5 25.9 19.5

50% or more 15.5 28.3 31.1

1 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they participated.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988: Second Follow-Up,

1992.

23
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

• Asian and Hispanic seniors are more likely to report that interracial fights often occur at their

schools than white or black seniors. Nearly one-third of Asian and of Hispanic seniors report

that fights often occur between different racial and ethnic groups at their schools. Twenty-one

percent of white and 22 percent of black seniors report interracial fighting often occurring.

• Language minorities are more likely than native English-speaking seniors (30 percent

compared to 22 percent) to report inter-group fighting often occurring.

• Seniors who rank in the bottom quarter of their class are more likely than those ranked in the

top quarter to report that interracial fights occur often (28 percent compared to 20 percent).

• Twenty-eight percent of seniors from schools in a which a majority of students receive free

or reduced-price lunches report that interracial fights occur often, compared to 18 percent of

seniors attending schools in which 10 percent or less of the student body receive subsidized

lunches.

Interracial fights also vary by the type of school students attend. Racial and ethnic fights are more

commonly reported by seniors in public schools (24 percent) than by seniors in Catholic (8 percent) or

NAIS (2 percent) or other private schools (3 percent). In short, one-quarter of seniors at public schools,

compared to 2 percent of seniors at NAIS private schools, say that fights often occur between different

racial and ethnic groups. And finally, seniors attending urban and suburban high schools are more likely

to report frequent interracial fights than are seniors attending rural schools (26 percent and 24 percent

compared to 18 percent).

Gangs in school. Sixteen percent of seniors, one out of every six, report that there are "many

gangs" present in their schools. Large differences exist among demographic subgroups in reports of gang

presence in schools.

• Hispanics are almost three times as likely as whites to report that there are many gangs in

school. Thirty-six percent of Hispanic seniors report many gangs in schools compared to 12

percent of white seniors. Asian seniors also report the presence of many gangs in

approximately twice the proportion (27 percent) of white seniors. There is no significant

difference between white and black seniors in the proportion reporting gang presence at

school.

• Seniors from higher socioeconomic status families are less likely than seniors from lower

socioeconomic backgrounds to report that there are many gangs in their schools (12 percent

compared to 21 percent).

• The presence of many gangs is also reported approximately three times as often by seniors

in schools in which more than half of all students receive free or reduced-price lunches than

by seniors attending schools in which 10 percent or less of the student body receive free or

reduced-price lunch (31 percent compared to 10 percent).

• A strong relationship exists between native language and reports of gangs in school. Fourteen

percent of native English-speaking seniors report many gangs in their schools compared to

32 percent among non-native English speakers.

24
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Seniors in public schools are more likely than seniors at other schools to report that gangs are

present in school.

• Eighteen percent of public school seniors report there are many gangs in school. Less than

5 percent of Catholic school seniors and less than 2 percent of private school seniors report

the presence of many gangs.

As might be expected, the existence of gangs in schools varies by the location of the school. Gangs

appear to be more prevalent in urban schools than in suburban or rural schools. And a higher percentage

of seniors in Western states than other states report that many gangs exist in school.

• Over one-quarter of seniors in urban schools report that there are many gangs in school.

Sixteen percent of suburban seniors and 8 percent of rural seniors report that there are many

gangs in their schools.

• Gangs appear to be more prevalent in the West than in any other region, perhaps because of

the previously mentioned difference in reports of gangs by Asian and Hispanic seniors.

Thirty percent of seniors attending school in western states say that many gangs are present

in school, more than twice the percentage of seniors from any other region (10 percent in the

Northeast, 13 percent in the Midwest and 14 percent in the South).

25
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Victimization in School

The NELS:88 Second Follow-Up Survey included several questions about victimization at school.

Table 2.3 presents data on three experiences: having items stolen, being approached to buy drugs, and

being threatened with physical harm.

Approximately 31 percent of all seniors state that they have had something stolen from them while

at school. Physical violence and the threat of violence are less common--just 15 percent of seniors say

someone has threatened to hurt them while at school. About this same proportion of seniors (16 percent),

say that someone has offered to sell or give them drugs while in school.

Exposure to the more serious of these offenses at school is more widespread among males than

females. Young males are approximately twice as likely as young females to report that someone has

offered them drugs (22 percent vs. 10 percent) or threatened to hurt them (20 percent compared to 11

percent).

Threats of physical violence are experienced by members of all racial and ethnic groups.

However, Hispanic seniors are more likely than white seniors (21 percent compared to 17 percent) to

report being offered drugs, while a significantly smaller proportion of blacks (9 percent) and of Asians

(12 percent) report being offered drugs. This is congruent with the fact that drug use is more prevalent

among white and Hispanic seniors than among other racial groups (see Chapter 7 of this report). There

are no significant differences among racial/ethnic groups in the reported incidence of theft.

The type and location of the school does affect the likelihood that a senior will report one of these

three types of experience.

• Threats of physical violence are reported by a higher percentage of public school seniors (16

percent) than among Catholic school seniors (11 percent), and reports of offers of drugs are

more prevalent in public (17 percent) than in "other" private schools (2 percent).

• Seniors attending schools in western states are more likely than their peers elsewhere to report

being offered drugs (20 percent in the West compared to less than 17 percent elsewhere).

26
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 2.3

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Report Being Victimized at School

I had something

stolen from me

while at school

Someone offered to

sell or give me

drugs at school

Someone

threatened to hurt

me while at school

TOTAL 30.8 16.0 15.2

GENDER

Male 34.0 21.7 19.7

Female 27.5 10.3 10.6

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian 30.4 11.5 13.0

Hispanic 34.3 21.1 16.3

Black 34.4 9.3 15.3

White 29.7 16.6 15.1

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Low 33.0 14.4 13.8

Medium 29.5 16.9 15.9

High 31.1 15.8 14.8

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less than H.S. 31.1 13.1 12.7

High School Graduate/GED 29.8 16.4 14.6

Some College Work 29.7 16.1 15.3

Completed College 31.2 14.9 14.9

Graduate Degree 32.8 18.1 15.4

REGION

Northeast 29.4 15.7 14.7

Midwest 31.5 16.4 16.3

South 30.5 13.5 14.6

West 31.8 20.4 15.4

TESTED PROFICIENCY

Below basic in at least one area 36.0 18.0 15.5

At least basic in all areas 29.5 14.8 14.6

27
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 2.3

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Report Being Victimized at School (Cont’d)

I had something

stolen from me

while at school

Someone offered to

sell or give me

drugs at school

Someone

threatened to hurt

me while at school

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English 30.2 16.1 15.2

Non-English 35.2 14.2 13.0

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM1

General 31.2 18.6 16.2

College Preparatory 29.7 13.5 13.7

Vocational 31.7 15.8 16.5

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter 27.2 8.4 10.3

Third Quarter 27.5 14.6 12.2

Second Quarter 32.1 20.2 17.5

Lowest Quarter 37.8 27.8 21.8

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban 30.1 16.4 15.7

Suburban 30.9 18.7 15.8

Rural 31.5 12.1 14.0

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public 30.8 16.7 15.7

Catholic 27.3 12.7 11.0

NAIS Private 42.2 14.7 10.9

Other Private 33.0 2.5 10.3

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

10% or less 28.7 17.6 13.9

11% - 49% 32.1 15.4 15.6

50% or more 34.8 17.8 18.4

1 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they participated.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988: Second

Follow-Up, 1992.

28
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Peer Values

The values held by friends are important because they can affect the choices made by individuals.

Adolescence is generally characterized as a stage of life when the individual begins to separate from his

or her family of origin and turn toward peers for affirmation and support. The normative beliefs held by

friends help define the social world in which adolescents operate.

Figure 2.1 presents information on the activities seniors think are very important to their close

friends.

• Eighty-four percent of seniors report that graduation from high school is very important to

their close friends.

• Over half of all seniors say that getting together with friends (59 percent), continuing

education past high school (59 percent), making money (53 percent), and attending classes

regularly (51 percent) are very important to their close friends. Almost as many (48 percent)

say that getting good grades is very important.

• Thirty-six percent of seniors believe that studying is very important to friends.

• Religious activities are reported as very important by fewer than 10 percent of seniors.

• Community service work is rated as very important by less than 5 percent of seniors.

• Less than 10 percent of seniors report that using drugs and drinking alcohol are very

important to close friends.

29
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Figure 2.1: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors who Report that Close Friends Feel Various

Activities are "Very Important"

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

30
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

A few of these items merit further scrutiny. The perceived importance of attending class regularly,

getting good grades, and studying can be interpreted as being measures of the academic orientation of a

student’s friendship group. Table 2.4 presents these items for various subgroups.

Among high school seniors, more women than men report their friends value regular class

attendance, grades, and studying.

• Gender differences in the importance of studying are marked. While 43 percent of females

say their friends think studying is very important, just 29 percent of males believe studying

is very important to their close friends.

• Nearly 56 percent of females compared to 41 percent of males believe that their friends value

getting good grades.

• Fifty-seven percent of females compared to 45 percent of males report that friends feel regular

class attendance is very important.

A number of differences by race and ethnicity are also apparent in Table 2.4. In particular:

• Forty-nine percent of Asians and 43 percent of blacks say that studying is very important,

compared to 34 percent of whites who believe their friends feel studying is very important.

(These is no significant difference between white and Hispanic seniors.

• Similarly, 59 percent of Asians and 56 percent of blacks feel their close friends

think grades are very important compared to 46 percent of whites. Again, there

is no significant difference between white and Hispanic seniors.

The emphasis placed on academic activities varies with the location and type of school. Seniors

at public schools, compared to those at Catholic schools, are less likely to report that studying is very

important to their friends (35 percent vs. 43.7 percent), and are also less likely to think that attending class

very important (50.3 percent vs. 59.4 percent). There is no significant difference between public and

NAIS or other private schools. Suburban seniors feel less peer pressure than urban seniors with regard

to attending class (47 percent compared to 55 percent), getting good grades (46 percent compared to 52

percent), and studying (33 percent compared to 41 percent).

Not surprisingly, the proportion of seniors reporting that these activities are important to their close

friends is significantly higher among those in the top quarter of their class as compared to those in the

bottom quarter. For example, 57 percent of those in the top quarter of their class say that friends think

it is important to get good grades compared to 38 percent of those ranked in the bottom quarter of their

high school class.

31
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 2.4

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Report that Close Friends Feel Various

Academic Activities Are "Very Important"

Important to attend

classes regularly

Important to get

good grades

Important

to study

TOTAL 51.4 48.5 36.1

GENDER

Male 45.4 41.1 29.0

Female 57.2 55.7 43.1

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian 57.7 59.2 48.9

Hispanic 52.6 49.5 36.7

Black 55.4 55.6 42.7

White 50.2 46.5 34.1

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Low 50.1 48.5 34.6

Medium 50.4 47.3 35.1

High 55.6 50.4 40.0

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less than H.S. 48.6 49.9 32.5

High School Graduate/GED 50.6 46.4 33.7

Some College Work 50.3 45.9 34.0

Completed College 53.9 50.4 40.1

Graduate Degree 55.5 52.2 40.6

REGION

Northeast 50.2 49.7 35.7

Midwest 52.0 44.8 34.7

South 53.3 51.8 37.5

West 48.0 46.2 35.5

TESTED PROFICIENCY

Below basic in at least one area 46.5 46.3 35.7

At least basic in all areas 53.6 48.8 35.2

32
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 2.4

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Report that Close Friends Feel Various

Academic Activities Are "Very Important" (Cont’d)

Important to attend

classes regularly

Important to get

good grades

Important

to study

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English 51.2 48.0 35.4

Non-English 55.8 52.7 42.3

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM1

General 45.6 43.9 30.3

College Preparatory 58.6 53.6 42.5

Vocational 47.4 47.0 32.4

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter 60.9 56.8 42.5

Third Quarter 52.3 49.3 34.4

Second Quarter 50.6 43.4 33.4

Lowest Quarter 43.3 38.3 29.1

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban 54.8 52.2 40.7

Suburban 47.2 45.7 33.0

Rural 53.5 48.6 35.7

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public 50.3 47.9 35.0

Catholic 59.4 49.5 43.7

NAIS Private 59.0 65.8 45.4

Other Private 61.9 54.7 47.0

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

10% or Less 52.0 48.7 35.8

11% - 49% 52.1 47.5 33.8

50% or more 51.1 49.0 37.2

1 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they participated.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988: Second

Follow-Up, 1992.

33
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Chapter 3: Course and Program Enrollments

During the 10 years preceding the graduation of the high school class of 1992, a concerted effort

was mounted to strengthen the curriculum taught in high schools. The call for a renewed emphasis on

basic courses was outlined by the National Commission on Excellence in Education (NCEE) in 1983.

This group recommended that every high school graduate complete four years of English, and three years

of social studies, mathematics, and science, and its recommendation was echoed and amplified by others.

In 1988, the Secretary of Education recommended to the President and the nation that graduation

requirements be extended to include at least two years of a foreign language.

In response to these suggestions, a campaign was mounted to modify the existing high school

graduation requirements mandated by the 50 states and District of Columbia. The senior class of 1992

was enrolled in high school during the period following state implementation of more rigorous

requirements for high school graduation. For example, by the fall of 1987, the year preceding 1992

seniors’ entrance into high school, 88 percent of states had imposed graduation requirements in

mathematics compared to only 76 percent of states in 1983.21 Additionally, many states with existing

requirements had increased the number of mathematics courses required for graduation: 59 percent of

states required two or more mathematics courses in 1983 compared to 85 percent of states in 1989.

This chapter explores the extent to which this call for a strong national curriculum has been

achieved and is reflected in the course-taking patterns of high school seniors. This chapter examines three

indicators of curriculum: high school program, the combination of "New Basics" courses taken, and

enrollments in specific courses. In addition, this chapter also considers the amount of time seniors spend

studying outside of school.

High School Program

Typically, high school programs can be classified into one of three broad types: college

preparatory programs, vocational programs, and general education programs. Students’ academic

experiences can vary considerably depending upon the program in which they are enrolled. In addition

to differences in the sequence and content of courses, differences have been noted among programs in

terms of teachers’ experience, education, and expectations for student performance.22

Table 3.1 presents the distribution of seniors by program based on seniors’ self-reports.23 Nearly

half of all seniors (48 percent) report they are in a college preparatory track. Most of the remaining

seniors (40 percent) report they are in a general high school program. Twelve percent of seniors say they

are enrolled in vocational or technical programs.

21 State graduation requirements in mathematics are presented in Appendix Table 2.1 in Division of Research, Evaluation

and Dissemination, Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Indicators of Science and Mathematics Education, 1992,

ed. Larry E. Suter. Washington, DC: National Science Foundation, 1993. NSF 93-95.

22 Oakes, J., Selvin, M., Karoly, L., Guiton, J. 1992. Educational Matchmaking: Academic and Vocational Tracking in

Comprehensive High Schools. Berkeley: National Center for Research in Vocational Education.

23 This variable is based on a questionnaire item which asked the respondents "which of the following best describes your

present high school program?" Responses were recoded into these categories: General High School Program, College Preparatory

Program, and Vocational/Technical Program. See Appendix B for details.

34
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Previous surveys in 1972 and 1980 indicated that females were less likely than males to be

enrolled in a college preparatory program and more likely than males to be enrolled in a vocational high

school program. From 1969-1980, a large percentage of women (between 55 and 68 percent) took

consumer and/or home economics courses which were classified as vocational education. The gap noted

by the earlier surveys has now disappeared,24 and today a considerably smaller proportion of women is

enrolled in vocational education courses.25 Program placement26 is also strongly tied to gender and

socioeconomic status.

• Males and females are enrolled in college preparatory (47 percent compared to 49 percent),

general education (41 percent compared to 39 percent), and vocational programs (13 percent

compared to 12 percent) at approximately the same rates.

• Sixty-five percent of seniors from the highest socioeconomic quartile report being in college

preparatory programs while 28 percent of those from the lowest socioeconomic quartile report

being in a college preparatory program.

• Seniors from the highest SES groups are also less likely than those from the lowest SES

group to be enrolled in general education (32 percent compared to 49 percent) or vocational

programs (3 percent compared to 23 percent).

Differences between racial and ethnic groups are also pronounced.

• While about half of the white 12th graders are enrolled in a college preparatory program, just

35 percent of Hispanic and 43 percent of black seniors are in that type of program.

• In contrast to white seniors, Hispanic seniors are more likely to be in a general education

program (51 percent compared to 39 percent). And black seniors are more likely than white

seniors to be enrolled in vocational education (17 percent compared to 11 percent).

• Almost half of all seniors (49 percent) whose native language is English are enrolled in

college preparatory programs, compared to 43 percent of non-native English-speaking seniors.

24 Green, P. 1993. High School Seniors Look to the Future, 1972 and 1992. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of

Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics. NCES 93-473.

25 Horn, L., Brown, S., & Wilen E. (1992). NCES Vocational Education Electronic Table Library, U.S. Department of

Education, National Center for Education Statistics. NCES 92-669.

26 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they participated.

35
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 3.1

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Who Report

Enrollment in Different High School Programs

High School Program1

General

College

Preparatory

Vocational/

Technical

TOTAL 40.0 47.7 12.3

GENDER

Male

Female

40.9

39.1

46.6

48.8

12.6

12.1

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian

Hispanic

Black

White

34.6

50.6

40.2

38.7

56.2

35.4

42.8

49.9

9.2

14.1

17.0

11.4

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Low

Medium

High

49.1

39.1

32.1

28.3

48.8

65.1

22.6

12.2

2.8

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less than H.S.

High School Graduate/GED

Some College Work

Completed College

Graduate Degree

52.1

44.8

38.5

34.6

29.4

24.4

36.2

50.2

59.2

67.6

23.5

19.0

11.2

6.3

3.1

TESTED PROFICIENCY

Below basic in at least one area

At least basic in all areas

49.4

35.1

27.2

54.7

23.5

10.2

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English

Non-English

39.2

44.3

48.6

42.7

12.2

13.0

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter

Third Quarter

Second Quarter

Lowest Quarter

20.2

38.0

44.7

60.0

74.0

49.6

38.9

23.7

5.9

12.4

16.3

16.3

36
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 3.1

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Who Report

Enrollment in Different High School Programs (Cont’d)

High School Program1

General

College

Preparatory

Vocational/

Technical

PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR

Four-year College

Two-year Academic

Two-year Vocational/Trade

Will not attend school

Uncertain

28.3

51.9

51.3

52.7

55.4

67.3

38.4

20.5

23.5

22.0

4.4

9.8

28.2

23.8

22.6

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban

Suburban

Rural

36.1

40.7

42.2

52.1

49.0

42.1

11.8

10.3

15.7

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public

Catholic

NAIS private

Other private

41.6

21.5

9.4

39.9

44.9

76.3

90.6

58.6

13.5

2.2

0.0

1.5

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

0 - 10%

11 - 49%

50% or more

37.1

39.0

44.4

55.0

45.8

39.3

8.0

15.2

16.3

MINORITY ENROLLMENT

Less than 50%

50% or more

38.7

41.6

49.6

44.2

11.7

14.2

1 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they

participated.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

37
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

It may be that student placement is constrained by the programs available at school. For example,

many private high schools only offer a college preparatory curriculum. School-level curricular constraints

are evident in the data presented in Table 3.1.

• Forty-five percent of seniors in public, 76 percent of seniors in Catholic, and 91 percent of

seniors in NAIS private schools are enrolled in college preparatory programs. Seniors

enrolled in Catholic and NAIS private schools are more likely than seniors in public schools

to report being enrolled in a college preparatory program.

• Forty-two percent of public, 22 percent of Catholic, and 9 percent of NAIS private school

seniors are enrolled in general education programs.

• Fourteen percent of seniors in public schools are in a vocational program; 2 percent or less

of seniors in other schools are in vocational programs.

Other school characteristics also appear to affect program placement.27

• Seniors attending rural high schools are more likely than those attending urban high schools

to report enrollment in vocational (16 percent compared to 12 percent) or general education

(42 percent compared to 36 percent) programs and are less likely to be in college preparatory

programs (42 percent compared to 52 percent).

• Seniors in schools where the majority of students receive free lunches are less likely to be

enrolled in college preparatory programs than their counterparts in schools with 10 percent

or less receiving a subsidized lunch, (39 percent compared to 55 percent) and they are more

likely to be enrolled in vocational programs (16 percent compared to 8 percent).

27 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they participated.

38
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Enrollment in New Basics Courses

Students enroll in courses for many different reasons: they are interested in the subject matter, the

course is required for graduation, or they feel they need the course to prepare for future educational or

career pursuits. Thus, students’ course enrollment patterns can be indicative of many things: personal

interests, program limitations or requirements, graduation requirements, postsecondary plans, and

postsecondary opportunities.

The "New Basics" curriculum first advocated in A Nation at Risk consists of a standard set of

courses that students should be expected to take. The sequence of New Basics courses examined here

reflects these National Commission on Excellence in Education (NCEE) guidelines:

• The "minimum standard" consists of 4 English, 3 social studies, 2 math, and 2 science yearlong courses.

• The NCEE recommended level includes the minimum standard plus 1 additional math and

1 additional science course.

• The highest level includes the minimum standard, plus 1 additional math and 1 additional

science course, plus two courses in a foreign language, and a half-year course in computer

science.

As part of the 1992 round of NELS:88, high school transcripts were collected for a large

subsample of NELS:88 seniors. Using these transcripts, it is possible to examine the pattern of courses

typically completed by seniors and evaluate whether or not these seniors are meeting the recommended

guidelines.28

From Table 3.2 it is evident that these standards are not yet universal. Over one-third of seniors

have not taken the minimum sequence of courses recommended.29 And just 16 percent of all seniors

have completed the advanced sequence recommended for college entrance which includes foreign

languages and computer science.

28 The Tables and Analyses in this report which refer to New Basics Courses Taken are based on all seniors for whom 1992

transcripts were collected. For a complete description of the computation of this variable, see Appendix B.

29 Two of the reasons seniors failed to meet the New Basics minimum standard is that they either failed to take four English

or three social studies courses.

39
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 3.2

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Completing Various Combinations of "New Basics" Courses

Less than

Minimum

Minimum Basic:

4E+3SS+2S+2M1

Minimum +

1M+1S2

Minimum +

1M+1S+2FL+.5CS3

TOTAL 37.4 23.2 23.0 16.4

GENDER

Male 39.9 21.9 22.8 15.4

Female 34.7 24.6 23.2 17.4

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian 32.8 20.8 22.0 24.4

Hispanic 47.7 25.2 15.2 12.0

Black 39.8 25.9 20.1 14.3

White 35.6 22.8 24.6 17.0

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Low 47.5 27.6 14.6 10.4

Medium 37.0 24.8 22.4 15.8

High 26.6 15.9 33.4 24.1

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less than H.S. 47.7 29.5 13.3 9.5

High School

Graduate/GED 41.9 27.2 18.3 12.6

Some College Work 36.7 24.6 21.8 16.9

Completed College 32.0 17.2 26.5 24.3

Graduate Degree 25.8 16.7 36.4 21.0

REGION

Northeast 28.0 15.4 32.7 23.9

Midwest 49.5 19.3 18.2 13.0

South 30.5 25.6 25.4 18.5

West 41.8 31.9 16.2 10.1

TESTED PROFICIENCY

Below basic in at least

one area 52.2 26.4 14.6 6.8

At least basic in all areas 31.6 22.9 26.0 19.5

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English 36.1 23.4 23.9 16.7

Non-English 45.3 21.4 17.7 15.6

40
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 3.2

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Completing Various Combinations of "New Basics" Courses (Cont’d)

Less than

Minimum

Minimum Basic:

4E+3SS+2S+2M1

Minimum +

1M+1S2

Minimum +

1M+1S+2FL+.5CS3

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM

General 46.0 28.2 16.4 9.4

College Preparatory 25.4 16.4 32.6 25.7

Vocational 51.7 31.5 11.2 5.6

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter 23.0 13.2 33.1 30.8

Third Quarter 30.2 24.0 26.4 19.4

Second Quarter 39.4 33.2 17.3 10.1

Lowest Quarter 55.0 30.6 11.1 3.4

PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR

Four-year College 26.8 16.4 31.8 25.0

Two-year Academic 35.1 32.3 21.2 11.4

Two-year Vocational/ Trade 55.6 26.5 12.4 5.5

Will not attend school 52.1 29.4 11.8 6.6

Uncertain 46.0 34.7 12.5 6.8

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban 35.7 24.0 21.9 18.4

Suburban 37.4 22.4 24.3 15.8

Rural 38.7 23.6 22.0 15.6

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public 38.6 24.0 22.0 15.4

Catholic 21.4 20.6 25.2 32.8

NAIS Private 33.9 4.8 52.7 8.6

Other Private 26.1 13.2 40.6 20.1

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

10% or less 34.8 20.9 26.7 17.5

11% - 49% 38.8 24.2 20.5 16.5

50% or more 44.6 25.4 18.9 11.1

1 Four English, 3 Social Studies, 2 Science, and 2 Math year long courses.

2 Four English, 3 Social Studies, 3 Science, and 3 Math year long courses.

3 Four English, 3 Social Studies, 3 Science, 3 Math, 2 Foreign Language year long courses and one-half year of computer science.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

41
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Student background characteristics are associated with patterns of course-taking:

• Males are more likely than females to have taken less than the minimum standard

combination of courses (40 percent compared to 35 percent).

• Parents’ education and socioeconomic status are related to course-taking patterns. Seniors

from low-SES families are more likely to take less than the minimum set of courses than

those from high-SES families (48 percent compared to 27 percent). Similarly, seniors whose

parents have less than a high school diploma (48 percent) or who have only a high school

diploma (42 percent) are less likely to have completed the recommended basic sequence of

courses than those who have completed college (32 percent) or received graduate degrees (26

percent).

• Racial differences are not sharp. Approximately the same proportion of white (36 percent)

and Asian (33 percent) or black (40 percent) seniors fail to take the minimum recommended

core courses. However, Hispanic seniors are more likely than white seniors to be below the

recommended minimum for course-taking: nearly half (48 percent) of Hispanic seniors have

not taken the minimum recommended core courses and only 12 percent have taken the most

advanced combination.

Some characteristics of the schools attended by 1992 seniors--the type of school, and the incomelevel of the student body--are also related to patterns of course work taken by seniors.

• Approximately the same percentage of seniors at public (39 percent) and NAIS private (34

percent) schools fail to complete the minimum set of recommended courses30; fewer Catholic

school seniors (21 percent) complete less than the recommended minimum set of courses.

• Seniors attending Catholic schools are more likely than seniors at public schools (33 percent

compared to 15 percent) to have completed the courses in foreign languages and computer

science as well as three courses in math and science.

• No differences exist among seniors in urban, suburban, and rural schools in the pattern of

New Basics courses taken.

• Seniors from schools in which over half of all students receive free or reduced-price lunches

are less likely to take the most rigorous sequence of recommended courses than those

attending schools with fewer than 10 percent of students receiving subsidized lunches (11

percent compared to 18 percent).

30 Over ninety percent of NAIS private school seniors complete two math and two science course. However, some do not

have four years of English or 3 years of social studies recorded on their transcripts.

42
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Courses Taken

Student course work and achievement in mathematics and science has caused some concern in

recent years. Studies of international achievement in mathematics and science have found that American

students’ knowledge of science and mathematics lags considerably behind their counterparts in other

industrialized countries.31 One of the determinants of tested achievement is the level of course work

taken.

Historically, student participation in advanced science and math courses has been low. A majority

of high school seniors enroll in algebra and biology during the early years of high school, but fewer go

on to enroll in geometry and advanced algebra or chemistry and physics. In 1982, the following patterns

of course-taking were evident:32

• In mathematics, 65 percent of 1982 graduates had taken Algebra I, 46 percent had taken

geometry, and 35 percent had taken Algebra II.

• In science, three-quarters of 1982 graduates took biology, 31 percent took chemistry, and 14

percent took physics.

Figure 3.1 presents information on the percentage of 1992 high school seniors who have completed

at least one course in each subject. From this figure, it is easy to see that while virtually all seniors have

taken some math and science, there remain striking differences in the numbers of seniors who have taken

introductory and advanced courses within these subject areas.

• While 80 percent of seniors have completed introductory algebra, only 70 percent have

completed geometry and slightly over half (53 percent) have completed algebra II. Advanced

mathematics courses in pre-calculus and calculus are taken by fewer students, 16 and 10

percent respectively.

• Almost all seniors (93 percent) have taken biology, but far fewer have taken other science

courses: about 55 percent have taken chemistry, and one-quarter have taken physics.

• Fifty-eight percent of seniors have taken at least one course in computer science.

• Nearly three-quarters of all seniors have taken a foreign language class.

31 For cross-national comparisons of the mathematics achievement of children aged 9 and 13 from the International

Assessment of Educational Progress, see Lapointe, A.E., Mead, N.A. and Askew, J. M.. 1992. Learning Mathematics, Princeton,

New Jersey: The Center for the Assessment of Educational Progress, Educational Testing Service. Report No. 22-CAEP-01.

Information concerning achievement in science can be found in Lapointe, A. E., Mead, N. A. and Askew, J. M., 1992. Learning

Science, Princeton, New Jersey: The Center for the Assessment of Educational Progress, Educational Testing Service. Report

No. 22-CAEP-02.

32 These data are based on NCES, High School and Beyond , 1982, as reported in Table 1:14, U.S. Department of Education,

National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education, 1991, Volume 1, Elementary and Secondary Education.

Washington, D.C.: 1991. Note that these numbers are not directly comparable to those reported in Figure 3.1 The 1982 figures

are based on a sample of high school graduates; the population examined in this report consists of high school seniors.

43
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Figure 3.1: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Completing Coursework in Various Subjects

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

44
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

The figures cited here reflect the progress that has been made in curricular reform. To estimate

the magnitude of this change more precisely, it is necessary to redefine the sample somewhat and compare

high school graduates in 1992 with high school graduates in 1982. As reported in the Condition of

Education, 1994, members of the Class of 1992 took far more advanced course work in mathematics and

science than their 1982 counterparts.33 The percentage of graduates who completed four units of English

and three units each of social studies, mathematics, and science increased significantly over the decade,

from 13 to 47 percent. An increase was also observed for both sexes and all racial and ethnic groups.

In addition, the proportion of graduates who complete both algebra II and geometry increased from 29

percent in 1982 to 50 percent in 1992. A similar increase in science is evident; 29 percent completed

biology and chemistry in 1982 compared to 54 percent in 1992.34

Student Engagement

Learning requires the active participation of the learner, which in turn requires both psychological

investment in learning and effort directed toward learning.35 This student engagement can be gauged

in a number of ways including measuring the amount of time spent in doing homework. Hours spent in

completing homework outside of school is a clear example of an activity that is directed toward learning

and requires active involvement on the part of the learner. While time spent doing homework in school

is also important, time spent studying in school is often dictated by the school rather than by the student’s

own motivation to learn.

Cross-national studies suggest that American 13-year old students spend less time engaged in

homework than students in other countries. Students in Korea, Taiwan, Hungary, the Soviet Union, Italy

(Emilia-Romagna), Israel, France, Spain, Ireland, and Jordan report spending more time on homework than

students in the U.S. Although the link between hours spent doing homework and tested achievement is

tenuous, the disparity has focussed attention on the amount of time U.S. students spend doing school

work.36

Table 3.3 presents data on the amount of time seniors spend each week in doing homework

outside of school. Most American seniors (60 percent) report spending less than one hour a day (7 hours

per week) doing homework outside of school: approximately 14 percent spend less than one hour per

week and another 46 percent say they spend 1-6 hours per week on homework outside of school.

33 Data reported here are from Indicators 24 and 25 in the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education

Statistics. 1994. Condition of Education, 1994. Washington, D.C: NCES (94-149).

34 More detailed information on trends across years can be found in Green, P., Dugoni, B., and Ingels S.; Trends Among High

School Seniors, 1972-1992. Washington, D.C.: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES 95-380).

35 See Newmann, F., Wehlage, G., and Lamborn, S. 1992. "The Significance and Sources of Student Engagement", in

Student Engagement and Achievement in American Secondary Schools. Fred Newmann (ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.

36 See page 79, Division of Research, Evaluation and Dissemination, Directorate for Education and Human Resources. 1993.

Indicators of Science and Mathematics Education, 1992, ed. Larry E. Suter. Washington, D.C.: National Science Foundation.

NSF 93-95.

45
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Again, demographic characteristics such as social class and parental education are associated with

time spent on homework outside of school. Among racial and ethnic groups, Asians outnumber other

racial and ethnic groups in reporting spending an hour per day or more on homework.

Perhaps most striking is the relationship between type of school attended and the amount of time

spent on homework. Twice the proportion of seniors at NAIS schools, compared to public schools (80

percent compared to 38 percent), report spending an hour a day or more on homework. Part of this may

be due to the fact that amount of time spent on homework varies with the type of high school program.

One-quarter of seniors in vocational programs and one-third of seniors in general education programs

spend at least an hour a day doing homework outside of school, compared to half of all students in college

preparatory programs.

Even though seniors in college preparatory programs spend more time engaged in homework than

other seniors, the fact remains that only half spend at least an hour each day doing homework outside of

school. Similarly, just half of students who plan to attend four-year colleges spend an hour a day on

homework outside of school. Chapter 4 explores the impact of student effort on tested achievement.

46
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 3.3

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Who Report Spending

Various Amounts of Time Per Week Doing Homework Outside of School

Less than 1 Hour

Per Week

1 - 6 Hours

Per Week

7 or More Hours

Per Week

TOTAL 14.5 45.7 39.8

GENDER

Male 18.8 44.8 36.4

Female 10.2 46.6 43.3

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian 9.7 37.2 53.1

Hispanic 12.2 48.8 39.0

Black 14.5 50.2 35.2

White 15.1 45.3 39.6

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Low 18.8 47.4 33.8

Medium 15.6 46.6 37.8

High 8.3 42.3 49.4

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less than H.S. 18.7 45.1 36.3

High School Graduate/GED 19.3 46.9 33.8

Some College Work 14.5 46.7 38.8

Completed College 11.2 45.7 43.0

Graduate Degree 7.3 41.2 51.5

REGION

Northeast 14.7 44.5 40.8

Midwest 16.8 44.2 39.0

South 14.6 47.6 37.7

West 11.0 45.3 43.8

TESTED PROFICIENCY

Below basic in at least one area 20.9 50.6 28.6

At least basic in all areas 13.5 45.2 41.3

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English 15.0 46.1 38.9

Non-English 10.3 42.9 46.8

47
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 3.3

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Who Report Spending Various

Amounts of Time Per Week Doing Homework Outside of School (Cont’d)

Less than 1 Hour

Per Week

1 - 6 Hours

Per Week

7 or More Hours

Per Week

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM

General 17.8 48.4 33.8

College Preparatory 8.6 41.2 50.1

Vocational 22.5 52.4 25.1

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter 7.0 40.9 52.1

Third Quarter 15.1 47.1 37.8

Second Quarter 18.4 49.9 31.7

Lowest Quarter 21.7 48.4 29.9

PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR

Four-Year College 8.0 42.8 49.2

Two-Year Academic 13.6 51.0 35.3

Two-Year Vocational/Trade 21.3 48.8 30.0

Will not attend school 24.7 47.5 27.8

Uncertain 25.1 49.9 25.1

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban 10.8 46.1 43.1

Suburban 14.7 44.8 40.4

Rural 17.4 46.4 36.2

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public 15.2 46.5 38.3

Catholic 9.1 39.0 51.8

NAIS Private 4.0 15.5 80.5

Other Private 8.1 46.1 45.8

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

10% or less 13.5 44.0 42.4

11% to 49% 14.9 46.6 38.5

50% or more 16.2 48.0 35.8

MINORITY ENROLLMENT

50% or more 15.1 45.1 39.8

Less than 50% 13.1 47.7 39.2

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

48
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Chapter 4: Tested Achievement

The President and the National Governors Association have established national goals for student

achievement. One of these goals states that "American students will leave grades 4, 8, and 12 having

demonstrated competency in challenging subject matter including English, mathematics, science, history

and geography"; another states that "U.S. students will be first in the world in science and mathematics

achievement" by the year 2000.

These are ambitious goals. In 1990-1991, U.S. 13 year-olds ranked 13th out of 15 countries in

which students were tested. In mathematics, U.S. students ranked next to last, 14th out of the 15 countries

participating.37 Clearly, a substantial effort will be needed to meet the national goal.

An Overview of Proficiency Levels

As part of the NELS:88 Second Follow-Up, seniors were asked to take a series of exams to test

their achievement in reading, math, science, and social studies. For each of the first three subjects,

proficiency levels are defined. While scores can also be calculated to indicate relative achievement level

and gains since last tested, the scores indicating proficiency levels will serve as the focus for this

chapter.38 The primary advantage of examining scores based on proficiency levels is that the skills and

content knowledge necessary to meet each proficiency level are clearly defined. (see page 136ff).

Reading. Figure 4.1 presents information on the seniors’ proficiency in reading. Proficiency in

reading is measured at three levels:

Below Basic: Cannot comprehend author’s main thought.

Basic: Simple reading comprehension including reproduction of detail and/or the author’s

main thought.

Intermediate: Ability to make relatively simple inferences beyond the author’s main thought

and/or to understand and evaluate relatively abstract concepts.

Advanced: Ability to make complex inferences or valuative judgments that require piecing

together multiple sources of information from the passage.

As Figure 4.1 demonstrates, approximately one in twelve seniors (8 percent) cannot comprehend basic

written information, and another 31 percent of seniors can grasp the main point of a paragraph but cannot

go beyond this simple task. In other words, nearly four out of ten seniors (39 percent) have only basic,

or less than basic, reading skills. Less than one-quarter of all seniors (23 percent) can understand and

evaluate written arguments and make complex inferences based on the information presented.

37 Lapointe, Mead, and Askew, Learning Mathematics and Learning Science, loc. cit.

38 Complete information on the construction of test scores available for analysis is provided in Ingels, S., et al., NELS:88

Student Data File Users Manual, Second Follow-Up, Washington, D.C.: National Center for Education Statistics, NCES 94-374.

49
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Figure 4.1: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Demonstrating Proficiency at Various

Levels of Reading Achievement

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

50
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Mathematics. Seniors’ exposure to mathematics varies quite dramatically depending on the

academic track in which they are enrolled. It is common for seniors pursuing a rigorous college

preparatory track to have completed courses in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and advanced algebra by

the time of graduation. In contrast, seniors in general or vocational tracks may take only business or

general mathematics. Thus, mathematics proficiency is measured at five levels to capture the wide range

of concepts covered in the multitude of different high school mathematics courses:

Below level 1: Unable to perform simple arithmetic operations.

Level 1 (low): Simple arithmetical operations on whole numbers: essentially single step

operations which rely on rote memory.

Level 2: Simple operations with decimals, fractions, powers, and roots.

Level 3: Simple problem solving, requiring an understanding of low level mathematical

concepts.

Level 4: Understanding of intermediate level mathematical concepts and/or having the

ability to formulate multi-step solutions to word problems.

Level 5 (high): Proficiency in solving complex multi-step word problems and/or the ability to

demonstrate knowledge of mathematics material found in advanced mathematics

courses.

As the data in Figure 4.2 show, approximately 6 percent of seniors fail to attain basic proficiency

(Below level 1) in math. In short, these seniors cannot successfully perform even simple arithmetic

computations. Twenty percent of seniors can complete basic computations on whole numbers (level 1),

but cannot perform basic calculations with non-integers, such as fractions or decimals; another 14 percent

have solid skills in arithmetic (level 2) but are unable to solve simple problems in mathematics. In all,

four out of every ten seniors (40 percent) cannot solve basic mathematical problems that require an

understanding of low level mathematical concepts.

Almost 60 percent of seniors demonstrate some level of skill in mathematical problem solving:

25 percent can solve only simple problems (level 3), 30 percent can solve multi-step problems (level 4),

and 4 percent can solve complex multi-step word problems (level 5).

51
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Figure 4.2: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Demonstrating Proficiency at Various

Levels of Mathematics Achievement

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

52
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Science. During the past 10 years, concern about student proficiency in science has escalated.

The nation’s ability to compete effectively in world markets depends in part on the scientific and

technological skills of its labor force. Thus, schools have been called upon to renew their emphasis on

science. High school science is taught at a wide range of levels, from general science to advanced

placement physics. The test used in this study distinguishes scientific knowledge at three levels:

Below Basic: Does not demonstrate understanding of every day science concepts.

Basic: Understanding of everyday science concepts; "common knowledge" that

can be acquired in everyday life.

Intermediate: Understanding of fundamental science concepts upon which more complex

science knowledge can be built.

Advanced: Understanding of relatively complex scientific concepts; typically requiring

an additional problem solving step.

Sixteen percent of seniors fail to attain the most basic level of science proficiency. If that number

is combined with the 30 percent of seniors who possess only "common knowledge" of science, it is

apparent that nearly half (47 percent) of all seniors do not understand the fundamental principles of

science.

Fifty-three percent of seniors demonstrate an understanding of the basic principles of science: 31

percent demonstrate knowledge of fundamental concepts while another 22 percent demonstrate an

understanding of complex scientific concepts.

53
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Figure 4.3: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Demonstrating Proficiency at

Various Levels of Science Achievement

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

54
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Proficiency Levels and Demographic Characteristics

Demographic factors. Differences in proficiency between subgroups are evident in Tables 4.1a -

4.1c. Some gender differences can be observed.

• Thirty-seven percent of males, compared to 32 percent of females, demonstrate advanced

achievement in math.

• A significantly larger proportion of females than males are proficient at the intermediate (41

percent compared to 37 percent) and advanced (26 percent compared to 20 percent) levels of

reading.

• A larger percentage of males than females (26 percent compared to 18 percent) perform at

the advanced level of science.

Disparity in tested achievement among racial groups is also evident. As noted in other studies,

such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Hispanics and blacks are less likely

than others to demonstrate advanced proficiency on standardized achievement tests.

• Blacks and Hispanics are less likely than whites to demonstrate advanced proficiency on the

standardized tests of reading (10 percent and 13 percent compared to 26 percent).

• The same pattern is evident in mathematics: 12 percent of blacks and 21 percent of Hispanics

demonstrate advanced proficiency compared to 39 percent of white seniors.

• In science, 5 percent of blacks and 11 percent of Hispanics demonstrate advanced science

proficiency compared to 26 percent of white seniors.

Parents’ education is strongly associated with proficiency in all three subjects. For example,

seniors from families in which a parent attended graduate school are four times more likely to score at

the advanced level of reading than seniors from families in which neither parent completed high school

(39 percent compared to 10 percent). In mathematics, the difference between the two groups is staggering:

59 percent of seniors whose parents attended graduate school are classified in the top two levels of

mathematics achievement. Only 11 percent of seniors whose parents failed to complete high school

demonstrate this level of proficiency. Clearly, the level of parental education is strongly related to student

achievement.

School characteristics. Seniors who attend Catholic or NAIS private schools are more likely than

those who attend public school to demonstrate advanced proficiency in reading, math, and science.

Seniors attending NAIS private schools perform especially well on these tests. Again, the results in

mathematics are striking: 81 percent of seniors in NAIS private schools tested at the highest level of

proficiency in math. Only 32 percent of public school seniors, 47 percent of Catholic school seniors, and

42 percent of seniors attending non-NAIS private schools scored at this level.

55
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 4.1a

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Reading

by Demographic and School Characteristics

Below Basic Basic Intermediate Advanced

TOTAL 7.8 30.6 38.8 22.7

GENDER

Male 9.9 33.0 37.0 20.1

Female 5.7 28.1 40.7 25.5

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian 7.8 28.8 36.4 27.1

Hispanic 11.6 45.8 29.4 13.3

Black 14.0 44.8 31.2 10.0

White 6.2 26.4 41.6 25.9

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Low 12.4 43.5 33.5 10.6

Medium 6.9 31.6 39.9 21.6

High 4.6 16.1 42.0 37.2

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less than H.S. 13.4 45.3 31.7 9.6

High School Graduate/GED 10.0 37.2 37.5 15.3

Some College Work 6.0 30.9 42.6 20.4

Completed College 5.7 23.6 38.9 31.9

Graduate Degree 4.4 15.2 41.3 39.1

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English 7.4 29.2 40.1 23.4

Non-English 10.1 42.2 29.0 18.8

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban 7.6 30.6 36.1 25.6

Suburban 8.0 28.0 40.1 23.9

Rural 7.8 33.8 39.4 19.0

56
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 4.1a

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Reading

by Demographic and School Characteristics (Cont’d)

Below Basic Basic Intermediate Advanced

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public 8.2 31.7 38.6 21.6

Catholic 2.8 22.4 42.5 32.3

NAIS Private 1.8 8.2 43.0 47.0

Other Private 9.4 23.4 36.3 30.9

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

10% or less 6.8 24.4 41.2 27.6

11% - 49% 8.2 31.6 40.1 20.0

50% or more 10.7 43.8 31.2 14.2

MINORITY ENROLLMENT

Less than 50% 6.4 27.3 41.7 24.6

50% or more 12.2 41.4 30.4 16.0

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

57
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 4.1b

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Mathematics

by Demographic and School Characteristics

Below

Level 1 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Level

4 or 5

TOTAL 5.8 20.4 14.3 25.3 34.2

GENDER

Male 5.9 19.1 14.6 24.0 36.5

Female 5.7 21.7 14.0 26.7 31.9

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian 3.7 10.6 13.3 27.6 44.8

Hispanic 9.0 33.1 15.1 22.3 20.6

Black 11.4 38.6 19.0 19.0 12.0

White 4.6 16.3 13.5 26.5 39.1

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Low 10.0 36.1 17.6 21.7 14.6

Medium 5.7 19.4 15.3 27.5 32.2

High 2.0 6.9 9.6 24.4 57.2

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less than H.S. 10.1 41.8 18.2 19.0 10.8

High School Graduate/GED 8.8 25.3 18.2 25.3 22.5

Some College 4.7 21.0 14.5 28.9 30.9

Completed College 4.1 10.5 13.4 26.1 45.9

Graduate Degree 1.3 7.0 8.5 23.9 59.4

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English 5.8 19.6 14.6 25.5 34.6

Non-English 6.1 25.6 12.2 24.3 31.8

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban 5.9 20.7 13.8 25.0 34.5

Suburban 5.7 18.1 14.1 24.1 38.0

Rural 5.8 23.0 15.0 27.1 29.2

58
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 4.1b

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Mathematics

by Demographic and School Characteristics (Cont’d)

Below

Level 1 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Level

4 or 5

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public 6.1 21.8 14.7 25.0 32.5

Catholic 2.0 7.7 13.6 29.6 47.2

NAIS Private 1.8 1.5 2.6 12.9 81.3

Other Private 5.6 9.6 10.5 32.3 42.1

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

10% or less 4.0 15.5 12.8 25.7 42.0

11% - 49% 5.9 22.5 16.5 25.9 29.2

50% or more 9.8 34.7 15.5 21.3 18.7

MINORITY ENROLLMENT

Less than 50% 4.8 17.8 13.4 26.4 37.5

50% or more 8.0 33.4 15.1 22.0 21.4

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

59
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 4.1c

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Science

by Demographic and School Characteristics

Below Basic Basic Intermediate Advanced

TOTAL 16.4 30.2 31.1 22.3

GENDER

Male 14.7 29.3 29.8 26.1

Female 18.1 31.0 32.6 18.3

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian 15.3 27.5 29.0 28.2

Hispanic 25.8 36.4 26.7 11.0

Black 34.5 39.1 21.0 5.4

White 12.1 28.1 33.5 26.3

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Low 28.2 39.5 23.9 8.5

Medium 14.7 32.0 32.4 20.9

High 7.6 17.5 36.0 38.9

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less than H.S. 34.0 39.9 20.0 6.2

High School Graduate/GED 19.9 38.7 28.3 13.1

Some College Work 13.8 30.3 34.4 21.4

Completed College 10.4 23.7 34.4 31.4

Graduate Degree 7.0 17.5 35.1 40.4

REGION

Northeast 12.6 25.9 34.8 26.7

Midwest 14.7 30.0 30.9 24.4

South 20.4 32.0 29.6 18.0

West 15.0 31.4 30.5 23.1

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English 15.6 29.9 31.6 22.9

Non-English 21.1 32.0 27.7 19.2

60
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 4.1c

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Science

by Demographic and School Characteristics (Cont’d)

Below Basic Basic Intermediate Advanced

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English 15.6 29.9 31.6 22.9

Non-English 21.1 32.0 27.7 19.2

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban 17.3 30.0 30.9 21.7

Suburban 15.5 28.3 31.5 24.7

Rural 16.7 32.6 30.9 19.8

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public 17.2 30.9 30.7 21.3

Catholic 9.1 25.0 35.1 30.9

NAIS Private 2.6 10.4 39.0 48.0

Other Private 12.3 26.7 33.7 27.4

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

10% or less 13.0 25.9 34.7 26.4

11% - 49% 17.4 31.6 31.8 19.2

50% or more 28.2 36.5 26.4 9.0

MINORITY ENROLLMENT

Less than 50% 13.1 29.2 33.6 24.1

50% or more 29.4 32.9 26.2 11.4

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

61
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Seniors attending suburban schools do not perform significantly better than seniors attending urban

schools. However, a smaller proportion of seniors at rural schools than urban schools perform at the

advanced level of proficiency in reading (19 percent compared to 26 percent) and math (29 percent

compared to 34 percent.

School composition is correlated with student performance on these examinations.

• Seniors attending schools in which more than half of the student body qualifies for reducedprice lunches are more likely than those attending schools in which few students receive

subsidized lunches to fail to meet minimum levels of proficiency in math (10 percent

compared to 4 percent), and science (28 percent compared to 13 percent).

Achievement of advanced proficiency in subject areas also appears to be less common among

seniors attending schools with large proportions of students receiving free or subsidized lunch. Half as

many seniors in schools with a majority of students receiving subsidized lunch, compared to seniors in

schools with 10 percent or fewer students receiving subsidized lunch, demonstrate advanced proficiency.

This is true across all three subject areas (in reading, 14 percent compared to 28 percent; in math, 19

percent compared to 42 percent; in science, 9 percent compared to 26 percent).

These findings should be interpreted cautiously. Because of their complexity, it is important to

re-examine some of these relationships controlling for social class. In the next section, the relationship

between race and achievement will be re-examined controlling for socioeconomic status, along with the

relationship between school social class composition and achievement.

62
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Race, Social Class, and Achievement

Many of the disparities in achievement between racial and ethnic groups result from economic and

social inequities that are a reality in U.S. society. To make meaningful comparisons of achievement across

racial and ethnic groups, it is important to hold social class constant. Tables 4.2a-c present data on the

tested achievement of Asians, Hispanics, blacks, and whites controlling for socioeconomic status. From

these data, it is apparent that some differences persist even when the effects of social class are held

constant.

Within each socioeconomic group, disparities between blacks’ and whites’ test performance can

be observed. These differences are significant and exist in reading, mathematics, and science.

• Blacks are less likely than whites to demonstrate advanced proficiency in science; this is true

in the low (2 percent compared to 11 percent), middle (6 percent compared to 24 percent),

and high socioeconomic groups (18 percent compared to 40 percent).

• A significant difference in reading proficiency is also evident, but only for blacks and whites

in the middle SES group: 9 percent of blacks compared to 24 percent of whites in this group

demonstrate advanced proficiency in reading.

• Significant differences exist between Hispanic and white seniors, but only in the high SES

group. In reading, among seniors from the high SES group, 22 percent of Hispanics

compared to 38 percent of white seniors demonstrate advance proficiency. In science, 23

percent of high-SES Hispanics compared to 40 percent of high-SES whites demonstrate

advanced proficiency.39

Differences between Asian and white seniors’ performance are generally not significant, although

high SES Asian seniors are less like than high SES white seniors to fail to demonstrate basic proficiency

in mathematics.

39 A relatively small number of cases (145) representing Hispanic seniors from high SES families are available for

analysis, limiting interpretation of these data.

63
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 4.2a

Percentage of 1992 High School Seniors

Proficiency in Reading, by Race, Controlling for SES

Below Basic Basic Intermediate Advanced

LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian 16.3 36.8 28.2 18.8

Hispanic 12.1 50.6 27.9 9.4

Black 19.2 45.5 28.1 7.2

White 9.7 40.1 38.3 11.9

MIDDLE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian 8.0 32.6 39.0 20.4

Hispanic 9.6 44.1 28.7 17.6

Black 10.3 46.9 33.4 9.4

White 6.0 28.3 41.9 23.8

HIGH SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian 2.0 19.4 35.1 43.5

Hispanic 9.0 35.0 34.3 21.6

Black 7.8 33.4 34.0 24.9

White 4.4 14.2 43.0 38.4

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

64
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 4.2b

Percentage of 1992 High School Seniors

Overall Math Proficiency by Race, Controlling for SES

Below Basic Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Levels 4 or 5

LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian 7.1 19.1 18.0 33.1 22.7

Hispanic 11.7 39.7 17.4 18.7 12.5

Black 15.4 45.0 18.5 16.2 4.9

White 7.7 32.5 17.3 24.3 18.3

MIDDLE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian 3.9 11.2 15.2 29.0 40.7

Hispanic 6.7 28.3 13.9 25.6 25.3

Black 9.0 35.9 19.6 19.9 15.6

White 5.2 16.5 14.8 28.6 34.9

HIGH SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian 3.9 4.2 7.8 22.2 64.7

Hispanic 4.0 12.6 10.5 29.1 43.8

Black 5.2 21.1 19.3 27.8 26.5

White 1.7 6.0 8.2 24.2 58.9

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

65
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 4.2c

Percentage of 1992 High School Seniors

Proficiency in Science by Race, Controlling for SES

Below Basic Basic Intermediate Advanced

LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian 30.4 32.4 24.6 12.6

Hispanic 32.2 38.0 23.4 6.4

Black 42.5 42.1 13.7 1.7

White 21.5 39.6 27.6 11.3

MIDDLE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian 15.5 29.1 34.3 21.1

Hispanic 18.4 36.6 29.8 15.2

Black 31.6 40.9 22.0 5.5

White 11.6 30.6 34.0 23.8

HIGH SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian 5.7 18.4 25.5 50.3

Hispanic 12.6 30.2 34.2 23.0

Black 13.2 20.1 48.2 18.4

White 7.2 16.3 36.3 40.1

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

66
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Social Class, School Composition, and Achievement

The relationship between the percentage of children receiving reduced-price lunches and

achievement is strong because social class and achievement are closely associated. As shown in Table

4.3, if the relationship between achievement and the proportion of the student body receiving free lunches

is examined separately for socioeconomic subgroups, it is apparent that the relationship is considerably

weakened, but still significant. The socioeconomic composition of the school does affect middle-class

seniors.

• In reading, at schools where at least half of all students receive subsidized lunches, 16 percent

of seniors demonstrate advanced proficiency, compared to 25 percent of their peers in schools

in which 10 percent or less of the student body receive subsidized lunches.

• In mathematics, at schools where at least half of all students are low-income, 19 percent of

seniors demonstrate advanced proficiency compared to 35 percent of the seniors at schools

in which 10 percent or less of the student body receives subsidized lunches.

• In science, at schools where at least half of all students receive subsidized lunches, 10 percent

of seniors demonstrate advanced proficiency, compared to 22 percent of their peers in schools

in which 10 percent or less of the student body receive subsidized lunches.

Seniors from the middle socioeconomic quartiles are more likely to demonstrate advanced proficiency if

they attend a school in which relatively few students receive free or reduced-price lunches than if they

attend a school with a majority of such students.

67
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 4.3

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Demonstrating Advanced Proficiency in Reading,

Math, or Science by Social Class of Student, Controlling for Social Class of School

(percent of students receiving subsidized lunch)

0-10 percent

Students receive

free lunch

11-49 percent

Students receive

free lunch

50 percent or

more students

receive free lunch

Percent Demonstrating Advanced Reading Proficiency

Socioeconomic Status

Low

Middle

High

12.0

24.7

37.3

11.3

20.0

35.2

9.5

15.9

36.4

Percent Demonstrating Advanced Math Proficiency

Socioeconomic Status

Low

Middle

High

17.8

35.0

60.6

13.5

30.7

50.6

13.7

18.6

44.3

Percent Demonstrating Advanced Science Proficiency

Socioeconomic Status

Low

Middle

High

9.4

22.2

38.6

8.0

20.0

35.7

5.5

10.0

28.0

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

68
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Student Achievement by Student Effort and Enrollment

Student achievement is not a direct consequence of social background or school attendance.

Rather, student effort is a major determinant of student achievement. One indicator of student effort is

the amount of time spent doing homework outside of school. Also, student achievement in school, as

measured by class rank, might be expected to be associated with tested achievement. Additionally, the

pattern of courses taken by a student is also known to impact student achievement. This section examines

two measures of course-taking: the type of high school program in which the student is enrolled and

whether the student completed a New Basics sequence of courses. Tables 4.4a-c presents information on

proficiency in reading, math, and science by enrollment and effort.

Class rank and proficiency. Not surprisingly, seniors who rank at the top of their class also

demonstrate high levels of proficiency in reading, math, and science. However, it is also notable that

graduating in the top quarter is not synonymous with proficiency.

• Sixteen percent of those ranking in the top quarter of their class cannot read above the basic

level.

• In math, 12 percent of those in the top quarter are unable to go beyond simple, single-step

problems.

• In science, the results indicate that 23 percent of those in the top quarter demonstrate only

basic proficiency, or less, in science. Among those in the top half, but not top quarter, of

their class, 44 percent demonstrate basic or less than basic proficiency in science.

Thus, even among the "best" seniors, there are some who possess only common-sense knowledge of

science.

Homework and proficiency. Seniors who spend more than one hour a day completing homework

are more likely than their peers who spend only an hour a week to demonstrate advanced proficiency in

reading, mathematics, and science. For example, 46 percent of those who spend at least 7 hours a week

doing homework perform at the highest level of mathematics proficiency, while 20 percent of those who

spend less than one hour per week perform at that level.

69
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 4.4a

Percent of 1992 High School Students

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Reading

by Student Enrollment and Effort

Below Basic Basic Intermediate Advanced

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter 1.9 14.2 40.0 43.9

Third Quarter 5.6 26.7 45.9 21.8

Second Quarter 9.8 39.0 39.6 11.5

Lowest Quarter 13.6 42.3 34.5 9.6

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM1

General 8.6 37.6 39.0 14.7

College Preparatory 4.3 20.5 41.4 33.9

Vocational 14.3 41.8 34.7 9.2

TIME SPENT ON HOMEWORK

Less than one hour 12.0 41.0 36.3 10.7

1-6 hours 7.7 31.8 39.4 21.2

7 or more hours 4.8 24.5 40.2 30.5

PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR

Four-year College 3.9 20.5 42.8 32.8

Two-year Academic 8.6 38.5 37.6 15.3

Two-year Vocational/Trade 11.9 46.7 31.2 10.1

Will not attend school 13.5 38.6 35.2 12.7

Uncertain 9.7 42.1 38.4 9.8

NEW BASIC COURSES TAKEN2

Less than minimum 11.8 37.0 35.2 16.0

Minimum: 4E+3SS+2S+2M 6.5 33.9 44.6 15.0

Minimum +1M+1S 5.5 23.0 40.3 31.2

Minimum +1M+1S+2FL+.5CS 2.0 17.7 45.2 35.2

1 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they

participated.

2 E = English, SS = Social Studies, S = Science, M = Math, FL = Foreign Language, CS = Computer

Science.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

70
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 4.4b

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Mathematics

by Student Enrollment and Effort

Below

Level 1 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Level

4 or 5

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter 1.2 4.5 6.1 25.4 62.8

Third Quarter 3.1 16.5 15.2 31.5 33.7

Second Quarter 6.0 25.5 23.0 27.5 18.0

Lowest Quarter 12.3 38.8 20.3 19.2 9.4

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM1

General 7.9 28.1 17.0 24.0 23.0

College Preparatory 1.8 8.2 11.6 27.6 50.9

Vocational 12.2 37.2 17.4 22.8 10.4

TIME SPENT ON HOMEWORK

Less than 1 hour 9.4 27.4 17.3 25.1 20.8

1-6 hours 5.1 23.2 15.0 26.4 30.3

7 or more hours 3.5 13.0 12.5 25.1 46.0

PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR

Four-year College 1.8 8.5 11.5 27.6 50.7

Two-year Academic 7.9 28.2 17.2 27.3 19.4

Two-year Vocational/Trade 11.2 36.9 20.0 21.1 10.8

Will not attend school 10.4 32.7 17.6 21.6 17.7

Uncertain 10.7 35.8 14.0 24.6 14.9

NEW BASICS COURSES TAKEN2

Less than minimum 9.5 29.6 14.1 21.0 25.8

Minimum: 4E+3SS+2S+2M 5.6 30.0 20.8 24.4 19.2

Minimum +1M+1S 2.0 9.2 13.0 30.8 45.0

Minimum +1M+1S+2FL+.5CS 0.8 5.1 9.5 28.7 55.9

1 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they

participated.

2 E = English, SS = Social Studies, S = Science, M = Math, FL = Foreign Language, CS = Computer

Science.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

71
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 4.4c

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Science

by Student Enrollment and Effort

Below Basic Basic Intermediate Advanced

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter 6.0 16.8 34.0 43.1

Third Quarter 14.3 30.0 37.2 18.6

Second Quarter 20.8 35.1 31.8 12.3

Lowest Quarter 25.0 39.9 28.2 6.9

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM1

General 19.8 36.3 29.2 14.6

College Preparatory 8.3 22.4 35.2 34.1

Vocational 27.0 40.3 26.7 6.0

TIME SPENT ON HOMEWORK

Less than one hour 21.2 38.1 25.4 15.3

1-6 hours 17.3 31.2 32.0 19.5

7 or more hours 11.5 25.4 33.4 29.7

PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR

Four-year College 9.4 22.6 35.0 33.1

Two-year Academic 18.3 35.9 35.2 10.6

Two-year Vocational/Trade 27.3 40.7 23.6 8.4

Will not attend school 23.0 38.0 26.3 12.7

Uncertain 23.0 42.0 23.8 11.2

NEW BASICS COURSES TAKEN2

Less than minimum 23.0 35.1 25.5 16.5

Minimum 18.2 36.2 34.2 11.4

Minimum+1M+1S 10.7 20.1 39.6 29.7

Minimum+1M+1S+2FL+.5CS 7.5 22.0 36.9 33.6

1 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they

participated.

2 E = English, SS = Social Studies, S = Science, M = Math, FL = Foreign Language, CS = Computer

Science.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

72
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Chapter 5: Short-Term Plans

For most, the end of high school marks the beginning of a transition either to college or to the

world of work. The choices young people make during this transition period can profoundly affect their

future. This chapter explores how seniors negotiate the transition from high school to work or college by

first examining their plans for after high school and then by looking at how they intend to carry out those

plans.

Twelfth Graders’ Postsecondary Plans

Having a college education has become increasingly important for employment and income.40

It is not surprising then that roughly three-quarters of all 12th graders plan to continue their education after

high school. Table 5.1 presents data on postsecondary plans of high school seniors.

Females are more likely than males to intend to continue on to college or trade school immediately

after graduation--78 percent of women compared to 69 percent of men plan to go to a postsecondary

institution right after high school graduation.

There are no significant differences between racial and ethnic groups in their plans to attend

postsecondary schools immediately after high school graduation.

Seniors’ postsecondary plans appear to be linked to the educational background of their parents,

type of high school they attend, and their performance in high school.

• There are noticeable differences between seniors with parents of differing levels of education.

In fact, the percentage of seniors planning to go on to additional schooling climbs as parental

education rises. While 64 percent of those whose parents did not go beyond high school say

they will continue their education right away, 88 percent whose parents have graduate degrees

say the same thing.

• Seniors’ postsecondary plans differ depending on the type of high school they attend. Public

school seniors are considerably less likely than seniors in NAIS private, other private schools,

or Catholic schools to plan on continuing their education.

• Nearly all seniors (92 percent) who rank in the top quarter of their senior class plan to

continue their education after high school. Fifty-seven percent of those in the bottom quarter

of their senior classes have the same plans.

• Rural seniors are less likely to intend to continue their education after high school than urban

seniors (67 percent compared to 77 percent).

40 For a discussion of the economic rate of return on the individual’s investment in higher education, see Murphy, L., and F.

Welch. 1989. "Wage Premiums for College Graduates: Recent Growth and Possible Explanations." Educational Researcher.

Volume 18. For a discussion of the fundamental difference between labor markets for college graduates and sub-baccalaureate labor

markets, see Grubb, W. N. 1993. "The Varied Economic Returns to Postsecondary Education: New Evidence from the Class of

1972", Journal of Human Resources, 28, pp 365 -382.

73
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

• A significantly greater percentage of seniors in college preparatory programs (88 percent)

intend to continue their education immediately after high school than seniors in general

education (66 percent) or vocational education programs (50 percent).

• Ninety percent of the seniors who have taken 3 math and 3 science courses intend to continue

their schooling, compared to 68 percent of those who completed 2 math and 2 science

courses.

74
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 5.1

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Who

Plan to Continue Education Immediately After High School

Will Continue

Education

Immediately After

High School

Will Not Continue

Education

Immediately After

High School

Uncertain

TOTAL 73.4 21.9 44.8

GENDER

Male

Female

69.0

77.7

26.1

17.7

4.9

4.6

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian

Hispanic

Black

White

79.1

70.8

70.9

73.9

16.4

21.2

24.4

21.8

4.6

8.0

4.6

4.4

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less Than H.S.

High School Graduate/GED

Some College Work

Completed College

Graduate Degree

54.3

63.6

74.9

84.5

88.1

37.1

29.9

20.3

13.8

9.8

8.6

6.5

4.8

1.7

2.2

TESTED PROFICIENCY

Below basic in at least one area

At least basic in all areas

60.5

77.1

32.2

18.6

7.3

4.4

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English

Non-English

73.2

77.2

22.2

16.5

4.6

6.3

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM1

General

Academic

Vocational

65.8

87.6

50.3

28.1

10.3

41.5

6.1

2.0

8.2

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter

Third Quarter

Second Quarter

Lowest Quarter

92.4

79.5

72.1

56.7

5.6

16.1

21.7

32.8

2.0

4.4

6.2

10.5

1 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they participated.

75
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 5.1

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Who

Plan to Continue Education Immediately After High School (Cont’d)

Will Continue

Education

Immediately After

High School

Will Not Continue

Education

Immediately After

High School

Uncertain

NEW BASICS COURSES TAKEN1

Less than Minimum

Minimum:4E+3SS+2S+2M

Minimum+1M+1S

Minimum +1M+1S+2FL+.5CS

67.1

68.4

89.6

92.0

26.0

23.4

7.5

5.8

6.9

8.2

2.9

2.2

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban

Suburban

Rural

76.6

75.7

67.4

18.9

19.8

27.4

4.5

4.5

5.2

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public

Catholic

NAIS private

Other private

71.6

90.2

94.8

84.5

23.4

7.4

3.5

13.4

5.0

2.4

1.7

2.1

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

10% or less

11% - 49%

50% or more

81.0

74.3

69.5

14.6

20.2

20.8

4.3

5.5

9.6

1 E = English, SS = Social Studies, S = Science, M = Math, FL = Foreign Language, CS = Computer Science.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988: Second Follow-Up,

1992.

76
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

However, many seniors who appear to lack preparation for further schooling intend to continue

their education. As just noted, over half of the seniors who rank in the bottom quarter of their high school

classes plan to continue their education after high school. Other indicators of preparation also suggest that

many seniors who plan to continue their schooling have limited preparation for doing so.

• Six out of ten seniors who fail to demonstrate basic proficiency in either reading,

mathematics, or science intend to continue their education past high school.

• Two-thirds of seniors who have taken less than the minimum standard of New Basics courses

anticipate pursuing further education.

As will be seen in the next section, many of these seniors plan to continue their education in four-year

colleges and universities.

77
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Types of Postsecondary Schools Seniors are Most Likely to Attend

College enrollments have increased steadily throughout the last century. Just in the past 30 years,

enrollments have increased from under five million in the early 1960s to over fourteen million in the early

1990s. Much of this growth has occurred in the community college sector--two-year colleges now enroll

over one-third of all college students. During this same period access to college has been broadened with

increasing proportions of women and minorities attending college.41

Table 5.2 presents information on the types of postsecondary schools college-bound high school

seniors plan to attend. Among seniors who plan to continue their education after high school, 62 percent

plan to attend a four-year college, 18 percent plan to attend an academic program at a two-year college,

11 percent plan to enroll in a technical program at a two-year college, and 8 percent plan to go to a trade

or vocational school. Women are somewhat more likely than men to report they will attend a two-year

academic program (20 percent compared to 16 percent), and are somewhat less likely than men to plan

to enroll in a trade school (7 percent compared to 10 percent).

There are no differences between black and white seniors in their plans for postsecondary

education. Approximately equal proportions of black and white seniors intend to continue their education

at a four-year college. However, some ethnic differences are apparent in plans for postsecondary

education.

• Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of college-bound Asian seniors say they will attend a

baccalaureate institution compared to 63 percent of white seniors. Asian seniors are also less

likely than white seniors to plan to pursue a technical education at a community college (7

percent compared to 11 percent) or trade school (3 percent compared to 8 percent).

• About half (53 percent) of all Hispanic seniors plan to attend a four year college, a

significantly lower percentage than white seniors (63 percent). However, a larger percentage

of Hispanic than white seniors intend to continue their educations at two-year colleges in

academic programs (27 percent compared to 18 percent). Approximately equal percentages

of Hispanic and white seniors intend to pursue some type of technical education.

41 See pages 174-175, National Center for Education Statistics. 1993. Digest of Education Statistics. Washington, D.C.:

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics.

NCES 93-292.

78
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 5.2

Percent of 1992 College Bound High School Seniors

Planning to Attend Various Types of Postsecondary Institutions

Four

Year

Two Year

Academic

Two Year

Technical

Trade

School

TOTAL 62.0 18.3 11.2 8.4

GENDER

Male 61.6 16.5 11.8 10.2

Female 62.5 20.0 10.7 6.8

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian 73.0 16.4 7.2 3.4

Hispanic 52.5 26.6 12.5 8.4

Black 61.7 16.0 11.6 10.8

White 62.8 17.6 11.3 8.3

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less than H.S. 39.3 25.4 20.0 15.3

High School Graduate/GED 48.1 22.7 16.0 13.2

Some College Work 60.0 20.4 12.5 7.2

Completed College 77.5 12.5 6.1 4.0

Graduate Degree 84.0 11.0 3.4 1.6

REGION

Northeast 71.1 15.2 7.3 6.4

Midwest 64.0 14.3 12.1 9.6

South 60.8 17.4 12.2 9.6

West 52.4 28.4 12.3 6.8

TESTED PROFICIENCY

Below basic in at least one area 40.9 23.4 18.0 17.7

At least basic in all areas 67.9 16.0 9.8 6.3

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English 62.2 17.8 11.4 8.6

Non-English 62.0 20.9 9.9 7.2

79
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 5.2

Percent of 1992 College Bound High School Seniors

Planning to Attend Various Types of Postsecondary Institutions (Cont’d)

Four

Year

Two Year

Academic

Two Year

Technical

Trade

School

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM1

General 48.8 25.3 14.7 11.3

College Preparatory 81.3 12.4 4.0 2.2

Vocational 31.6 18.4 28.6 21.4

NEW BASICS COURSES TAKEN2

Less than minimum 49.1 20.6 16.8 13.5

Minimum: 4E+3SS+2S+2M 44.9 25.7 18.4 11.0

Minimum +1M+1S 77.4 14.1 4.9 3.6

Minimum + 1M+1S+2FL+.5CS 84.7 10.2 2.9 2.2

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter 84.5 8.4 5.0 2.2

Third Quarter 64.1 17.1 11.4 7.4

Second Quarter 51.6 21.4 14.0 12.9

Lowest Quarter 33.7 30.8 21.0 14.5

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban 68.4 17.8 7.9 5.8

Suburban 61.4 19.6 12.1 6.9

Rural 57.1 16.7 13.1 13.1

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public 59.8 18.8 12.2 9.2

Catholic 81.1 15.3 2.5 1.2

NAIS Private 95.1 1.4 0.9 2.6

Other Private 75.9 17.7 3.6 2.9

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

10% or less 66.9 18.3 9.4 5.4

11% to 49% 56.7 19.1 13.6 10.6

50% or more 55.3 15.5 16.6 12.6

MINORITY ENROLLMENT

50% or more 61.8 17.6 12.2 8.3

Less than 50% 56.6 21.3 11.9 10.2

1 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they participated.

2 E = English, SS = Social Studies, S = Science, M = Math, FL = Foreign Language, CS = Computer Science.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

80
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

As might be expected, parents’ education has a strong influence on seniors’ choices of

postsecondary schools. Seniors whose parents hold college and graduate degrees are far more likely to

plan on attending a four-year school than seniors whose parents have only high school diplomas (78 and

84 percent compared to 48 percent). They are also far less likely to plan on attending two-year program

of any kind, or a trade school.

The type of high school and high school program are also related to postsecondary plans.

• While 60 percent of college-bound seniors enrolled in public schools plan to go to a four-year

college, 81 percent of those in Catholic schools and 95 percent of those in NAIS private plan

to attend a four-year college.

• Over 80 percent of college-bound seniors in academic high school programs plan to go to a

four-year college.

• In comparison with seniors in urban areas, a smaller percentage of seniors in rural and

suburban school districts choose four-year colleges (68 percent compared to 61 percent and

57 percent). Rural seniors are also far more likely than urban seniors to plan to attend

technical programs at two-year colleges (13 percent compared to 8 percent) or vocational

schools (13 percent compared to 6 percent).

• Seniors attending schools in which the majority of students receive subsidized lunches are

more likely than seniors in schools with few low-income students to plan to pursue technical

programs in two year colleges (17 percent compared to 9 percent) or trade schools (13 percent

compared to 5 percent). They are also less likely to plan to attend a four-year school (55

percent compared to 67 percent).

College preparation and college choice are related. Clearly, seniors who have taken rigorous

sequences of New Basics courses and those ranking in the top quarter of their high school class attend

four-year colleges at a higher rate than other seniors. However, many of the seniors who plan to attend

four-year colleges appear to have only limited preparation.

• Over 40 percent of the seniors who plan to continue their education and lack basic proficiency

in one or more of the tested areas plan to go to a four-year college.

• One-third of seniors who rank in the bottom-quarter of their class and intend to continue their

education plan on going to a four-year college.

• Almost half of the seniors who have failed to take the minimum sequence of New Basics

courses and intend to continue their education plan to do so at a four-year college.

81
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Steps Seniors Have Taken to Gain College Entrance

Clearly, ambitious plans are of little value unless steps are taken to realize those plans. Realizing

plans for postsecondary education involves completing a number of preliminary activities: entrance tests

must be taken, colleges must be evaluated and chosen, and applications must be filed. This section

examines two of the steps seniors take in order to realize their postsecondary goals: taking college aptitude

examinations and applying to colleges. Data are presented in Table 5.3

Six-out-of-ten seniors take at least one of the major entrance tests, usually the SAT or the ACT.

Approximately the same number (63 percent) proceed to the next step and apply to a college. Striking

differences in the social background of those who take entrance examinations and apply to colleges exist.

In particular, the percentages of whites (64 percent) and Asians (72 percent) who take entrance tests are

much larger than the percentages for Hispanic (44 percent) and black seniors (49 percent). Hispanics are

also less likely to have applied to college than white seniors (51 percent compared to 65 percent).

The education level of seniors’ parents also appears to be strongly related both to taking college

entrance exams and applying to one or more colleges. The general pattern observed is that seniors with

more highly educated parents are more likely than others to take an entrance test or apply to college. For

example, while three-quarters of seniors whose parents are college graduates report taking a college

entrance examination and applying to a college, about half of those whose parents did not continue past

high school report completing these steps.

It is not surprising to find that seniors in college preparatory programs and those who attend

private schools are much more likely to have taken concrete steps to get into college than public school

seniors or those in general and vocational programs. For example, more than 80 percent of all seniors in

Catholic schools, and 96 percent of those in NAIS private schools, applied to college, but fewer than 62

percent of all public school seniors applied. And while over 80 percent of seniors in college preparatory

programs have taken entrance exams, less than half of seniors in other programs have done so. Finally,

seniors planning on attending four-year colleges are far more likely than those planning to attend other

types of schools to have taken formal steps to gain admittance to a postsecondary institution.

82
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 5.3

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Are Taking Steps to Continue Education

Took College

Entrance Exam

Applied

to College

TOTAL 60.0 63.3

GENDER

Male

Female

55.7

65.0

58.0

68.7

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian

Hispanic

Black

White

71.8

43.9

48.6

63.7

74.3

51.2

58.8

65.3

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less than H.S.

High School Graduate/GED

Some College Work

Completed College

Graduate Degree

32.0

47.6

60.3

75.1

84.6

40.3

51.3

62.9

78.4

83.4

TESTED PROFICIENCY

Below basic in at least one area

At least basic in all areas

35.2

66.9

44.4

67.0

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English

Non-English

61.5

51.2

63.7

61.7

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM1

General

College Preparatory

Vocational

48.3

81.6

30.7

50.9

82.4

43.0

NEW BASICS COURSES TAKEN2

Less than minimum

Minimum: 4E+3SS+2S+2M

Minimum +1M+1S

Minimum +1M+1S+2FL+.5CS

43.1

47.0

81.5

86.9

49.2

49.9

77.3

85.4

1 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they

participated.

2 E = English, SS = Social Studies, S = Science,M=Math, FL = Foreign Language, CS = Computer

Science.

83
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table 5.3

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Are Taking Steps to Continue Education (Cont’d)

Took College

Entrance Exam

Applied

to College

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter

Third Quarter

Second Quarter

Lowest Quarter

86.8

66.1

51.1

28.5

85.5

65.2

55.5

36.3

PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR

Four-year College

Two-year Academic

Two-year Vocational/Trade

Will not attend school

Uncertain

85.6

52.8

32.4

27.1

24.9

88.0

57.8

50.7

22.8

21.7

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban

Suburban

Rural

63.2

61.1

56.6

67.1

64.2

58.8

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public

Catholic

NAIS private

Other private

57.8

82.8

96.1

80.2

61.2

81.6

96.4

79.0

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

10% or less

11% - 49%

50% or more

68.9

54.9

44.1

67.7

59.2

51.4

MINORITY ENROLLMENT

Less than 50%

50% or more

62.2

48.8

63.2

55.8

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

84
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Choosing a College

What issues do seniors consider when deciding what college to attend? In choosing colleges,

students’ thinking is very much like that of a consumer.42 Like consumer goods, students evaluate

colleges on the basis of their financial cost and on the basis of their perceived potential short and long

term benefits. An example of the former would be a safe and friendly learning environment while an

example of the latter would be facilitating career goals.

In the Second Follow-Up questionnaire, seniors were asked the importance of 18 items in making

their college selections. The items are listed in Figure 5.1 according to the number of seniors who ranked

it as "important" or "very important." While college is an enjoyable and satisfying experience in itself,

it is also a "stepping stone" over which students pass before beginning a career. This fact appears to

weigh heavily in seniors’ thinking about the type of college they want to attend.

Two of the three items considered important in choosing a college reflect the relationship between

educational and career aspirations. The two items are the availability of degree programs that allow

students to get jobs in their chosen fields (considered very important by 66 percent), and the college’s

record in placing graduates in jobs (cited as important by 53 percent of seniors).

• Two-thirds of all seniors report that the availability of degree programs that allow students

to get jobs in their chosen fields is very important.

• Over 60 percent cite the availability of specific courses or curriculum as an important factor

in selecting a college.

• Over half of all seniors (53 percent) think that the college’s record in job placement is

important.

Clearly, high school seniors are seeking college experiences that will help them realize their career goals.

At the same time, seniors are also concerned about the academic quality of postsecondary schools.

• Half of all seniors think that the academic reputation of a college is important.

• Thirty-five percent of seniors report that the graduate school placement record is important.

42 Riesman, D. 1980. On Higher Education: The Academic Enterprise in an Era of Rising Student Consumerism. San

Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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Figure 5.1: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors who Consider Various Factors

Important in Selecting a College

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Personal safety and financial matters are also factors that many high school seniors take into

consideration when choosing colleges. Nearly half (45 percent) say that the availability of financial aid,

such as school loans, scholarships, or grants make colleges much more attractive to them. Similarly,

nearly one-third (31 percent) of seniors report that they seriously consider the cost of tuition, books, and

housing. Roughly the same percentage of seniors say that location in a low-crime environment is an

important feature of a school.

A number of factors appear to play a significant role in the college decision-making process for

a small minority of seniors. Fewer than 10 percent think that a college’s ethnic composition, the

availability of athletic programs, the existence of a religious environment, or attending the same school

as their parents are important factors.

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Chapter 6: Plans and Expectations for the Future

This chapter examines seniors’ educational and occupational plans and aspirations, and describes

seniors’ own expectations as well as their perceptions of parental expectations. Finally, the chapter

explores how seniors view the connection between their education and their ability to achieve their

occupational goals. Overall estimates and breakdowns by gender are discussed in the text of this report.

Additional breakdowns by race/ethnicity and by socioeconomic status are presented in Appendix F

(Percentages) and Appendix G (Standard Errors). They are not discussed here because the variables in

this chapter have so many categories that these additional breakdowns result in rather small sample sizes;

they should be used with caution.

Educational Expectations of Seniors and Their Parents

High school students’ aspirations for higher education have increased significantly over the past

decade, both in terms of expectations for completing a basic college program and for obtaining a graduate

degree.43 Table 6.1 presents data on the level of education high school seniors expect to complete.

Overall, approximately 66 percent of seniors expect to complete a college program; 34 percent expect to

end their education with a baccalaureate degree and 32 percent expect to complete a graduate degree.

Table 6.1

Educational Expectations of

1992 High School Seniors and Their Parents

Respondent’s report of

how far in school:

High School

or Less

Some

College

College

Degree

Graduate

Degree

Don’t

Know

Father wants respondent

to go 5.0 15.6 39.6 30.8 9.0

Mother wants respondent

to go 4.5 16.5 40.0 31.8 7.2

Respondent thinks he/she

will get 5.0 23.9 34.2 31.5 5.4

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

43 Rasinski, K. A., & Ingels, S. J. 1993. America’s High School Sophomores: A Ten Year Comparison. Washington,

D.C.: U.S. Department of Education. NCES 93-087.

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Parental expectations and encouragement are key factors in children’s successful achievement of

academic goals.44 To assess the relationship between parental expectations and seniors’ own

expectations, seniors in this study were asked to identify the highest level of education their parents expect

them to attain.

• A significantly higher percentage of seniors report that their parents expect them to finish a

college program than report that they themselves expect to obtain a four or five year college

degree.

• A significantly larger percentage of seniors think that their fathers, compared to their mothers,

are uncertain about their academic future (9 percent compared to 7 percent).

As can be seen in Figure 6.1, when educational expectations are examined by gender, some

important differences emerge.

• While approximately equal proportions of male and female seniors expect to end their

education with a college degree, significantly more females expect to obtain a graduate

degree. This is consistent with trends in females’ educational ambitions observed since

1972.45

• Five percent of all seniors expect to go no further than high school, but the percentage is

significantly lower for females (3.8 percent) than for males (6.3 percent). In addition, a

significantly greater percentage of males are uncertain of their academic future.

44 For an excellent review, see Schneider, B., & Coleman, J. S. (eds.) 1993. Parents, Their Children, and Schools.

Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

45 Green, P. 1993. High School Seniors Look to the Future, 1972 and 1992. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of

Education. NCES 93-473.

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Figure 6.1: Educational Expectations held by 1992 High School Seniors by Gender

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Field of Study or Training

Seniors intending to continue their education after high school were asked to identify their most

likely field of study. Those intending to pursue non-academic training were asked to indicate the area of

training they were most likely to pursue.46

Fields of college study are presented in Table 6.2, along with the percentage of seniors who select

each field as the one they are most likely to pursue.

• By far the largest number of seniors choose business as their most likely field of study,

approximately 14 percent of all seniors.

• Other fields of study selected by large numbers of seniors include "pre-professional"

programs, health, engineering, and education. Each of these fields is mentioned by

approximately 7 percent of seniors.

• Home economics, mathematics, foreign languages, philosophy, and ethnic studies are selected

by less than 1 percent of seniors.

• A small number of seniors intend to pursue a course of study in science or math:

approximately 3 percent of seniors think they will major in biological sciences, about 1

percent think they will major in a physical science, and less than 1 percent believe they will

major in mathematics.

46 Percentages in the tables and figures in this section of the report represent the percent of all seniors choosing a

particular field of study or training--those who did not answer a question because it did not apply to their situation are included

as a separate category in the computation of the percentages reported.

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Table 6.2

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Most Likely to Study Various Academic Field

Percent

Agriculture 1.2

Architecture 1.6

Art 2.9

Biological Sciences 2.6

Business 13.8

Communications 3.0

Computer & Info Science 2.3

Education 6.8

Engineering 6.9

English 1.6

Ethnic Studies 0.2

Foreign Languages 0.5

Health Occupations 7.1

Home Economics 0.7

Interdisciplinary Studies 0.2

Mathematics 0.6

Music 1.4

Philosophy 0.3

Physical Science 1.3

Pre Professional 7.3

Psychology 4.0

Social Sciences 3.7

Other 7.5

Do Not Plan to Attend College 22.5

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Figure 6.2. presents information on the fields of study chosen by male and female seniors. While

some fields attract equal percentages of men and women, interesting differences emerge for other fields

of study.

• Business remains the field chosen by the largest percentage of both males and females, and

is chosen by them in approximately equal proportions (14 percent).

• Several fields are chosen by a greater proportion of females than males: Education (10

percent compared to 4 percent, health (11 percent compared to 3 percent), and psychology

(6 percent compared to 2 percent). A significantly greater proportion of males than females

think they will study engineering (12 percent compared to 2 percent).

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Figure 6.2: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Most Likely to Study Various

Academic Fields by Gender

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Seniors’ choices for vocational training are presented in Table 6.3. No single field of vocational

study attracts a large number of seniors, and preferences appear quite diffuse across the alternatives.

• Auto mechanics and health care are the most frequently chosen fields of vocational training;

about 2 percent of seniors say they are likely to pursue training in those fields.

• Electronics, cosmetology, secretarial training, business management, data processing, and

computer programming are each selected by about 1 percent of seniors.

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Table 6.3

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Most Likely to Pursue Various Types of Non-Academic Training

Percent

Agriculture 0.4

Auto Mechanics 1.9

Aviation 0.5

Accounting 0.7

Business Management 1.0

Secretarial & Related 1.1

Other Business & Office 0.5

Commercial Arts 0.7

Computer Programming/DP 1.0

Construction Trades 0.7

Cosmetology/Hair Styling 1.2

Drafting 0.6

Electronics 1.2

Food Services 0.4

Health Care 1.7

Home Economics 0.3

Hotel & Restaurant Management 0.2

Marketing & Distribution 0.2

Metal Working 0.5

Protective Services 0.5

Refrigeration, Heating & A.C. 0.4

Transportation & Material Moving 0.2

Other 2.6

Do Not Plan Vocational Training 81.5

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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It is evident from the data presented in Figure 6.3 that a number of differences exist between

senior men and women in the fields of non-academic training they are likely to pursue. Among

occupations selected by at least 1 percent of the seniors,

• Gender differences can be observed in health care, cosmetology, secretarial, auto mechanics,

and electronics.

• Males are more likely than females to intend to pursue training in auto mechanics and

electronics; females are more likely than males to plan to pursue health care, cosmetology,

and secretarial training.

• No significant differences were found in computer programming or business management.

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Figure 6.3: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Most Likely to Pursue Various

Areas of Non-Academic Training by Gender

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Occupational Goals

In this study, seniors were asked about the occupation they expected to have at age 30. The list

of occupations presented to respondents included two categories of general professionals, as well as

separate categories for teachers and managers. These data are presented in Table 6.4.

• Approximately 18 percent of all seniors expect they will have a professional occupation at

age 30 that is generally regarded as requiring graduate education (such as being a minister,

dentist, doctor, lawyer, scientist, or college teacher). Another 27 percent expect to hold some

other type of professional job at age 30.

• An additional 11 percent think they will hold business management positions, either as a

manager in an organization (5 percent) or as a small business owner (6 percent).

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Table 6.4

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Expecting to Have Various Occupations at Age 30

Percent

Office Worker 3.1

Tradesperson 2.5

Farmer 0.9

Full-Time Homemaker 1.0

Laborer 0.7

Manager 5.3

Military 2.9

Machine Operator 1.0

Elementary/Secondary School Teacher 7.4

Professional I* 27.4

Professional II** 17.9

Small Business Owner 6.0

Protective Services 3.7

Sales 1.7

Service Worker 2.3

Technical 5.4

Not Planning to Work 0.2

Other 10.2

Will Be in School 0.4

* Professional I = Accountant, Registered Nurse, Engineer, Banker, Librarian, Writer, Social

Worker, Actor, Athlete, Artist, Politician, But not Including School

Teacher.

** Professional II = Minister, Dentist, Doctor, Lawyer, Scientist, College Teacher.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Once again, gender differences in occupational preference are observable (see Figure 6.4).

• A larger percentage of females than males expect professional occupations.

• Among seniors, males are more likely than females to see themselves as managers (6 percent

compared to 5 percent) and small business owners (8 percent compared to 4 percent) at age

30.

• Males also show a greater preference than females for technical ( 7 percent compared to 3

percent), trade (5 percent compared to .3 percent), military (5 percent compared to .8 percent),

and protective service (6 percent compared to 1 percent) positions. Females are more likely

than males to prefer positions in elementary and secondary education (11 percent compared

to 4 percent).

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Figure 6.4: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Expecting to Have Various Occupations at Age

30 by Gender

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Education and Occupational Choice

Students’ perceptions about the level of education they will need to work in their chosen fields

can be expected to influence their postsecondary plans. Because of this, seniors were asked to gauge the

level of education they thought they would need for the occupation they expect to have at age 30 (see

Table 6.5).

• Six percent believe that their high school diploma will be sufficient to attain their

occupational goals at age 30. Another 25 percent think they will need to attend at least some

college.

• Over two-thirds believe they will need to complete at least a college degree: 38 percent

believe they will need to complete a baccalaureate degree, and 30 percent report they will

need a graduate degree.

Perceptions of educational requirements are seen differently by men and women, as illustrated in

Figure 6.5.

• Approximately equal proportions of males (38 percent) and females (39 percent) expect that

a college degree will be sufficient.

• A greater proportion of females than males believe that they will need a graduate degree (33

percent compared to 27 percent), while a higher percentage of males than females feel they

can get by with a high school diploma or less. (8 percent compared to 4 percent).

Table 6.5

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Indicating Level of Education Necessary

for the Job They Expect to Have at Age 30

High School

or Less

Some

College

College

Degree

Graduate

Degree

Not Planning

to Work

TOTAL 5.7 25.2 38.5 30.0 0.5

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Figure 6.5: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Indicating Level Education Necessary for the

Job they Expect to have at Age 30 by Gender

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Chapter 7: Experiences Outside of School

Only part of a student’s life is spent in school. What happens after school--at home, with friends,

and at work--is equally important. Extracurricular activities, for example, can play an important role in

students’ growth and development. They can provide students with an opportunity to explore interests

outside of the classroom, and can offer students a means for organized social interaction. There are other

activities, however, in which many students engage that can be harmful to their growth and development;

drug and alcohol use are among these. This chapter explores student life outside of school, presenting a

snapshot of seniors’ work, civic activities, use of illicit drugs and alcohol, and television viewing.

Work

The employment status of seniors is presented in Table 7.1. About half of all seniors work in

addition to going to school. Two-thirds of working seniors are employed half-time or less and one-third

work more than 20 hours per week. Fewer males than females are employed (48 percent compared to 52

percent), and a larger proportion of whites are employed than any other racial or ethnic group (54 percent

compared to less than 42 percent).

Perhaps the most interesting relationship reported in Table 7.1 is that between class rank and

number of hours worked. Seniors ranking at the top of their class are as likely to be employed as lowestranking seniors. However, they are less likely than other seniors to be working more than half time:

about one in every ten top-ranking seniors (11 percent) is employed more than 20 hours per week

compared with one in every five seniors (21 percent) ranked in the bottom quarter of their class.

The type of school and program attended are also related to the number of hours worked. As

might be expected, seniors attending NAIS private schools are less likely to work after school than those

attending public or Catholic schools. Seniors enrolled in vocational education programs are more likely

than seniors in other high school programs to be working. And seniors in vocational programs work

longer hours--over a quarter of these seniors work more than 20 hours each week.

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Table 7.1

Percent of 1992 High School

Seniors Employed During the School Year

Not Working

Working 20

Hours A Week or

Less

Working

More than

20 Hours/Week

TOTAL 50.4 33.1 16.4

GENDER

Male 52.5 28.7 18.8

Female 48.4 37.5 14.1

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian 58.2 28.7 13.1

Hispanic 61.0 23.6 15.4

Black 67.9 19.8 12.3

White 45.7 36.9 17.4

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Low 55.9 25.2 18.8

Middle 47.2 35.1 17.7

High 51.3 38.0 10.7

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less than H.S. 57.4 23.3 19.3

High School Graduate/GED 48.4 31.5 20.1

Some College Work 47.1 35.0 17.9

Completed College 48.6 39.2 12.2

Graduate Degree 54.5 35.2 10.3

TESTED PROFICIENCY

Below basic in at least one area 56.0 25.3 18.7

At least basic in all areas 50.5 35.4 12.9

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English 48.8 34.5 16.6

Non-English 65.1 22.0 12.9

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Table 7.1

Percent of 1992 High School

Seniors Employed During the School Year (Cont’d)

Not Working

Working 20

Hours A Week or

Less

Working

More than

20 Hours/Week

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM1

General 50.9 29.7 19.4

College Preparatory 50.7 37.9 11.4

Vocational 42.1 30.4 27.5

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter 47.7 41.4 11.0

Third Quarter 44.7 39.5 15.8

Second Quarter 47.0 34.3 18.7

Lowest Quarter 54.2 25.1 20.6

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban 53.3 31.6 15.1

Suburban 47.9 35.0 17.1

Rural 51.0 32.1 16.9

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public 49.6 33.2 17.2

Catholic 50.9 37.6 11.5

NAIS Private 78.2 16.7 5.2

Other Private 62.4 30.2 7.4

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

0 - 10% 47.3 37.0 15.8

11 - 49% 51.2 33.1 15.7

50% or more 61.0 20.8 18.2

1 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they participated.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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School Government and Volunteer Work

The cultivation of citizenship has long been a major goal of American schools. The National

Education Goals Panel has reiterated this goal, proposing that "every school in American will ensure that

all students learn to use their minds well, so they may be prepared for responsible citizenship, further

learning, and productive employment in our modern economy." Students begin the process of learning

to be good citizens by involvement in activities in school and in the wider community. Two such

activities are explored here: high school seniors’ participation in student government and community

volunteer work. Data on participation is presented in Table 7.2.

School government. School government is an activity that allows students to develop leadership

skills. One-in-six seniors participates in school government and female seniors are more likely than males

to participate (18 percent compared to 14 percent). There is a significant difference between seniors

whose parents have a high school education or less and those whose parents have bachelor’s degrees and

graduate degrees. Seniors whose parents have advanced degrees participate in student government at

approximately twice the rate of seniors whose parents did not finish high school. Eleven percent of

seniors with parents who have less than a high school education participate in student government.

Among seniors whose parents hold post-baccalaureate degrees, that number is doubled, 22 percent.

Seniors who perform better academically are more likely than others to be involved in student

government. A little over a quarter of seniors who rank in the top quarter of their class report having

participated in student government whereas less than 10 percent of those who rank in the bottom quarter

of their class are active in student government.

Volunteer work. Volunteer work and community service help foster ties between students and

their communities. Some schools require or strongly encourage student volunteer activities. By

contributing to the communities in which they live, students can increase their sense of belonging in the

community and establish a stake in their community’s success.

High school seniors are active in their communities. Forty-four percent of seniors report that they

have performed some kind of volunteer work during the past two years. Volunteer work is more common

among female than male seniors: half of these young women have engaged in volunteer work while 39

percent of the young men have done so.

Community volunteer work appears to be related to parental education and the schools students

attend. Seniors from homes in which parents are college-educated are more likely to be involved in these

activities than seniors from less-educated families. For example, 60 percent of seniors whose parents have

graduate degrees have done volunteer work compared to 31 percent of seniors whose parents did not finish

high school. And the rate of involvement in volunteer work is higher among those in college preparatory

tracks (56 percent) than among those enrolled in general (36 percent) or vocational education (30 percent)

programs.

• Seniors attending NAIS private and Catholic schools are more typically engaged in volunteer

work than seniors attending public schools (73 percent and 67 percent compared to 42

percent).

• Volunteer work is more prevalent among those ranked in the top quarter of their class than

those in the bottom quarter (61 percent compared to 29 percent).

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• The seniors in urban schools volunteer at a higher rate than their suburban or rural

counterparts (49 percent compared to 44 percent and 40 percent).

• A greater proportion of white (46 percent) and Asian seniors (48 percent) volunteer than black

(36 percent) or Hispanic seniors (39 percent).

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Table 7.2

Percent of 1992 High School

Seniors Participating in Student Government or Volunteer Work

Student Government

During Current School

Year

Community Volunteer

Work During Past

Two Years

TOTAL 16.0 44.0

GENDER

Male 13.6 38.5

Female 18.5 49.6

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian 15.1 48.1

Hispanic 15.1 39.1

Black 17.3 36.0

White 16.0 46.1

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Low 12.0 30.0

Middle 15.8 42.6

High 20.4 60.9

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less than H.S. 11.3 30.9

High School Graduate/GED 13.1 34.3

Some College Work 16.7 43.9

Completed College 18.8 52.9

Graduate Degree 21.8 60.4

TESTED PROFICIENCY

Below basic in at least one area 12.8 26.9

At least basic in all areas 16.8 48.7

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English 16.3 44.5

Non-English 14.8 40.8

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Table 7.2

Percent of 1992 High School

Seniors Participating in Student Government or Volunteer Work (Cont’d)

Student Government

During Current School

Year

Community Volunteer

Work During Past

Two Years

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM1

General 11.5 36.4

College Preparatory 22.1 55.9

Vocational 9.4 29.5

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter 25.8 61.3

Third Quarter 14.0 45.7

Second Quarter 11.7 35.6

Lowest Quarter 9.2 28.7

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban 15.8 49.0

Suburban 16.2 43.6

Rural 15.9 40.3

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public 15.5 42.0

Catholic 14.8 66.7

NAIS Private 19.7 73.3

Other 36.2 51.2

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

10% or less 16.0 48.8

11% - 49% 16.0 41.0

50% or more 16.7 38.0

1 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they participated.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Illicit Drugs

Drug use among high school seniors has fallen dramatically over the past several years.47 Since

1986, the widespread use of cocaine has plummeted. Marijuana use has also declined substantially, so

that today only a small percentage of high school seniors use marijuana or cocaine.

Marijuana. Data presented in Table 7.3 indicate that approximately one-quarter of all high school

seniors report having tried marijuana, down from a high of 60 percent in 1979.48 Marijuana use is most

prevalent among white and Hispanic seniors. Ten percent of white seniors report using marijuana during

the past month compared to 8 percent of Hispanic seniors, 4 percent of black seniors, and 4 percent of

Asian seniors. This means that white seniors report using marijuana in the past 30 days at more than

twice the rate of Asian and black seniors.

Contrary to current media images of drug use, marijuana use is not a problem that is concentrated

in urban areas or more prevalent among the less educated. Experimentation with marijuana at least once

is as prevalent among seniors whose parents received a graduate degree as among those whose parents

did not complete high school (27 percent). And marijuana use is more prevalent in the suburbs (29

percent) than in cities (25 percent). Marijuana use is also more prevalent at elite private high schools than

in public schools. One-third of seniors at NAIS private high schools report using marijuana during the

past year, while 16 percent of seniors at public schools report using marijuana in the same time period.

Furthermore, seniors in schools with high concentrations of less advantaged students (those receiving free

or reduced-price lunches) are no more likely to use marijuana than those in more affluent schools.

As expected, seniors who perform well in school are less likely to use marijuana than those who

are doing less well. Five percent of seniors in the top quarter of their classes used marijuana during the

past month whereas 13 percent of seniors ranked in the bottom quarter of their senior class report using

marijuana in the past 30 days. Seniors in college preparatory programs report significantly lower use of

marijuana than their counterparts in other programs, in both lifetime use and use during the last 30 days.

Cocaine. Patterns of cocaine use are somewhat different than patterns of marijuana use.

Both white (4 percent) and Hispanic (7 percent) seniors are more likely to report that they have tried

cocaine than black seniors (1.3 percent). The same pattern holds for more recent use: three-tenths of one

percent of black seniors report having used cocaine during the past year, compared to 3 percent of

Hispanic seniors and 2 percent of white seniors.

No significant differences in cocaine use are observed based on the level of parents’ education.

Differences between urban and suburban schools and public and private schools are less pronounced for

cocaine than marijuana. There is no significant difference between seniors at urban and suburban schools

in the use of cocaine. There are also no significant differences among the different types of schools in

the percentage of seniors who have tried cocaine, although seniors at Catholic schools are less likely to

report cocaine use during the last month than seniors at public schools (.3 percent compared to .9 percent).

47 Johnston, L.D., O’Malley, P.M., & Bachman, J.G. 1993. National Survey Results on Drug Use from the Monitoring

the Future Study, 1975-1992. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Health and Human Services. NIH 93-3597.

48 Johnston, O’Malley, and Bachman (ibid.) find that 32.6% of twelfth-grade students report having tried marijuana, 21.9%

say they have used it in the past year, and 11.9% have used marijuana in the past thirty days.

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Cocaine use is linked with academic performance in school. Experimentation with cocaine is

uncommon among seniors who are ranked in the top quarter of their class; about 1 percent of these seniors

have tried cocaine compared to nearly 8 percent of those ranked in the lowest quarter of their graduating

class.

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Table 7.3

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Reporting

Illicit Drug Use: Marijuana and Cocaine

Marijuana Cocaine

In

Lifetime

During

Past

Year

During

Past

Month

In

Lifetime

During

Past

Year

During

Past

Month

TOTAL 26.6 16.6 9.2 4.2 1.9 0.9

GENDER

Male 30.1 18.7 11.4 5.3 2.4 1.3

Female 23.2 14.7 7.1 3.1 1.3 0.4

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian 16.7 11.1 4.3 2.7 1.6 0.7

Hispanic 27.8 15.8 7.6 7.1 3.2 2.1

Black 18.7 9.1 3.8 1.3 0.3 0.2

White 28.0 18.1 10.4 4.3 2.0 0.8

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Low 26.3 14.1 8.1 5.4 2.5 1.3

Middle 27.2 16.9 8.9 4.0 1.8 0.8

High 25.2 18.2 10.8 3.0 1.3 0.6

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less than H.S. 26.5 14.0 7.4 6.7 3.2 1.9

High School Graduate/GED 28.0 16.8 9.4 4.5 1.9 1.0

Some College Work 26.4 16.8 9.0 4.3 1.9 0.7

Completed College 25.2 17.4 10.0 3.5 1.8 0.7

Graduate Degree 26.8 18.8 10.8 2.9 1.3 0.6

TESTED PROFICIENCY

Below basic in at least one area 29.8 16.7 10.3 5.4 2.8 1.8

At least basic in all areas 26.2 16.7 9.1 3.9 1.7 0.6

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English 27.3 17.2 9.7 4.1 1.8 0.8

Non-English 19.5 11.5 5.2 4.4 2.1 1.3

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Table 7.3

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Reporting

Illicit Drug Use: Marijuana and Cocaine (Cont’d)

Marijuana Cocaine

In

Lifetime

During

Past

Year

During

Past

Month

In

Lifetime

During

Past

Year

During

Past

Month

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM1

General 30.2 18.5 10.4 5.6 2.5 1.1

College Preparatory 22.2 14.9 7.8 2.6 1.2 0.5

Vocational 29.4 16.7 10.2 5.3 2.4 1.2

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter 15.3 9.9 4.9 1.2 0.5 0.3

Third Quarter 24.2 16.0 6.9 3.2 1.4 0.6

Second Quarter 33.1 18.8 11.0 5.9 2.3 1.0

Lowest Quarter 40.6 22.8 13.0 7.6 3.1 1.4

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban 25.3 16.1 8.5 3.8 1.6 0.4

Suburban 29.4 19.4 10.6 4.9 2.0 0.9

Rural 24.0 13.5 8.0 3.6 1.9 1.3

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public 26.8 16.5 9.2 4.4 1.9 0.9

Catholic 25.2 19.1 10.1 2.5 1.3 0.3

NAIS Private 39.2 33.6 22.9 3.7 3.2 2.4

Other Private 16.4 8.0 2.7 0.9 0.4 0.3

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

0 - 10% 29.1 19.1 9.9 4.0 1.7 0.6

11 - 49% 24.9 14.0 8.0 3.7 1.8 0.8

50% or more 24.5 13.9 7.1 7.2 2.4 1.6

1 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they participated.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988: Second

Follow-Up, 1992.

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Alcohol

As illustrated in Table 7.4, alcohol is the "drug of choice" among high school seniors. A majority

of high school seniors, 88 percent, report having tried alcohol, and alcohol consumption occurs within

almost every subgroup examined. Like drug use, recent alcohol use is more common among men (54

percent) than women (44 percent), although approximately equal proportions of males and females have

tried it. In terms of trying alcohol, 89 percent of Hispanics and 90 percent of whites; have tried alcohol

compared to 80 percent of blacks and 78 percent of Asians. However, there appears to be little correlation

between alcohol use and parents’ education.

Because alcohol consumption is so universal, it is informative to separate out those seniors who

drink to intoxication. Here that is defined as any person having five or more drinks in a row during the

past two weeks. Over one-quarter of all seniors report drinking five or more drinks in a row during the

past two weeks. This type of heavy drinking is reported more frequently among males (35 percent) than

females (20 percent). Thirty percent of white seniors and 27 percent of Hispanic seniors report drinking

heavily in the past two weeks, compared to 13 percent of blacks and 17 percent of Asians. In fact, the

proportion of white seniors reporting having five or more drinks in the past two weeks is more than twice

that of black seniors.

Heavy drinking is more prevalent among seniors at Catholic high schools than among seniors at

public schools. Nearly 37 percent of seniors at Catholic schools report having five or more drinks in the

past two weeks, compared to 27 percent of seniors at public schools. Seniors at non-NAIS private schools

are less likely to drink heavily than seniors at public schools.

Performance in school and drinking to intoxication are correlated. While 17 percent of seniors

who rank in the top quarter of their graduating class report drinking heavily in the past two weeks, nearly

40 percent of those ranking in the bottom quarter of their class have had five or more drinks in the last

two weeks.

Clearly, alcohol use is a greater problem among high school seniors than either marijuana or

cocaine. It is especially prevalent among white and Hispanic seniors, the two groups who are also more

likely to use illicit drugs. Stereotypes of typical teenage alcohol users do not reflect reality. Alcohol use

is more likely to occur among seniors in elite private schools and in schools in which fewer than 10

percent of all students receive free lunch than in public schools or schools in which at least half of all

students receive subsidized lunch.

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Table 7.4

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Reporting Alcohol Use

Alcohol % of Seniors Who:

In

Lifetime

During

Past

Year

During

Past

Month

Had 5 or more drinks

in a row during past

two weeks

TOTAL 87.8 75.3 48.8 27.4

GENDER

Male 88.5 77.2 53.8 35.0

Female 87.1 73.6 43.9 19.9

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian 78.0 61.1 34.1 16.8

Hispanic 88.6 73.8 45.8 27.4

Black 80.1 61.4 31.5 13.4

White 89.6 78.5 52.7 30.2

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Low 85.4 69.2 42.9 26.3

Middle 89.3 77.8 50.0 27.6

High 87.3 76.6 52.2 27.8

PARENTS EDUCATION

Less than H.S. 84.7 69.1 41.5 23.8

High School Graduate/GED 88.3 76.5 49.8 29.2

Some College Work 89.7 77.7 50.2 28.3

Completed College 88.3 76.7 50.5 28.7

Graduate Degree 87.1 75.1 51.3 27.0

TESTED PROFICIENCY

Below basic in at least one area 86.7 75.6 51.9 35.8

At least basic in all areas 89.1 76.9 49.6 26.6

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English 88.4 76.3 50.2 28.1

Non-English 83.6 67.0 37.4 20.5

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Table 7.4

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Reporting Alcohol Use (Cont’d)

Alcohol % of Seniors Who:

In

Lifetime

During

Past

Year

During

Past

Month

Had 5 or more drinks

in a row during past

two weeks

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM1

General 88.9 77.2 50.4 30.8

College Preparatory 87.2 73.2 46.5 23.3

Vocational 88.0 77.8 52.9 31.2

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter 84.5 70.6 40.8 17.1

Third Quarter 89.7 77.0 48.8 23.2

Second Quarter 92.2 83.0 58.6 37.2

Lowest Quarter 92.5 80.7 56.8 39.6

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban 86.0 71.2 44.3 23.6

Suburban 88.6 77.7 51.4 27.8

Rural 88.6 76.2 49.5 30.2

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public 88.0 75.5 48.8 27.2

Catholic 91.2 80.9 57.1 36.9

NAIS Private 93.3 88.8 57.9 28.9

Other Private 75.0 54.9 30.7 14.2

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

0 - 10% 88.8 77.9 51.2 28.3

11 - 49% 88.9 75.8 48.5 26.1

50% or more 84.4 68.9 41.9 26.5

1 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they participated.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Television

Debates over the impact of television on children have continued for many years. There is

concern about both the amount and type of programming children view. Detractors of television have

argued that television viewing can result in increased aggressive behavior and decreased levels of physical

activity, as well as displacement of study time, outside reading, and other activities. In this study, seniors

were asked how many hours they viewed television on weekdays and weekends. By weighting the

responses to the two questions, the total amount of time spent watching television can be estimated.

By their own estimates, seniors watch a great deal of television. Forty percent report viewing

television for more than 20 hours per week. Less than a quarter (24 percent) of all seniors watch 10 hours

of television or less per week.

The difference, as illustrated in Figure 7.1, between the television viewing habits of black seniors

and seniors of other racial groups is striking. Sixty-two percent of black seniors report watching more

than 20 hours of television each week. In contrast, 36 percent of white seniors watch television more than

20 hours each week.

Television viewing is directly related to the level of schooling completed by parents. As parental

education increases, the proportion of 12th graders watching television more than 20 hours per week

decreases. Seniors whose parents did not complete high school are almost twice as likely to watch

television more than 20 hours each week than seniors whose parents attended graduate school (53 percent

compared to 27 percent).

The type of school appears to be unrelated to the amount of time a student spends watching

television. However, a significantly smaller percentage of seniors in college preparatory programs, than

other high school programs, watch more than 20 hours of television per week (36 percent compared to

42 percent or more). Seniors who attend schools in which half of the students receive free or reducedprice lunches are more likely to be heavy television viewers than seniors attending schools with fewer than

10 percent of such students (50 percent compared to 37 percent). Finally, as illustrated in Figure 7.2,

seniors ranked in the top quarter of their class are less likely than those ranked in the bottom quarter to

watch more than 20 hours of television each week (32 percent compared to 42 percent).

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Table 7.5

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Reporting

Various Amounts of Television Viewing

10 Hours/

Week or Less

11-20 Hours/

Week

More than

20 Hours/Week

TOTAL 23.8 36.4 39.8

GENDER

Male 22.3 36.9 40.8

Female 25.2 36.0 38.8

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian 26.4 35.2 38.4

Hispanic 22.5 34.0 43.5

Black 12.7 25.4 61.8

White 25.4 38.6 35.9

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Low 18.7 32.9 48.4

Middle 22.4 36.2 41.4

High 31.2 40.7 28.1

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less than H.S. 17.3 29.8 52.9

High School Graduate/GED 19.8 35.6 44.6

Some College Work 22.8 36.9 40.4

Completed College 25.7 39.7 34.6

Graduate Degree 34.0 39.1 26.9

TESTED PROFICIENCY

Below basic in at least one

area 19.5 32.9 47.6

At least basic in all areas 23.8 37.4 38.8

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English 23.7 37.2 39.1

Non-English 23.6 31.2 45.2

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Table 7.5

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Reporting

Various Amounts of Television Viewing (Cont’d)

10 Hours/

Week or Less

11-20 Hours/

Week

More than

20 Hours/Week

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM1

General 22.4 35.9 41.7

College Preparatory 26.4 37.8 35.7

Vocational 19.2 35.6 45.2

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter 29.2 39.1 31.7

Third Quarter 23.3 34.6 42.1

Second Quarter 21.4 32.7 45.9

Lowest Quarter 20.9 36.8 42.3

URBANICITY OF SCHOOL

Urban 22.9 35.9 41.1

Suburban 25.5 37.3 37.2

Rural 22.1 35.9 42.1

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public 23.4 36.2 40.3

Catholic 24.8 37.8 37.4

NAIS Private 36.8 37.8 25.4

Other Private 26.3 41.2 32.5

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

0 - 10% 26.4 36.8 36.8

11 - 49% 22.2 36.0 41.7

50% or more 16.8 33.0 50.2

1 This variable represents respondents’ self-report of the type of high school program in which they

participated.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Figure 7.1: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Reporting Various Amounts of Television

Viewing by Race/Ethnicity

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Figure 7.2: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Reporting Various Amounts of Television

Viewing by Class Rank

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Appendix A: NELS:88 Study Design

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The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988: Overview

NELS:88’s major features include the planned integration of student, dropout, parent, teacher, and

school studies; the initial concentration on a 1988 eighth grade student cohort to be followed over a period

of ten years; the inclusion of supplementary components to support analyses of geographically or

demographically distinct subgroups; and the design linkages to previous longitudinal studies and other

current studies.

The base year of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) represented the

first stage of a major longitudinal effort designed to provide trend data about critical transitions

experienced by students as they leave elementary school and progress through high school and into

postsecondary institutions or the work force. This study of the 1988 eighth grade cohort collects data

about educational processes and outcomes pertaining to student learning, predictors of dropping out, and

school effects on students’ access to programs and equal opportunity to learn.

The first follow-up in 1990 provided the first opportunity for longitudinal measurement of the

1988 baseline sample. It also provided a comparison point to high school sophomores ten years before,

as studied in HS&B. The study captured the population of early dropouts (those who leave school

between the end of eighth grade and the end of tenth grade), while monitoring the transition of the student

population into secondary schooling.

The second follow-up took place in 1992, when most sample members entered the second term

of their senior year. The second follow-up provides a culminating measurement of learning in the course

of secondary school, and also collects information that will facilitate investigation of the transition into

the labor force and postsecondary education after high school. (Freshening49 the NELS:88 sample to

represent the twelfth grade class of 1992 makes trend comparisons with the senior cohorts that were

studied in NLS-72 and HS&B possible.) In addition to surveying the students who were in school during

the first follow-up, the NELS:88 second follow-up resurveyed students who were identified as dropouts

in 1990, and identified and surveyed those additional students who left school after the first follow-up.

The third follow-up took place in the spring of 1994, when most sample members had been out

of school for two years. The 1994 data collection was designed to meet four general requirements for

information about American education. These can be characterized as looking backward within the

cohort(s) to understand the impact of prior experiences on current circumstances, looking ahead to provide

a basis for understanding cohort members’ future experiences, looking within the cohort at a single point

in time to compare the outcomes and experiences of different social groups, and looking across cohorts

by comparing the experiences of the NELS:88 cohort(s) with comparable cohorts separated by one and

two decades. Major content areas for the third follow-up questionnaire were: education histories; work

experience histories; work related training; family formation; opinions and other experiences; occurrence

or non-occurrence of significant life events; and income. The NELS:88 fourth follow-up is slated for

1998.

49 The process referred to here as "freshening" added students who were not in the base year sampling frame, either because

they were not in the country or because they were not in eighth grade in the spring term of 1988. The 1990 freshening process

provided a representative sample of students enrolled in tenth grade in the spring of 1990. The 1992 freshening process provided

a representative sample of students enrolled in twelfth grade in the spring of 1992. Section 3.3.3 of Ingels et al.(NELS:88 Second

Follow-Up Student Component Data File Users’ Manual) provides a detailed description of the freshening process.

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Base Year Study and Sample Design

The base year study design comprised four components: surveys and tests of students, and

surveys of parents, school administrators, and teachers. A student questionnaire gathered information

about basic background variables and a range of other topics including school work, educational and

occupational aspirations, and social relationships. Students also completed a series of curriculum-sensitive

cognitive tests to measure educational achievement and cognitive growth between eighth and twelfth

grades in four subject areas--reading, mathematics, science, and social studies (history/geography/civics).

One parent of each student was asked to respond to a parent survey intended to measure parental

aspirations for children, family willingness to commit resources to children’s education, the home

educational support system, and other family characteristics relevant to achievement. Selected teachers

(in two of the four subject areas) completed a teacher questionnaire designed to collect data about school

and teacher characteristics, evaluations of the selected students, course content, and classroom teaching

practices. Finally, a school administrator questionnaire was completed by school principals. It gathered

descriptive information about the school’s teaching staff, the school climate, characteristics of the student

body, and school policies and offerings.

In the NELS:88 base year, a two-stage stratified probability design was used to select a nationally

representative sample of eighth grade schools and students. Schools constituted the primary sampling unit;

the target sample size for schools was 1,032. A pool of 1,032 schools was selected through stratified

sampling with probability of selection proportional to eighth grade size and with oversampling of private

schools. A pool of 1,032 replacement schools was selected by the same method. Of the 1,032 initial

selections, 30 proved to be ineligible. Of the 1,002 eligible selections, 698 participated. An additional

359 schools (supplied by alternative selections available from the replacement pool) also participated, for

a total school sample of 1,057 cooperating schools, of which 1,052 schools (815 public schools and 237

private schools) contributed usable student data. For 1,035 of these 1,052 schools, both student and school

administrator data were received. In the NELS:88 base year design, students were the secondary sampling

unit. The second stage--student sampling--produced a random selection of 26,432 students among

participating sampled schools, resulting in participation by 24,599 spring term 1988 eighth graders. On

average, each of the participating schools was represented by 23 student participants. Additional

information about the base year sample design is provided in the NELS:88 Base Year Sample Design

Report.

50

First Follow-Up Core Study and Sample Design

The first follow-up of NELS:88 comprised the same components as the base year study, with the

exception of the parent survey, which was not repeated in the 1990 round. In addition, three new

components--the dropout study, base year ineligible study, and school effectiveness study--were initiated

in the first follow-up, and a freshened sample was added to the student component. As in the base year,

students were asked to complete a questionnaire and cognitive test. The cognitive test was designed to

measure tenth grade achievement and cognitive growth between 1988 and 1990 in the subject areas of

mathematics, science, reading, and social studies (history/geography/civics). The student questionnaire

collected basic background information, and asked students about such topics as their school and home

environments, participation in classes and extra-curricular activities, current jobs, their goals and

50 Spencer, B.D.; Frankel, M.R.; Ingels, S.J.; Rasinski, K.A.; Tourangeau, R.E.; August 1990; NCES 90-463, ERIC ED

325-502.

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aspirations, and opinions about themselves. Following the base year design, two teachers of each student

were asked to complete a teacher questionnaire, and a school administrator questionnaire was completed

by school principals. First-time participants in NELS:88 completed a new student supplement, containing

basic demographic items which were asked in the base year but not repeated in the first follow-up. The

first follow-up also surveyed and tested youths who had dropped out of school at some point between the

spring term of the 1987-88 school year and that of the 1989-90 school year. The dropout questionnaire

collected information on a wide range of subjects, including reasons for leaving school, school

experiences, absenteeism, family formation, plans for the future, employment, attitudes and self-concept,

and home environment.

The selection of students was implemented in two stages. The first stage of sampling involved

the selection of 21,474 students who were in the eighth grade NELS:88 sample in 1988. The

representative subsample of the eighth grade cohort was augmented through a process called "freshening."

The goal was to provide a representative sample of students enrolled in the tenth grade in the 1989-90

school year. Freshening added an additional 1,229 tenth graders (of whom 1,043 were found to be eligible

and still retained after final subsampling) who were not contained in the base year sampling frame, either

because they were not in the country, or were not in the eighth grade in the spring term of 1988.

Several components were added to the first follow-up to increase its analytic power. One of these

enhancements, the base year ineligible (BYI) study, was added to the first follow-up in order to ascertain

the 1990 school enrollment status and the 1990 NELS:88 eligibility status of students who were excluded

from the base year survey due to a language barrier or physical or mental disability which precluded them

from completing a questionnaire and cognitive test.

In addition to the BYI study, the school effectiveness study (SES), designed to sustain analyses

of school effectiveness issues, was conducted in conjunction with the first follow-up. The within-school

student sample of 248 participating first follow-up high schools in the thirty largest metropolitan statistical

areas was augmented to produce a probability sample of both schools and students within the framework

of the primary longitudinal study.

Second Follow-Up Core Study and Sample Design

The NELS:88 second follow-up repeats all components of the first follow-up study. In addition,

the parent component is included once again in the second follow-up. Two new components--the

transcript and course offerings and enrollment components--were initiated in the second follow-up. The

course offerings and enrollment component was implemented as a part of the school effectiveness study

(SES). The transcript component was undertaken for sample members as described in section 1.3.5 below.

Sample freshening was also implemented in the second follow-up to provide a representative sample of

students enrolled in the twelfth grade during the spring term of the 1991-1992 school year.

As in the previous waves, students were asked to complete a questionnaire and cognitive test. The

cognitive test was designed to measure twelfth grade achievement and cognitive growth between 1988 and

1992 in the subject areas of mathematics, science, reading, and social studies (history/geography/civics).

The student questionnaire asked students about such topics as academic achievement; student perceptions

and feelings about their curriculum and school, family structure and environment; social relations;

aspirations, attitudes, and values, especially as they relate to high school and occupational or postsecondary

educational plans. The student questionnaire also gathered data about the family decision-making structure

during the critical transition from secondary school to postsecondary education or the work environment.

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The student questionnaire contained a supplement for early graduates, the intent of which was to document

the reasons for and circumstances of early graduation.

In a departure from the base year and first follow-up teacher survey designs only one teacher

(either a mathematics or science teacher) of each student was asked to complete a teacher questionnaire.51

A school administrator questionnaire, as in the first follow-up, was completed by school principals. If a

student was a first-time participant in NELS:88, he or she also completed a new student supplement,

containing basic demographic items which were asked in the base year but not repeated in the second

follow-up.

The second follow-up, in addition to surveying students who were enrolled in school, surveyed

and tested youths who had dropped out of school at some point between the spring term of the 1987-88

school year and the spring term of the 1991-92 school year. The dropout questionnaire collected

information on a wide range of subjects, including reasons for leaving school, school experiences,

absenteeism, plans for the future, employment, attitudes and self-concept, and home environment.

Each student and dropout selected for the first follow-up was included in the second follow-up.

From within the schools attended by the sample members, 1,500 twelfth grade schools were selected as

sampled schools. Of the 1,500 sampled schools, the full complement of component activities occurred

in 1,374 schools. For students attending schools other than those 1,374 schools, only the student and

parent questionnaires were administered. Retaining the entire first follow-up sample in the 1992 round

provides a maximally efficient sample for the NELS:88 second follow-up while satisfying researchers who

are interested in maximizing the presence in the study of rare policy-relevant populations.

The student sample was then augmented through freshening at the NELS:88 selected schools, the

aim of which was to provide a representative sample of students enrolled in the twelfth grade during the

spring term of the 1991-92 school year. Freshening added an additional 364 twelfth graders (of whom

243 were deemed eligible) who were not contained in the base year sampling frame, either because they

were not in the country, or were not in the eighth grade in the spring term of 1988.52 Additional

information about the second follow-up sample design is provided in the forthcoming NELS:88 Second

Follow-Up Sample Design Report. Most in-school survey sessions were held in the period from January

through March 1992, though a few took place as late as June 1992. Dropout data collection occurred

between February and October 1992.

Second Follow-Up Design Enhancements

As noted in above two new components, the transcript and the course offerings and enrollment

components, were added to the NELS:88 second follow-up. These components provide archival data

which describe the academic experience of high school students and the curricula offered by their schools.

51 If a student was not enrolled in either a mathematics or science class, no teacher questionnaire was administered. 14,302

students, 78.5 percent of the student sample, were enrolled in a mathematics class, a science class, or both during the spring term

of 1992. (Figures reported are based on raw data prior to cleaning.)

52 Of the 364 freshened students, 76 were sampling errors, and became ineligible through questionnaire data; 15 dropped out

of school between the sampling effort and data collection (these 15 are found only on the restricted use file); 13 were out of scope

due to language barrier, moved out of the country, or were deceased; 9 were ineligible due to mental or physical incapacity; and

the status could not be collected for 8 cases.

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The complete high school transcript record was collected for 1) the contextual sample-- students attending

sampled schools in the spring of 1992; 2) all dropouts, dropouts in alternative programs, and early

graduates, regardless of school affiliation; and 3) triple ineligibles enrolled in the twelfth grade in the

spring of 1992, regardless of school affiliation. Triple ineligibles are sample members who were

ineligible, due to mental or physical handicap, for the base year, first follow-up, and second follow-up

surveys. NELS:88 course-taking data will provide not only a baseline against which future student

outcome measures can be compared, but will illuminate trends when contrasted to the 1982 HS&B high

school transcript study, the 1987 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) transcript study,

and the 1990 and 1994 NAEP transcript studies. The course offerings and enrollment component provides

curriculum data from second follow-up school effectiveness study schools through which school effects

on student outcomes can be studied.

NELS:88 Third Follow-Up

A subsample of the NELS:88 second follow-up sample was followed in the spring of 1994, using

two methodologies: initially, computer-assisted telephone interviewing, with follow-up involving an

interviewer-administered (or sometimes self-administered) hardcopy questionnaire. Third follow-up data

will be released in 1995.

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Appendix B: Description of Variables Used

in Report

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High School Senior in 1992

Variables Used

Classification Variables. Classification variables such as gender, race/ethnicity, region, type of school,

and others listed below were used to define subgroups for comparison throughout this report. Except as

specified below, these were taken directly from the student data file; the variable name from that file is

indicated in parentheses following the descriptive variable name.

CLASS RANK: The class rank variable was obtained by computing the ratio of F2RRANK to

F2RCSIZE, then grouping into quartiles.

GENDER: (F2SEX).

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM: This variable was based on F2S12A, which asked the respondent to

indicate "which of the following best describes your present high school program?" For a complete list

of alternatives, see the Second Follow-Up: Student Component Data File User’s Manual, Appendix K,

Student Questionnaire, p.10. For the purposes of this report, three response categories were used. These

were "General high school programs" (codes 01, 13, and 15); "College preparatory" (codes 02 and 12);

and Vocational (codes 03 through 11).

LOCATION OF SCHOOL: (G12URBN3).

NATIVE LANGUAGE: The indicator of native language was F2N20 with responses 2 through 15

combined into a single category labelled "Not English."

NEW BASICS COURSES TAKEN: This variable was created by summing the nonmissing values of

F2RNWB1A, F2RNWB4A, and F2RNWB5A, for all respondents with valid values for these variables,

yielding a variable with values ranging from 0 to 3 indicating the number of New Basics courses taken.

For a complete description of the definition and computation of these variables, see the Second Follow-Up:

Student Component Data File User’s Manual, p. H-27ff. Note that the definitions used in High School

and Beyond (HS&B), were also used here. Thus, remedial English courses were not counted, but other

courses such as English as a Secondary Language (ESL) and the like were included. The New Basics

composite provides a rough measure of cumulative course-taking in the core curriculum, but some caveats

should be entered. Summing coursework gives little indication of its kind, quality, or level. For example,

an English as a Second Language (ESL) student may take three years of English in a given year (such as

ESL writing, ESL reading, and ESL oral skills); such a student is likely to have taken many more than

four years of English in high school, but may never have completed advanced literature and composition

courses. Not all high schools follow the typical 9-12 grade span structure; a substantial minority of high

schools have a 10-12 span. Such schools, however, were nevertheless usually able to provide ninth grade

course-taking reports, so that composites such as the New Basics measures should show but

inconsequentially small underreporting biases in their results for students in high schools that begin with

tenth grade.

PARENTS’ EDUCATION: Parents’ Education was defined as the highest level of education attained

by either parent. This was obtained as the maximum of F2N8A and F2N8B after combining codes 3

(Vocational/Trade/Business School after HS) and 4 (College Program after HS) into a single "Some

college" category, and combining codes 6 (Master’s Degree or equivalent) and 7 (Ph.D., M.D., or other

professional degree) into a single "Graduate Degree" category.

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PERCENT MINORITY: Percent Minority was created by grouping respondents into two categories

("less than 50 %" or "50 % or greater") on the basis of F2C22D.

PERCENT RECEIVING FREE- OR REDUCED-PRICE LUNCHES: Respondents were grouped into

three categories based on the percent of students at their school receiving free or reduced-price lunches

as indicated by F2C25A: "10 % or less," "11 % to 49 %," or "50 % or more."

PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR: If the response to F2S49 indicated that the respondent planned to continue

in school immediately following high school (code 1), then "Plans for Next Year" was coded using F2S61,

combining codes 3 and 4 of the latter into a single category indicating plans to attend a vocational or trade

school. Two additional categories were generated, the first indicating that the respondent did not plan to

attend school the next year (as indicated by code 2 or 9 on F2S49), and the second indicating that the

respondent was uncertain of his/her plans for the next year (indicated by code 3 on F2S49).

RACE/ETHNICITY: The variable F2RACE1 was used to indicate race/ethnicity; category 5 (American

Indian or Alaskan Native) was omitted from the calculations in this report due to inadequate sample size.

SES: Socioeconomic Status was coded as quartiles based on the variable F2SES1. F2SES1 was

constructed using base year parent data, when available. The following parent data were used: Father’s

education level, mother’s education level, father’s occupation, mother’s occupation, and family income

(data coming from BYP30, BYP31, BYP34B, BY37B, and BYP80. Education-level data were recoded

according to the definition of BYPARED (with the exception of category "7", which was recoded as

missing for F2SES1 calculations.) Occupational data were recoded using the Duncan SEI, as used in NLS

72, HS&B, and earlier rounds of NELS:88. Parent data were used to construct F2SES1 if at least one

component was not missing. SES quartiles were redrawn for this analysis, to reflect the seniors-only

portion of the 1992 NELS:88 sample. For a complete description of the computation and formulae, see

the Second Follow-Up: Student Component Data File User’s Manual, p. H-12.

TYPE OF SCHOOL: (G12CTRL2).

REGION: (G12REGON)

Response Variables: The following variables represent the student’s responses to various questionnaire

items reported in the Student Component File.

APPLICATIONS TO COLLEGE: The percentage estimates and standard errors in this report were

calculated by generating two groups, those responding "none" and those choosing any of the other valid

responses for F2S60A.

DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE: The percentage estimates and standard errors in this report were

calculated by generating two groups, those coded 0 (zero), and those choosing any of the other valid

responses for the following items.

MARIJUANA USE: On how many occasions (if any) have you used marijuana (grass, pot) or hashish

(hash, hash oil)?

F2S83A: In your lifetime.

F2S83B: During the last 12 months.

F2S83C: During the last 30 days.

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COCAINE USE: On how many occasions (if any) have you used cocaine in any form (including

crack)?

F2S84A: In your lifetime.

F2S84B: During the last 12 months.

F2S84C: During the last 30 days.

ALCOHOL USE: On how many occasions (if any) have you had alcoholic beverages to drink?

F2S81A: In your lifetime.

F2S81B: During the last 12 months.

F2S81C: During the last 30 days.

FIVE OR MORE DRINKS:

F2S82: Think back over the LAST TWO WEEKS. How many times have you had five or more

drinks in a row? (A "drink" is a glass of wine, a bottle of beer, a shot glass of liquor, or

a mixed drink).

ENTRANCE EXAMS TAKEN: The percentage estimates and standard errors in this report were

calculated by generating two groups, those responding "yes, I’ve already taken it" to at least one of the

following items, and those choosing any of the other valid responses for all three of the following items.

Have you taken or are you planning to take any of the following tests this year?

F2S44B: College Board Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

F2S44C: American College Testing test (ACT)

F2S44F: Other admissions test

FACTORS CONSIDERED WHEN CHOOSING SCHOOL: The percentage estimates and standard

errors in this report were calculated by generating two groups, those responding "very important" and

those choosing any of the other valid responses for the following items.

How important is or was each of the following in choosing a school you would like to attend?

F2S59A: Low expenses (tuition, books, room and board).

F2S59B: Availability of financial aid such as a school loan, scholarship or grant.

F2S59C: Availability of specific courses or curriculum.

F2S59D: Strong reputation of the school’s athletic programs.

F2S59E: Active social life at the school.

F2S59F: Ability to attend school while living at home.

F2S59G: Chance to live away from home.

F2S59H: A religious environment.

F2S59I: A low-crime environment.

F2S59J: A good record for placing graduates in jobs.

F2S59K: A good record for placing graduates in graduate school.

F2S59L: Strong reputation of the school’s academic programs.

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F2S59M: Easy admission standards.

F2S59N: Availability of a degree program that will allow me to get a job in my chosen field.

F2S59O: Racial/ethnic composition of the school.

F2S59P: Size of the school.

F2S59Q: Geographic location of the school.

F2S59R: Ability to attend the same school my parents attended.

FIELD MOST LIKELY TO TRAIN IN: (F2S63)

FULL-TIME JOB SET UP: The percentage estimates and standard errors in this report were calculated

by generating two groups, the first consisting of those coded 1 or 2, and the second those choosing any

of the other valid responses for F2S52.

HOMEWORK OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL: The percentage estimates and standard errors in this report

for this variable were calculated by generating three groups, those coded 00 or 01 (none or less than 1

hour), those coded 2 or 3 (1 - 6 hours), and those with a valid response code of 4 or greater (7 or more

hours) on variable F2S25F2.

MAJOR FIELD OF STUDY: (F2S62)

PARTICIPATION IN STUDENT GOVERNMENT: The percentage estimates and standard errors in

this report were calculated by generating two groups, the first consisting of those coded 3 or 4, and the

second those choosing any of the other valid responses for F2S30BC.

PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY SERVICE: (F2S37)

PEER VALUES: The percentage estimates and standard errors in this report were calculated by

generating two groups, those responding "very important" and those choosing any of the other valid

responses for the following items.

Among your close friends, how important is it to them that they:

F2S68A: Attend classes regularly?

F2S68B: Study?

F2S68C: Play sports?

F2S68D: Get good grades?

F2S68E: Be popular/well-liked by others?

F2S68F: Finish high school?

F2S68G: Have a steady boyfriend/girlfriend?

F2S68H: Continue their education past high school?

F2S68I: Participate in religious activities?

F2S68J: Do community work or volunteering?

F2S68K: Have a regular job?

F2S68L: Get together with friends?

F2S68M: Go to parties?

F2S68N: Have sexual relations?

F2S68O: Use drugs?

F2S68P: Drink alcoholic beverages?

F2S68Q: Make money?

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PERCEPTIONS OF SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT: The percentage estimates and standard errors in this

report were calculated by generating two groups, those responding "strongly agree" and those choosing

any of the other valid responses for the following items.

F2S7C: The teaching is good at this school.

F2S7D: The teachers are interested in students.

F2S7I: The students are graded fairly.

F2S7E: I don’t feel safe at this school.

F2S7G: Fights often occur between different racial or ethnic groups.

F2S7H: There are many gangs at school.

TELEVISION VIEWING: (F2S35A F2S35B)

TYPE OF SCHOOL MOST LIKELY TO ATTEND: (F2S61)

VICTIMIZATION: The percentage estimates and standard errors in this report were calculated by

generating two groups, those responding "never" and those choosing any of the other valid responses for

the following items.

F2S8A: I had something stolen from me at school.

F2S8B: Someone offered to sell me drugs at school.

F2S8D: Someone threatened to hurt me at school.

WILL CONTINUE SCHOOL IMMEDIATELY: (F2S49)

WORK:

F2S86A: Have you ever worked for pay, not including work around the house?

The percentage estimates and standard errors in this report for this question were

calculated by generating two groups, those responding "no" and those choosing any of the

other valid responses.

F2S88: How many hours do/did you usually work each week on your current or most recent job

during this school year?

The percentage estimates and standard errors in this report for this question were

calculated by generating three groups, those coded 00 (I have not worked during this

school year), those coded 1 through 4 (20 hours or less), and those with a valid response

code of 5 or greater (more than 20 hours).

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Transcript Variables: The following variables were taken from the Transcript Component Student File.

AVERAGE GRADES IN SUBJECTS: The average grades received in subject areas classified using

HSB definitions are found in the following variables.

F2RHEN_G: Average grade in English

F2RHMA_G: Average grade in Mathematics

F2RHSC_G: Average grade in Science

F2RHSO_G: Average grade in Social Science

F2RHFO_G: Average grade in Foreign Language

F2RHCO_G: Average grade in Computer Science

These variables, originally coded on a 13-point scale, were recoded and used as a classification variable

as follows.

1.00 through 3.50 = A

3.51 through 6.50 = B

6.51 through 9.50 = C

9.51 through 12.00 = D

12.01 through 13.00 = F

The F category was dropped from analysis due to insufficient sample size.

COURSEWORK TAKEN: F2RENG_C - F2RCOM_C

TESTED ACHIEVEMENT

This report utilized results from three of the four NELS:88 achievement tests: reading,

mathematics and science. While both normative (achievement quartile) and criterion-referenced

(proficiency) scores are available for these subjects, only the mastery level (proficiency) scores were used

in this report. The specific scores reported are as follows:

PROFICIENCY:

IN READING (F2TXRPRO)

IN MATH (F2TXMPRO)

IN SCIENCE (F2TXSPRO)

PROFICIENCY IN ALL AREAS: A respondent was coded "proficient in all areas" if he or she had

valid non-zero values for F2TXRPL1, F2TXMPL1, and F2TXSPL1. If any of these variables was coded

zero, the respondent was coded "not proficient in all areas."

The four NELS:88 achievement tests were designed to reflect learning in high school subjects

but not be tied to any single method of instruction or any individual curriculum. Central emphasis was

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placed on general concepts and the development of problem-solving abilities, rather than on highly specific

curriculum content--given the heterogeneity of the high school curriculum, the two year interval between

testing, and the problem, for gain measurement, of "forgetting" if tests emphasize curriculum-related

knowledge that is highly specific. To make them more adaptive and increase the precision of measurement,

two of the tests--reading and mathematics--had multiple forms or levels; assignment to a high or low form

of the 1992 test was based on performance on the 1990 test. Table B.1 supplies curriculum content and

mastery or process specifications for the three tests used in this report. Further information about the

NELS:88 achievement test data may be found in the NELS:88 Second Follow-Up Student Component Data

File User’s Manual (S.J. Ingels et al. 1994, NCES 93-374). Further information about test construction

and the psychometric properties of the tests can be found in the NELS:88 Base Year Through Second

Follow-Up Psychometric Report (D.A. Rock and J. Pollack 1995, NCES 94-382).

Table B.1

NELS:88 Reading Specifications

Content by Process by Test Forms

(Number of Items)

Process Literary Science Social Studies/Other

Reproduction of Detail

8th Grade

10th Grade Low

10th Grade High

12th Grade Low

12th Grade High

3

3

2

3

-

1

1

1

1

-

-

-

1

1

1

Comprehension of Thought

8th Grade

10th Grade Low

10th Grade High

12th Grade Low

12th Grade High

1

1

3

-

-

1

1

1

2

1

1

1

2

4

8

Inferences and/or

Evaluative Judgements

8th Grade

10th Grade Low

10th Grade High

12th Grade Low

12th Grade High

10

10

9

6

4

1

1

1

1

3

3

3

1

3

3

Reliability for 1992 Reading Test (IRT theta estimates) = .85.

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Table B.1 (Cont’d)

NELS:88 Math Specifications

Content by Process by Test Forms

(Number of Items)

Process Arithmetic Algebra Geometry Data/Prob

Adv

Topic

Skill/Knowledge

8th Grade

10th Grade Low

10th Grade Med

10th Grade High

12th Grade Low

12th Grade Med

12th Grade High

10

12

9

6

10

7

1

5

4

3

3

4

2

2

1

2

-

-

2

-

-

1

-

1

2

-

1

1

-

-

1

2

-

1

2

Under/Comprehen

8th Grade

10th Grade Low

10th Grade Med

10th Grade High

12th Grade Low

12th Grade Med

12th Grade High

6

7

6

3

6

4

1

7

6

6

7

5

6

5

3

3

3

2

3

4

7

3

2

2

3

3

2

1

-

-

-

2

-

-

3

Problem Solving

8th Grade

10th Grade Low

10th Grade Med

10th Grade High

12th Grade Low

12th Grade Med

12th Grade High

3

3

3

2

4

4

2

-

-

2

2

-

3

4

-

-

2

3

2

5

9

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

1

1

2

2

1

1

1

Reliability for 1992 Mathematics Test (IRT theta estimates) = .94.

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Table B.1 (Cont’d)

NELS:88 Science Specifications

Content by Process by Test Forms

(Number of Items)

Process Earth Sci Chem Sci Meth Life Sci Phy Sci

Skill/Knowledge

8th Grade

10th Grade

12th Grade

5

3

3

2

2

3

-

-

-

3

2

3

-

1

1

Under/Comprehen

8th Grade

10th Grade

12th Grade

2

2

1

2

1

-

1

1

3

2

2

1

-

1

-

Problem Solving

8th Grade

10th Grade

12th Grade

1

-

-

3

3

3

2

1

1

2

3

2

-

2

4

Reliability for 1992 Science Test (IRT theta estimates) = .82.

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Appendix C: Methodology Used in Report

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Appendix C. Methodology Used in Report

Sample Used for Analysis. The NELS:88 contains five representative samples, three crosssectional and two panel samples. The three cross-sectional samples are: 1988 eighth graders, 1990

sophomores, and 1992 seniors. The two panel samples are: 1988 eighth graders in 1990 and 1992 and

1990 sophomores in 1992. The analysis in this paper is based on data from the cross-section of 1992

seniors. This sample comprises 16,114 cases selected using F2SEQFLG=0.

Estimates in this report pertain to the population of high school seniors in the fifty states and the

District of Columbia in the spring term of the 1991-92 school year. "Early graduates" who completed

high school ahead of their class are not included. Seniors in 1992 who in fact failed to graduate in the

spring term are included (graduating seniors can be distinguished from seniors through transcript data).

All estimates are approximations that are subject to sampling error.

Weighted racial-ethnic proportions are based on student self-identification and may differ slightly

from other sources (for example, most sources estimate Asians as a smaller proportion of the population

than does NELS:88). Such differences may be attributed to any of several factors, including differences

in the population definition (for example, age cohort versus students in school in senior year spring 1992),

the data source (e.g., household or student self report versus teacher report or school records), or margins

of sampling error arising from comparison of one weighted estimate to another.

All analyses using variables taken from the student questionnaire were conducted using F2QWT.

Analyses based on the contextual sample, using data contained in the school or transcript files, were

conducted using the contextual weight, F2CXTWT. All analyses using transcript variables in this report

are based on the responses of all seniors for whom transcripts were collected.

Statistical Procedures. Comparisons that have been drawn in the text of this report have been

tested for statistical significance to ensure that the differences are larger than those that might be expected

due to sampling variation. The statistical comparisons in this report were based on the t statistic.

Generally, whether the statistical test is considered significant or not is determined by calculating a t value

for the difference between a pair of means or proportions and comparing this value to published tables

of values at certain critical levels, called "alpha levels." The alpha level is an a priori statement of the

probability that a difference exists in fact rather than by chance.

To guard against errors of inference based upon multiple comparisons, the Bonferroni procedure53

to adjust significance tests for multiple contrasts was used. This method corrects the significance (or alpha)

level for the total number of contrasts made with a particular classification variable. For each classification

variable, there are (K*[K-1])/2 possible contrasts (or nonredundant pairwise comparisons), where K is the

number of categories. For example, if a classification variable such as race has five categories, K=5 and

there are (5*4)/2=10 possible comparisons between the categories. The Bonferroni procedure divides the

alpha-level for a single t-test (in this case, 0.05; .025 is sometimes used if a two-tailed test is required)

by the number of possible pairwise comparisons (10) to derive a new alpha corrected for the fact that

multiple contrasts are being made.

53 For detailed discussion, see, for example, Hays, W.L. (1988). Statistics. (4th ed.) New York: Holt, Rinehart, Winston.

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The t statistic between estimates from various subgroups presented in the tables can be computed

by using the following formula:

where X1 and X2 are the estimates to be compared and SE1 and SE2 are their corresponding standard

errors.

Standard errors for all tables are included in Appendix Two. All standard errors have been

calculated using a Taylor series linearization to adjust for the effects of the complex survey design. CTAB

and SUDAAN programs were used to calculate these estimates. Because NELS:88 sampling employed

a multi-stage stratified cluster design, the adjusted standard errors are generally higher than those that

would be calculated using normal simple random sampling assumptions.

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Appendix D: Data for Figures

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Table D1.1

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Whose Parents Have Completed Various Levels of Education

Standard Errors for This Figure Can Be Found in Table E1.1

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Table D1.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

in Various Racial and Ethnic Groups

SE UNWEIGHTED N

Asian/Pacific Islander .31 1172

Hispanic .69 1909

Black .78 1499

White 1.08 11308

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Table D1.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Whose Native Language is English by

Race/Ethnicity

TOTAL 0.64

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian/Pacific Islander 2.98

Hispanic 2.95

Black 1.18

White 0.22

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Table D1.4

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

in Various Racial and Ethnic Groups by Social Class

LOW MIDDLE HIGH UNWEIGHTED N

TOTAL 0.73 0.69 0.83 15910

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 2.44 2.65 2.48 1155

Hispanic 2.07 1.76 1.17 1848

Black 2.50 2.22 1.09 1483

White 0.67 0.79 0.97 11243

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Table Dl.5

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Attending Various Types of Schools

Data for This Figure Can Be found in Table E1.3

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Table D2.1

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Report That Close Friends Feel

Various Activities are Very Important

SE UNWEIGHTED N

To Attend Class Regularly .69 7825

To Study .64 5532

To Play Sports .53 3280

To Get Good Grades .65 7248

To Be Popular with Students .59 4267

To Finish High School .50 12586

To Have Steady Boy/Girl Friend .45 2174

To continue Education Past High School .66 9039

To Participate in Religious Activity .38 1409

To do Community Volunteer Work .22 606

To Have a Job .59 4054

To get Together with Friends .72 8905

To Go to Party .63 5404

To Have Sexual Relations .54 2978

To Use Drugs .21 489

To Drink .38 1563

To Make Money .65 7818

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Table D3.1

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Completing Coursework in Various Subjects

SE UNWEIGHTED N

English .08 14048

Foreign Language .93 10821

Math .14 14007

Algebra I .69 11095

Algebra II 1.07 7575

Geometry .93 10238

Trigonometry .88 3076

Pre-Calculus .92 2768

Calculus .72 1867

Other Math 1.05 5003

Science 0.16 14007

Earth Science 1.06 3101

Biology 0.39 13208

Chemistry 1.02 8203

Physics 0.98 4035

Other Science 1.39 8551

Social Studies .09 14043

History .22 13881

Other Social Studies .51 13208

Computer Science 1.13 8073

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Table D4.1

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Reading

Table D4.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Mathematics

Table D4.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Science

Data can be found in Table E4.1a, E4.1b and E4.1c

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Table D5.1

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Consider Various Factors to Be Important

in Selecting a College

SE UNWEIGHTED N

College Expense .69 4246

Financial Aid .74 6464

Specific Courses .63 9145

Athletic Programs .34 1461

Social Life .56 3263

Live at Home .52 2675

Not Live at Home .57 3537

Religious Environment .34 985

Low Crime Environment .61 4576

Job Placement .66 7765

Grad School Placement .66 5380

Reputation of College .68 7580

Easy Admissions Standards .48 2387

Degree Important to Get Job .63 9753

Ethnic Composition .44 1410

Size of School .43 2153

Location of School .57 3099

Same School as Parent .13 235

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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Table D6.1a

Data for Figure 6.1: Educational Expectations held by

1992 High School Seniors by Gender

How far in school

respondent thinks he/she

will get:

High School

or Less

Some

College

College

Degree

Graduate

Degree

Don’t

Know

Males 6.3 24.3 33.8 29.1 6.4

Females 3.8 23.5 34.5 33.8 4.5

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

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A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table D6.1b

Standard Errors for Figure 6.1: Educational Expectations held by

1992 High School Seniors by Gender

How far in school

respondent thinks

he/she will get:

High School

or Less

Some

College

College

Degree

Graduate

Degree

Don’t

Know

SE N SE N SE N SE N SE N

Males .39 451 .75 1759 .83 2593 .94 2392 .51 472

Females .29 280 .77 1753 .86 2587 .86 2898 .32 351

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

154
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table D6.2a

Data for Figure 6.2: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Most Likely to Study Various Academic Fields by Gender

Males Females

Agriculture 2.0 0.5

Architecture 2.4 0.8

Art 2.8 2.9

Biological Sciences 2.5 2.8

Business 13.7 13.8

Communications 2.7 3.2

Computer & Info Science 2.8 1.7

Education 3.6 10.1

Engineering 11.8 2.0

English 1.2 2.0

Ethnic Studies 0.0 0.4

Foreign Languages 0.2 0.7

Health Occupations 2.8 11.4

Home Economics 0.1 1.2

Interdisciplinary Studies 0.2 0.2

Mathematics 0.7 0.6

Music 1.7 1.1

Philosophy 0.5 0.1

Physical Science 1.5 1.0

Pre-Professional 6.8 7.8

Psychology 1.8 6.2

Social Sciences 3.3 4.0

Other 8.9 6.1

No College Plans 25.9 19.2

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

155
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table D6.2b

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Most Likely to Study Various Academic Fields by Gender

Males Females

SE N SE N

Agriculture .22 143 .09 46

Architecture .23 189 .13 64

Art .24 226 .28 246

Biological Sciences .24 208 .26 231

Business .63 1076 .53 1097

Communications .29 200 .32 241

Computer & Info Science .29 201 .30 123

Education .31 244 .46 772

Engineering .57 939 .21 166

English .20 105 .27 173

Ethnic Studies .02 4 .32 11

Foreign Languages .06 23 .11 71

Health Occupations .27 214 .62 833

Home Economics .03 9 .18 85

Interdisciplinary Studies .07 14 .06 19

Mathematics .15 41 .11 53

Music .21 134 .18 76

Philosophy .14 34 .03 12

Physical Science .17 150 .13 103

Pre-Professional .62 523 .43 664

Psychology .24 149 .47 473

Social Sciences .37 290 .30 346

Other .46 655 .41 451

No College Plans .92 1782 .70 1398

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

156
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table D6.3a

Data for Figure 6.3: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Most Likely to Pursue Various Types of Non-Academic Training by Gender

Males Females

Agriculture 0.6 0.2

Auto Mechanics 3.7 0.1

Aviation 0.8 0.1

Accounting 0.4 1.0

Business Management 0.9 1.0

Secretarial & Related 0.0 2.2

Other Business & Office 0.4 0.5

Commercial Arts 0.8 0.7

Computer Programming/DP 1.0 1.1

Construction Trades 1.3 0.0

Cosmetology/Hair Styling 0.1 2.4

Drafting 1.0 0.2

Electronics 2.1 0.2

Food Services 0.3 0.5

Health Care 0.4 3.0

Home Economics 0.0 0.6

Hotel & Restaurant Management 0.2 0.2

Marketing & Distribution 0.2 0.2

Metal Working 1.0 0.0

Protective Services 0.9 0.2

Refrigeration, Heating & A.C. 0.4 0.0

Transportation & Material Moving 0.3 0.0

Other 3.1 2.1

Plan to Attend College 79.6 83.5

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

157
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table D6.3b

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Most Likely to Pursue Various Types of Non-Academic Training by Gender

Males Females

SE N SE N

Agriculture .09 44 .05 12

Auto Mechanics .43 240 .03 6

Aviation .15 54 .06 8

Accounting .10 25 .13 77

Business Management .15 65 .14 73

Secretarial & Related NA NA .19 176

Other Business & Office .24 15 .10 38

Commercial Arts .14 56 .11 51

Computer Programming/DP .16 67 .15 86

Construction Trades .16 99 NA NA

Cosmetology/Hair Styling .04 10 .23 165

Drafting .16 73 .07 9

Electronics .21 168 .05 13

Food Service .10 24 .22 17

Health Care .09 39 .25 242

Home Economics NA NA .12 42

Hotel & Restaurant Management .13 10 .06 17

Marketing & Distribution .11 14 .05 20

Metal Working .16 73 .00 0

Protective Services .12 72 .05 21

Refrigeration, Heating & A.C. .18 45 NA NA

Transportation & Material Moving .11 18 .02 3

Other .35 212 .20 177

Plan to attend College .80 6216 .63 6564

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

158
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table D6.4a

Data for Table 6.4: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Expecting to Have Various Occupations at Age 30 by Gender

Males Females

Office Worker 1.1 5.1

Tradesperson 4.7 0.3

Farmer 1.4 0.3

Full-Time Homemaker 0.1 2.0

Laborer 1.2 0.1

Manager 5.9 4.8

Military 5.0 0.8

Machine Operator 1.9 0.2

Elementary/Secondary School Teacher 4.1 10.7

Professional I* 24.0 30.7

Professional II** 15.8 20.0

Small Business Owner 7.8 4.3

Protective Services 6.2 1.3

Sales 2.0 1.4

Service Worker 0.5 4.2

Technical 7.4 3.3

Not Planning to Work 0.2 0.2

Other 10.3 10.2

Will Be in School 0.4 0.4

* Professional I = Accountant, Registered Nurse, Engineer, Banker, Librarian, Writer, Social

Worker, Actor, Athlete, Artist, Politician, but not Including School Teacher.

** Professional II = Minister, Dentist, Doctor, Lawyer, Scientist, College Teacher.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

159
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table D6.4b

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Expecting to Have Various Occupations at Age 30 by Gender

Males Females

SE N SE N

Office Worker .14 84 .33 391

Tradesperson .30 343 .08 21

Farmer .17 108 .10 23

Full-Time Homemaker .04 8 .22 145

Laborer .17 88 .03 10

Manager .44 424 .33 381

Military .51 323 .15 46

Machine Operator .25 123 .08 9

Elementary/Secondary School Teacher .33 304 .46 830

Professional I* .82 1862 .84 2277

Professional II** .71 1323 .73 1738

Small Business Owner .46 591 .31 314

Protective Services .36 450 .17 103

Sales .32 144 .17 113

Service Worker .15 33 .29 291

Technical .42 557 .32 241

Not Planning to Work .08 20 .05 17

Other .52 752 .60 759

Will Be in School .11 18 .26 11

* Professional I = Accountant, Registered Nurse, Engineer, Banker, Librarian, Writer, Social

Worker, Actor, Athlete, Artist, Politician, but not Including School Teacher.

** Professional II = Minister, Dentist, Doctor, Lawyer, Scientist, College Teacher.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

160
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table D6.5a

Data for Figure 6.5: Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Indicating Level of Education Necessary for Job

They Expect to Have at Age 30 by Gender

High School

or Less

Some

College

College

Degree

Graduate

Degree

Don’t

Know

Males 7.9 26.6 38.1 27.1 0.3

Females 3.5 23.9 39.0 32.9 0.6

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

161
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table D6.5b

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Indicating Level of Education Necessary for Job

They Expect to Have at Age 30 by Gender

High School

or Less

Some

College

College

Degree

Graduate

Degree

Don’t

Know

SE N SE N SE N SE N SE N

Males .58 523 .84 1816 .90 2879 .97 2230 .10 22

Females .33 236 .75 1739 .83 2896 .84 2811 .13 46

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

162
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table D7.1

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Reporting Various Amounts of Television Viewing

by Race/Ethnicity

Table D7.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Reporting Various Amounts of Television Viewing

by Class Rank

Data for These Figures Can Be Found in Table E7.3

163
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Appendix E: Standard Errors and Sample

Sizes for Tables

164
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E1.1

Standard Errors for Highest Level of Parents’ Education

for 1992 High School Seniors by Race

LT.

HS

High

School

Some

College

College

Degree

Graduate

Degree

Unweighted

N

TOTAL 0.42 0.67 0.57 0.54 0.65 14594

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 1.36 2.72 1.85 2.19 2.25 967

Hispanic 2.18 1.72 1.47 1.08 1.20 1597

Black 1.12 2.16 2.18 1.45 1.11 1318

White 0.32 0.78 0.62 0.64 0.78 10557

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

165
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E1.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

in Each Region by Race

Northwest Midwest South West

Unweighted

N

TOTAL 0.85 0.79 0.80 0.73 16088

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 2.74 1.93 2.28 3.67 1166

Hispanic 1.97 1.44 2.86 3.39 1898

Black 1.89 1.81 2.78 1.40 1495

White 1.18 1.08 1.07 0.90 11303

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

166
Table E1.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Attending Various Types of Schools

Type of School Location Percent Receiving Subs

Public Catholic

NAIS

Private

Other

Private N Urban Suburban Rural N 0-10 11-49 50-

SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE S

Total 0.62 0.45 0.18 0.35 16085 1.32 1.61 1.56 16055 1.72 1.71 .9Race/EthnicityAsian 3.34 2.14 0.42 2.88 1166 4.00 3.69 1.64 1161 4.00 3.55 3Hispanic 1.69 1.42 0.06 0.65 1898 3.75 3.32 3.85 1895 2.61 3.95 4Black 1.33 1.31 0.22 0.06 1495 3.51 3.29 2.66 1493 2.56 3.35 2White 0.77 0.56 0.24 0.42 11303 1.20 1.80 1.81 11280 1.98 1.95 .Socioeconomic StatusLow 0.44 0.42 0.02 0.12 3865 1.89 1.88 2.09 3863 1.76 2.26 2Middle 0.69 0.55 0.05 0.42 7481 1.45 1.80 1.68 7466 1.96 1.96 0High 1.59 1.02 0.69 1.07 4540 1.83 2.12 1.69 4525 2.24 2.17 0

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E2.1

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Agree with Statements about Teaching and Grading

The teaching is

Good at School

Teachers are

interested in

Students

Students are

graded fairly

in School

Standard Errors SE N SE N SE N

Total 0.42 15855 0.5 15865 0.5 15808

Gender

Male 0.56 7872 0.66 7884 0.68 7852

Female 0.58 7983 0.67 7981 0.69 7956

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 1.55 1152 1.94 1155 2.18 1152

Hispanic 0.98 1869 1.23 1872 1.36 1868

Black 1.48 1454 1.86 1460 1.89 1449

White 0.5 11158 0.55 11157 0.54 11117

Socioeconomic Status

Low 0.74 3813 0.96 3822 1.05 3797

Middle 0.56 7386 0.69 7389 0.69 7372

High 0.86 4461 0.82 4460 0.82 4446

Parents’ Education

Less than High School 1.18 1261 1.54 1264 1.55 1256

High School 0.76 3941 0.93 3941 1.04 3928

Some College Work 0.83 3352 1.05 3360 0.95 3346

Completed College 0.84 2786 1.04 2784 1.04 2780

Graduate Degree 1.01 3031 0.92 3027 1.0 3020

Region

Northeast 1.11 3085 1.27 3083 1.04 3077

Midwest 0.76 4180 0.91 4180 0.98 4163

South 0.72 5337 0.89 5341 0.88 5320

West 0.79 3230 1.02 3238 1.1 3225

168
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E2.1

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Agree with Statements about Teaching and Grading (Cont’d)

The teaching is

Good at School

Teachers are

interested in

Students

Students are

graded fairly

in School

Standard Errors SE N SE N SE N

Tested Proficiency

Below basic in at least one area 1.05 2505 1.17 2514 1.29 2496

At least basic in all areas 0.51 10314 0.58 10313 0.6 10285

Native Language

English 0.44 13572 0.53 13579 0.53 13534

Non-English 1.23 1850 1.39 1852 1.61 1841

High School Program

General 0.65 5720 0.85 5723 0.82 5704

College Preparatory 0.54 7580 0.66 7579 0.66 7558

Vocational 1.11 1716 1.18 1719 1.52 1711

Class Rank

Highest Quarter 0.83 3650 0.86 3650 0.83 3640

Third Quarter 0.76 3199 1.14 3205 1.22 3188

Second Quarter 0.97 2853 1.3 2851 1.39 2840

Lowest Quarter 1.42 2273 1.46 2277 1.82 2270

Urbanicity of School

Urban 0.95 4549 0.96 4554 1.12 4535

Suburban 0.64 6388 0.81 6391 0.73 6367

Rural 0.67 4865 0.79 4867 0.83 4853

Type of School

Public 0.43 13548 0.54 13563 0.52 13510

Catholic 1.7 902 1.38 901 1.9 900

NAIS Private 0.29 1020 0.49 1018 1.03 1014

Other Private 2.84 362 1.83 360 2.1 361

169
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E2.1

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Agree with Statements about Teaching and Grading (Cont’d)

The teaching is

Good at School

Teachers are

interested in

Students

Students are

graded fairly

in School

Standard Errors SE N SE N SE N

Percent Receiving Subsidized Lunch

10% or Less 0.63 6514 0.8 6507 0.96 6491

11% to 49% 0.74 6372 0.92 6385 0.94 6359

50% or More 1.3 1469 1.62 1473 1.88 1461

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

170
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E2.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Agree with Statements About School Safety

Respondent

Doesn’t Feel Safe

at School

Fights Occur

Between Racial/

Ethnic Groups

There are Many

Gangs in School

Standard Errors SE N SE N SE N

Total 0.38 15872 0.68 15858 0.63 15835

Gender

Male 0.51 7885 0.81 7877 0.74 7873

Female 0.52 7987 0.82 7981 0.74 7962

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 1.91 1155 2.37 1153 2.63 1151

Hispanic 1.38 1874 1.95 1875 2.47 1871

Black 1.35 1466 1.66 1464 1.77 1460

White 0.39 11155 0.76 11145 0.56 11133

Socioeconomic Status

Low 0.76 3818 1.09 3822 1.13 3813

Middle 0.5 7395 0.84 7386 0.74 7377

High 0.68 4464 1.04 4456 0.82 4451

Parents’ Education

Less than High School 1.41 1261 2. 1262 1.8 1262

High School 0.66 3943 1.04 3945 0.91 3936

Some College Work 0.65 3360 1.07 3355 1.02 3349

Completed College 0.82 2788 1.16 2780 0.98 2780

Graduate Degree 0.66 3030 1.18 3029 0.93 3023

Region

Northeast 1.05 3084 1.92 3078 1.26 3071

Midwest 0.58 4186 1.21 4180 1.03 4179

South 0.66 5344 1.07 5341 1.02 5340

West 0.79 3235 1.5 3237 1.82 3223

171
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E2.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Agree with Statements About School Safety (Cont’d)

Respondent

Doesn’t Feel Safe

at School

Fights Occur

Between Racial/

Ethnic Groups

There are Many

Gangs in School

Standard Errors SE N SE N SE N

Tested Proficiency

Below basic in at least one area 0.93 2512 1.42 2511 1.33 2502

At least basic in all areas 0.43 10320 0.79 10316 0.67 10305

Native Language

English 0.38 13585 0.71 13573 0.57 13557

Non-English 1.57 1852 2.11 1851 2.39 1845

High School Program

General 0.58 5721 0.9 5722 0.87 5710

College Preparatory 0.52 7586 0.86 7576 0.72 7572

Vocational 1.08 1721 1.62 1720 1.5 1714

Class Rank

Highest Quarter 0.67 3651 1.19 3648 1.07 3644

Third Quarter 1. 3205 1.23 3202 1.06 3196

Second Quarter 1. 2855 1.51 2855 1.52 2849

Lowest Quarter 0.95 2274 1.73 2278 1.36 2277

Urbanicity of School

Urban 0.95 4560 1.24 4555 1.54 4541

Suburban 0.52 6394 1.12 6386 0.91 6378

Rural 0.52 4865 1.14 4865 0.62 4864

Type of School

Public 0.4 13568 0.75 13559 0.69 13542

Catholic 1.08 901 1.29 901 1.31 899

NAIS Private 0.66 1019 0.66 1020 0.46 1017

Other Private 1.66 361 1.7 356 0.72 355

172
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E2.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Agree with Statements About School Safety (Cont’d)

Respondent

Doesn’t Feel Safe

at School

Fights Occur

Between Racial/

Ethnic Groups

There are Many

Gangs in School

Standard Errors SE N SE N SE N

Percent Receiving Subsidized Lunch

10% or Less 0.47 6509 1.11 6503 0.72 6489

11% to 49% 0.82 6389 1.26 6381 1.23 6374

50% or More 1.72 1473 2.39 1473 3.16 1467

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

173
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E2.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Report being Victimized at School

Respondent

had something

stolen at school

Someone

Offered to sell

Respondent

Drugs at School

Someone

Threatened to

Hurt Respondent

At School

Standard Errors SE N SE N SE N

Total 0.61 15910 0.47 15901 0.45 15894

Gender

Male 0.89 7913 0.71 7910 0.71 7909

Female 0.73 7997 0.56 7991 0.47 7985

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 2.13 1162 1.43 1162 1.57 1160

Hispanic 1.9 1881 1.48 1879 1.21 1879

Black 2.01 1470 1.1 1469 1.26 1468

White 0.69 11176 0.54 11170 0.55 11166

Socioeconomic Status

Low 1.1 3832 0.81 3829 0.69 3826

Middle 0.8 7412 0.68 7406 0.62 7404

High 1.27 4471 0.77 4471 0.93 4469

Parents’ Education

Less than High School 1.75 1266 1.16 1264 1.01 1262

High School 0.98 3959 0.86 3955 0.75 3956

Some College Work 1.11 3366 0.78 3365 0.84 3365

Completed College 1.3 2789 0.96 2787 0.98 2785

Graduate Degree 1.66 3036 1.23 3036 1.16 3033

Region

Northeast 1.36 3090 0.98 3090 1.09 3088

Midwest 1.1 4190 1.05 4186 0.87 4186

South 1.04 5359 0.71 5357 0.79 5352

West 1.4 3247 1 3244 1.01 3244

174
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E2.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Report being Victimized at School (Cont’d)

Respondent

had something

stolen at school

Someone

Offered to sell

Respondent

Drugs at School

Someone

Threatened to

Hurt Respondent

At School

Standard Errors SE N SE N SE N

Tested Proficiency

Below basic in at least one area 1.4 2520 1.05 2519 0.96 2515

At least basic in all areas 0.7 10345 0.57 10340 0.53 10338

Native Language

English 0.62 13611 0.5 13603 0.47 13598

Non-English 1.89 1863 1.26 1862 1.24 1861

High School Program

General 0.89 5737 0.67 5734 0.74 5729

College Preparatory 0.89 7606 0.68 7602 0.65 7599

Vocational 1.55 1727 1.08 1726 1.07 1726

Class Rank

Highest Quarter 1.33 3657 0.81 3655 0.84 3655

Third Quarter 1.47 3214 1.81 3213 0.91 3212

Second Quarter 1.64 2859 1.49 2858 1.29 2855

Lowest Quarter 1.69 2289 1.73 2285 1.63 2284

Urbanicity of School

Urban 1.24 4567 0.9 4566 0.97 4562

Suburban 0.92 6408 0.78 6406 0.7 6405

Rural 1.02 4881 0.67 4875 0.72 4873

Type of School

Public 0.61 13599 0.5 13591 0.48 13585

Catholic 2.51 903 1.7 903 1.37 903

NAIS Private 7.7 1022 3.23 1021 4.04 1021

Other Private 6.21 362 0.89 362 4.31 361

175
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E2.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Report being Victimized at School (Cont’d)

Respondent

had something

stolen at school

Someone

Offered to sell

Respondent

Drugs at School

Someone

Threatened to

Hurt Respondent

At School

Standard Errors SE N SE N SE N

Percent Receiving Subsidized Lunch

10% or Less 1.44 6527 1.21 6525 0.99 6525

11% to 49% 1.03 6400 0.8 6396 0.78 6388

50% or More 2.36 1478 2.39 1476 2.18 1478

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

176
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E2.4

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Report that Close Friends Feel Various

Academic Activities are Very Important

Important to

Attend Classes

Regularly

Important to

Get Good

Grades

Important to

Study

Standard Errors SE N SE N SE N

Total 0.7 14965 0.66 14927 0.66 14949

Gender

Male 0.94 7331 0.94 7313 0.86 7322

Female 0.93 7634 0.9 7614 0.91 7627

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 2.25 1070 2.5 1066 2.41 1069

Hispanic 1.91 1666 1.82 1662 1.66 1664

Black 2.09 1307 2.04 1299 2.02 1303

White 0.82 10718 0.79 10697 0.79 10709

Socioeconomic Status

Low 1.21 3477 1.15 3466 1.1 3471

Middle 0.98 7045 0.89 7032 0.91 7040

High 1.31 4275 1.44 4264 1.44 4271

Parents’ Education

Less than High School 1.91 1140 2.04 1139 1.91 1140

High School 1.2 3723 1.09 3717 1.1 3722

Some College Work 1.39 3179 1.33 3173 1.24 3175

Completed College 1.48 2671 1.6 2664 1.66 2667

Graduate Degree 1.64 2927 1.74 2920 1.66 2924

Region

Northeast 1.5 3002 1.56 2995 1.26 3003

Midwest 1.32 4056 1.17 4053 1.12 4050

South 1.24 4873 1.1 4855 1.28 4866

West 1.49 3011 1.43 3002 1.44 3008

177
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E2.4

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Report that Close Friends Feel Various

Academic Activities are Very Important (Cont’d)

Important to

Attend Classes

Regularly

Important to

Get Good

Grades

Important to

Study

Standard Errors SE N SE N SE N

Tested Proficiency

Below basic in at least one area 1.64 2239 1.58 2228 1.61 2235

At least basic in all areas 0.84 9816 0.8 9796 0.76 9809

Native Language

English 0.72 12932 0.69 12905 0.68 12920

Non-English 2.13 1639 2.12 1631 1.9 1637

High School Program

General 1.02 5374 0.98 5359 0.95 5368

College Preparatory 1.02 7278 1.01 7262 1.01 7272

Vocational 1.71 1574 1.84 1570 1.6 1571

Class Rank

Highest Quarter 1.47 3530 1.38 3525 1.58 3529

Third Quarter 1.98 3040 1.87 3035 1.67 3037

Second Quarter 2.09 2644 2.07 2638 1.95 2643

Lowest Quarter 1.91 2098 1.78 2091 1.68 2093

Urbanicity of School

Urban 1.36 4249 1.41 4236 1.41 4243

Suburban 1.09 6039 0.98 6026 0.98 6035

Rural 1.1 4625 0.99 4614 1.01 4620

Type of School

Public 0.73 12731 0.63 12701 0.66 12718

Catholic 2.65 880 2.87 878 2.99 880

NAIS Private 7.93 991 5.22 989 6.5 989

Other Private 4.97 340 7.5 337 6.09 340

178
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E2.4

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Report that Close Friends Feel Various

Academic Activities are Very Important (Cont’d)

Important to

Attend Classes

Regularly

Important to

Get Good

Grades

Important to

Study

Standard Errors SE N SE N SE N

Percent Receiving Subsidized Lunch

10% or Less 1.63 6242 1.61 6230 1.5 6238

11% to 49% 1.23 5976 1.17 5962 1.09 5969

50% or More 2.38 1300 2.56 1293 2.16 1298

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

179
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E3.1

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Enrolled in Different High School Programs

General

High School

Program

College

Preparatory

Technical

Education

Unweighted

N

Standard Errors

Total 0.73 0.73 0.44 15245

Gender

Male 0.91 0.96 0.59 7563

Female 0.91 0.94 0.58 7682

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 2.35 2.41 1.76 1104

Hispanic 2.07 1.83 1.25 1737

Black 2 1.95 1.42 1364

White 0.87 0.89 0.49 10835

Socio-Economic Status

Low 1.21 1.04 1.05 3540

Middle 0.98 0.99 0.55 7097

High 1.35 1.35 0.31 4426

Parents’ Education

Less than High School 2.03 1.6 1.72 1164

High School 1.23 1.15 0.94 3750

Some College Work 1.33 1.31 0.79 3229

Completed College 1.54 1.59 0.63 2746

Graduate Degree 1.49 1.51 0.43 3004

Region

Northeast 1.74 1.66 1.22 3022

Midwest 1.34 1.43 0.91 4015

South 1.11 1.15 0.7 5132

West 1.73 1.7 0.74 3052

180
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E3.1

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Enrolled in Different High School Programs (Cont’d)

General

High School

Program

College

Preparatory

Technical

Education

Unweighted

N

Tested Proficiency

Below basic in at least one area 1.59 1.59 1.25 2224

At least basic in all areas 0.87 0.89 0.48 9977

Native Language

English 0.76 0.77 0.46 13097

Non-English 2.12 2.08 1.3 1744

Class Rank

Highest Quarter 1.15 1.31 0.78 3611

Third Quarter 1.96 2.04 1.03 3080

Second Quarter 1.99 2.28 1.13 2692

Lowest Quarter 1.94 1.92 1.14 2106

Plans for Next Year

Four-Year College 0.97 0.99 0.4 8061

Two-Year Academic 1.76 1.73 0.84 1679

Two-Year Vocational/Trade 2.1 1.66 1.87 1212

Will not attend school 1.31 1.14 1.18 2868

Uncertain 2.59 2.27 2.21 627

Urbanicity of School

Urban 1.42 1.55 0.9 4403

Suburban 1.17 1.15 0.64 6157

Rural 1.34 1.25 0.8 4629

Type of School

Public 0.75 0.74 0.49 12953

Catholic 2.46 2.57 0.7 879

NAIS Private 1.79 1.79 0 1040

Other Private 6.26 6.33 0.8 349

181
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E3.1

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Enrolled in Different High School Programs

General

High School

Program

College

Preparatory

Technical

Education

Unweighted

N

Percent Receiving Subsidized Lunch

10% or Less 1.63 1.72 0.61 6368

11% to 49% 1.21 1.3 0.79 6043

50% or More 2.8 2.59 1.58 1370

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

182
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E3.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Completing Various Combinations of "New Basics" Courses

Less Than

Minimum

MIN:

4E+3SS+

2S+2M

MIN

+1M+1S

MIN+1M

+1S+2FL

+.5CS

Unweighted

N

Standard Errors

Total 1.06 0.94 0.97 0.75 14096

Gender

Male 1.40 1.41 1.40 0.84 7064

Female 1.23 1.08 1.14 0.96 7032

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 2.60 2.73 2.42 2.50 1028

Hispanic 2.80 2.73 1.66 1.49 1618

Black 2.67 2.49 1.87 2.11 1249

White 1.27 1.14 1.22 0.90 10027

Socio-Economic Status

Low 1.64 1.57 0.99 0.89 3335

Middle 1.39 1.40 1.19 0.96 6607

High 1.69 1.37 2.41 1.43 4020

Parents’ Education

Less than High School 2.74 2.34 2.15 1.46 1094

High School 1.73 1.87 1.08 0.94 3527

Some College Work 1.80 1.91 1.38 1.29 3000

Completed College 1.90 1.37 1.97 1.79 2496

Graduate Degree 2.01 1.94 3.21 1.54 2735

Region

Northeast 2.21 1.47 2.85 2.58 2681

Midwest 2.28 1.88 1.72 1.02 3852

South 1.69 1.72 1.58 1.24 4683

West 2.08 1.88 1.36 0.98 2880

183
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E3.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Completing Various Combinations of "New Basics" Courses (Cont’d)

Less Than

Minimum

MIN:

4E+3SS+

2S+2M

MIN

+1M+1S

MIN+1M

+1S+2FL

+.5CS

Unweighted

N

Tested Proficiency

Below basic in at least one area 2.14 1.79 2.07 0.71 2309

At least basic in all areas 1.17 1.17 1.21 0.89 9678

Native Language

English 1.13 1.01 1.06 0.80 12146

Non-English 2.54 2.57 1.68 1.80 1609

High School Program

General 1.53 1.44 0.94 0.66 4964

College Preparatory 1.35 1.37 1.68 1.29 6862

Vocational 2.28 2.06 1.41 1.28 1517

Class Rank

Highest Quarter 1.56 1.35 1.61 1.52 3676

Third Quarter 1.69 1.66 1.88 1.43 3233

Second Quarter 2.02 2.29 1.58 1.14 2890

Lowest Quarter 2.11 2.07 1.24 0.51 2322

Plans for Next Year

Four-Year College 1.33 1.27 1.56 1.17 7363

Two-Year Academic 2.36 2.45 2.84 1.40 1521

Two-Year Vocational/Trade 2.64 2.03 1.65 1.04 1150

Will not Attend School 1.86 1.80 1.00 0.80 2688

Uncertain 3.77 4.59 2.17 1.17 632

Urbanicity of School

Urban 1.90 1.80 1.63 1.44 3964

Suburban 1.64 1.68 1.78 0.99 5643

Rural 1.97 1.31 1.28 1.68 4458

184
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E3.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Completing Various Combinations of "New Basics" Courses (Cont’d)

Less Than

Minimum

MIN:

4E+3SS+

2S+2M

MIN

+1M+1S

MIN+1M

+1S+2FL

+.5CS

Unweighted

N

Type of School

Public 1.11 0.99 0.88 0.77 12069

Catholic 3.54 3.15 3.26 3.70 783

NAIS Private 11.25 1.93 15.35 3.14 978

Other Private 7.03 4.25 10.75 5.82 266

Percent Receiving Subsidized Lunch

10% or Less 1.75 1.55 1.93 1.02 6236

11% to 49% 1.53 1.36 1.01 1.31 6119

50% or More 2.98 2.56 1.83 1.60 1355

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

185
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E3.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Report Spending Various Amounts of Time per Week Doing Homework

Outside of School

Less Than

1 Hour

1-6

Hours

7 or More

Hours

Unweighted

N

Standard Errors

Total 0.45 0.67 0.7 15612

Gender

Male 0.71 0.9 0.95 7746

Female 0.45 0.88 0.91 7866

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 1.16 2.28 2.47 1129

Hispanic 1.05 2.01 2.07 1832

Black 1.23 2.42 2.16 1381

White 0.55 0.76 0.83 11055

Socio-Economic Status

Low 0.94 1.13 1.12 3688

Middle 0.64 0.9 0.91 7269

High 0.63 1.42 1.46 4467

Parents’ Education

Less than High School 1.44 1.92 1.81 1215

High School Graduate/GED 1.03 1.16 1.17 3881

Some College Work 0.85 1.22 1.19 3308

Completed College 0.8 1.43 1.4 2752

Graduate Degree 0.64 1.64 1.72 3021

Region

Northeast 1.15 1.46 1.72 3056

Midwest 0.9 1.22 1.29 4141

South 0.77 1.19 1.23 5241

West 0.76 1.47 1.54 3153

186
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E3.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Report Spending Various Amounts of Time per Week Doing Homework

Outside of School (Cont’d)

Less Than

1 Hour

1-6

Hours

7 or More

Hours

Unweighted

N

Tested Proficiency

Below basic in at least one area 1.14 1.67 1.49 2360

At least basic in all areas 0.54 0.75 0.85 10248

Native Language

English 0.49 0.71 0.74 13381

Non-English 0.96 2.1 2.16 1808

High School Program

General 0.69 0.96 0.89 5628

College Preparatory 0.49 1.02 1.07 7553

Vocational 1.51 1.69 1.52 1649

Class Rank

Highest Quarter 0.63 1.48 1.52 3640

Third Quarter 1.69 1.82 1.71 3172

Second Quarter 1.17 2.03 2.12 2795

Lowest Quarter 1.39 1.86 1.81 2201

Plans for Next Year

Four-Year College 0.43 0.96 0.97 8186

Two-Year Academic 0.96 1.81 1.78 1729

Two-Year Vocational/Trade 1.59 2.06 2 1262

Will not Attend School 1.22 1.31 1.16 2975

Uncertain 2.16 2.47 2.27 685

Urbanicity of School

Urban 0.66 1.5 1.48 4482

Suburban 0.7 1 1.04 6315

Rural 0.84 0.98 1.15 4762

187
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E3.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Report Spending Various Amounts of Time per Week Doing Homework

Outside of School (Cont’d)

Less Than

1 Hour

1-6

Hours

7 or More

Hours

Unweighted

N

Type of School

Public 0.47 0.66 0.69 13306

Catholic 1.43 2.5 2.5 897

NAIS Private 1.12 3.08 3.61 1029

Other Private 2.26 5.78 5.73 359

Percent Receiving Subsidized Lunch

10% or Less 1.04 1.52 1.61 6485

11% to 49% 0.76 1.18 1.33 6238

50% or More 1.82 2.51 2.38 1421

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

188
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E4.1a

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Reading by

Demographic and School Characteristics

Below

Basic Basic Intermediate Advanced

Unweighted

N

Standard Errors

Total 0.43 0.69 0.7 0.69 12396

Gender

Male 0.71 1.01 0.97 0.81 6148

Female 0.42 0.79 0.96 0.99 6248

Race/Ethnicity

Asian, Pacific Islander 1.23 2.8 3.04 2.18 863

Hispanic 1.13 2.18 1.83 1.31 1425

Black 1.51 2.28 2.12 1.58 1110

White 0.49 0.71 0.79 0.83 8858

Socioeconomic Status

Low 0.81 1.24 1.12 0.8 2990

Middle 0.42 0.91 0.93 0.85 5887

High 1.1 1.04 1.62 1.62 3476

Parents’ Education

Less than High School 1.36 2.06 2.01 1.26 988

High School

Graduate/GED 0.77 1.22 1.24 0.96 3128

Some College Work 0.56 1.25 1.22 0.97 2659

Completed College 1.4 1.16 1.62 1.64 2241

Graduate Degree 0.74 1.31 1.81 2 2356

Region

Northeast 0.64 1.38 1.78 1.9 2349

Midwest 0.67 1.22 1.21 1.15 3360

South 0.96 1.24 1.2 1.17 4331

West 0.73 1.69 1.51 1.35 2355

189
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E4.1a

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Reading by

Demographic and School Characteristics (Cont’d)

Below

Basic Basic Intermediate Advanced

Unweighted

N

Native Language

English 0.46 0.71 0.74 0.72 10753

Non-English 0.94 2.11 1.9 1.56 1428

Urbanicity of School

Urban 0.8 1.38 1.63 1.65 3500

Suburban 0.79 1.13 1.09 1.04 4818

Rural 0.59 1.04 1.05 0.85 4066

Type of School

Public 0.45 0.72 0.69 0.65 10610

Catholic 0.64 2.18 2.28 2.84 743

NAIS Private 0.74 2.06 10.3 9.02 774

Other Private 4.81 5.69 6.93 7.19 268

Percent Receiving Subsidized Lunch

10% or Less 1.07 1.36 1.69 1.59 5346

11% to 49% 0.7 1.07 1.4 1.01 5269

50% or More 1.34 2.91 2.36 1.56 1196

Percent Minority Enrollment

50% or More .38 .79 1.01 .95 9757

Less than 50% 1.58 2.44 2.07 1.94 2142

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

190
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E4.1b

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Math by

Demographic and School Characteristics

Below

Level 1

Level

1

Level

2

Level

3

Level

4 or 5

Unweighted

N

Standard Errors

Total 0.3 0.65 0.51 0.6 0.83 11553

Gender

Male 0.43 0.91 0.82 0.88 1.13 5780

Female 0.38 0.77 0.62 0.84 1.04 5773

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 1.45 1.7 2.09 2.57 3.38 833

Hispanic 1.11 1.74 1.24 1.51 1.58 1308

Black 1.4 2.65 1.61 1.82 1.54 1033

White 0.29 0.63 0.61 0.7 0.94 8247

Socioeconomic Status

Low 0.76 1.21 0.91 1.04 0.82 2761

Middle 0.41 0.93 0.73 0.81 0.96 5433

High 0.29 0.63 1.16 1.37 1.62 3314

Parents’ Education

Less than High School 1.1 2.15 1.68 1.59 1.28 921

High School Graduate/GED 0.73 1.09 1.13 1.07 1.06 2847

Some College Work 0.54 1.33 0.9 1.16 1.26 2456

Completed College 0.55 0.91 1.62 1.42 1.6 2105

Graduate Degree 0.28 0.77 0.79 1.64 1.86 2255

Region

Northeast 0.63 1.19 0.86 1.53 2.11 2006

Midwest 0.58 0.9 0.96 1.09 1.37 3115

South 0.46 1.32 1.05 1.01 1.33 4039

West 0.87 1.42 0.9 1.33 1.93 2192

191
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E4.1b

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Math by

Demographic and School Characteristics (Cont’d)

Below

Level 1

Level

1

Level

2

Level

3

Level

4 or 5

Unweighted

N

Native Language

English 0.32 0.68 0.56 0.65 0.86 1007

Non-English 1.05 1.76 1.2 1.67 1.96 1345

Urbanicity of School

Urban 0.68 1.2 0.94 1.43 1.78 3285

Suburban 0.47 1.18 1 0.84 1.32 4499

Rural 0.47 0.97 0.66 0.94 1.06 3756

Type of School

Public 0.32 0.69 0.55 0.59 0.79 9842

Catholic 0.63 1.59 1.78 2.67 3.53 700

NAIS Private 0.94 0.63 1.1 2.81 3.92 761

Other Private 2.4 3.64 2.96 6.36 7.9 249

Percent Receiving Subsidized Lunch

10% or Less 0.47 1.51 1.14 1.52 1.98 5007

11% to 49% 0.45 1.16 1.42 1.09 1.16 4912

50% or More 1.21 2.38 1.35 1.71 2.19 1106

Percent Minority Enrollment

50% or More .33 .9 .57 .87 1.2 9115

Less than 50% .88 2.3 1.38 2.22 2.1 1985

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

192
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E4.1c

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Science by

Demographic and School Characteristics

Below

Basic Basic Intermediate Advanced

Unweighted

N

Standard Errors

Total 0.63 0.59 0.69 0.67 11623

Gender

Male 0.93 0.84 1 0.92 5834

Female 0.72 0.82 0.87 0.86 5789

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 2.09 2.61 2.58 2.44 808

Hispanic 1.7 2.05 1.63 1.31 1324

Black 2.69 2.21 1.96 0.79 1053

White 0.59 0.66 0.83 0.79 8299

Socio-Economic Status

Low 1.17 1.23 1.07 0.67 2794

Middle 0.8 0.85 0.95 0.82 5512

High 1.2 0.88 1.53 1.63 3270

Parents’ Education

Less than High School 2.08 2.08 1.77 0.98 933

High School

Graduate/GED 1 1.23 1.17 0.95 2918

Some College Work 1.09 1.2 1.38 1.14 2464

Completed College 1.54 1.33 1.69 1.59 2117

Graduate Degree 0.85 1.22 1.92 2.04 2223

Region

Northeast 1.11 1.29 1.9 1.59 2171

Midwest 0.9 1.06 1.17 1.09 3168

South 1.37 1.06 1.11 1.22 4052

West 1.13 1.46 1.46 1.51 2231

193
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E4.1c

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Science by

Demographic and School Characteristics (Cont’d)

Below

Basic Basic Intermediate Advanced

Unweighted

N

Native Language

English 0.66 0.63 0.76 0.7 10088

Non-English 1.74 2.07 1.89 1.82 1329

High School Program

General 0.93 1.01 1.03 0.86 3978

College Preparatory 0.74 0.76 1.08 1.08 5738

Vocational 1.57 1.76 1.64 0.8 1286

New Basics Courses Taken

Less Than Minimum 1.32 1.27 1.19 1.02 3979

Minimum:

4E+3SS+2S+2M 1.68 2.06 2.29 1.62 2294

Minimum +1M+1S 2.01 1.27 2.53 1.78 2567

Minimum +1M

+1S+2FL+.5CS 0.83 1.58 1.99 1.87 1974

Homework-Hours per Week

Less than 1 Hour 1.26 1.64 1.39 1.29 1602

1-6 Hours 1.07 0.86 0.95 0.8 5073

7 or More Hours 0.73 0.91 1.12 1.13 4695

Class Rank

Highest Quartile 1.07 0.98 1.4 1.77 2868

Third Quartile 1.4 1.62 1.92 1.28 2557

Second Quartile 2.24 1.95 2.62 1.03 2224

Lowest Quartile 1.69 1.97 2.42 0.78 1758

194
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E4.1c

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Science by

Demographic and School Characteristics (Cont’d)

Below

Basic Basic Intermediate Advanced

Unweighted

N

Plans for Next Year

Four-Year College 0.69 0.74 1.03 1.01 6199

Two-Year Academic 1.48 1.8 1.91 1.12 1234

Two-Year Vocational/

Trade 2.26 2.12 1.54 1.78 946

Will not Attend School 1.24 1.4 1.23 1.26 2211

Uncertain 2.38 2.78 2.35 1.7 523

Urbanicity of School

Urban 1.25 1.25 1.47 1.45 3246

Suburban 1.18 0.96 1.1 1.05 4518

Rural 0.78 0.94 1.04 0.96 3846

Type of School

Public 0.67 0.62 0.69 0.65 9962

Catholic 1.51 2.42 2.41 3.49 671

NAIS Private 0.98 2.73 11.38 9.47 732

Other Private 4.48 6.74 7.69 5.76 257

Percent Receiving Subsidized Lunch

10% or less 1.35 1.17 1.77 1.38 4997

11% to 49% 1.08 1.13 1.48 0.97 4960

50% or more 2.44 2.28 2.23 1.22 1128

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

195
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E4.2a

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Proficiency in Reading, by Race, Controlling for SES

Below

Basic Basic

Intermediate Advanced N

LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian 3.46 5.71 5.97 4.71 183

Hispanic 1.46 2.91 2.48 1.41 731

Black 2.57 2.72 2.61 2.52 483

White .95 1.59 1.50 .97 1546

MIDDLE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian 1.97 5.2 4.85 3.32 358

Hispanic 1.50 3.03 2.77 2.42 532

Black 1.57 4.03 3.49 1.61 484

White .43 .88 .99 .98 4441

HIGH SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian .86 3.34 3.75 4.17 319

Hispanic 3.16 6.07 5.03 4.72 145

Black 3.08 5.68 5.18 5.87 140

White 1.28 1.10 1.77 1.78 2860

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

196
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E4.2b

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Overall Math Proficiency by Race, Controlling for SES

Below

Level 1 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Levels

4 or 5 N

LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian 2.33 5.12 6.4 5.39 3.95 178

Hispanic 1.74 2.44 1.82 2.12 2.01 670

Black 2.49 3.15 2.05 2.55 1.18 458

White .76 1.66 1.24 1.43 1.21 1414

MIDDLE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian 3.01 2.39 3.11 3.37 5.98 337

Hispanic 1.36 2.93 1.93 2.48 2.79 485

Black 1.7 4.84 2.81 2.68 2.69 442

White .43 .82 .82 .94 1.07 4101

HIGH SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian .71 1.44 2.6 3.11 3.63 315

Hispanic 1.98 3.48 3.06 5.54 5.75 136

Black 2.7 4.52 4.9 5.86 4.65 131

White .28 .68 1.33 1.41 1.73 2720

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

197
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E4.2c

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 Seniors

Proficiency in Science by Race, Controlling for SES

Below

Basic Basic

Intermediate AdvancedUnweighted

N

LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian 6.31 4.60 4.70 2.94 170

Hispanic 2.60 2.61 2.37 1.29 679

Black 3.16 3.13 2.18 0.58 459

White 1.34 1.61 1.44 1.03 1440

MIDDLE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian 2.87 4.49 4.43 4.17 333

Hispanic 2.59 3.11 2.68 2.61 491

Black 4.61 3.71 2.78 1.24 460

White 0.62 0.90 1.08 0.95 4158

HIGH SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Asian 1.58 3.36 2.99 4.42 301

Hispanic 3.55 5.41 6.04 4.88 136

Black 3.33 4.25 6.18 4.48 131

White 1.39 0.99 1.75 1.75 2691

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

198
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E4.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Advanced Proficiency

by School Composition Controlling for Social Class

Standard Errors for Percents Demonstrating

Advanced Reading Proficiency

0-10 percent

Students receive

free lunch

11-49 percent

Students receive

free lunch

50 percent or more

students receive

free lunch

Socioeconomic Status

SE N SE N SE N

Low 1.71 605 1.62 1601 1.73 625

Middle 2.45 2446 1.29 2698 2.58 458

High 2.7 2277 2.31 955 9.46 108

Standard Errors for Percents Demonstrating

Advanced Math Proficiency

Socioeconomic Status

SE N SE N SE N

Low 2.05 555 1.39 1487 3.28 579

Middle 2.52 2257 1.69 2492 3.31 426

High 3.16 2177 2.35 916 10.6 97

Standard Errors for Percents Demonstrating

Advanced Science Proficiency

Socioeconomic Status

SE N SE N SE N

Low 1.51 563 .95 1505 1.29 582

Middle 1.64 2277 1.41 2524 2.25 445

High 3.04 2139 2.24 914 6.13 95

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

199
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E4.4a

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Reading by

Student Enrollment and Effort

Below

Basic Basic Intermediate Advanced

Unweighted

N

Standard Errors

Total 0.43 0.69 0.7 0.69 12396

High School Program

General High School Program 0.64 1.06 1.07 0.82 4244

College Preparatory 0.62 0.86 1.02 1.11 6131

Vocational 1.27 1.7 1.71 0.98 1357

New Basics Courses Taken

Less than Minimum 0.89 1.31 1.27 1.02 4229

Minimum: 4E+3SS+2S+2M 0.68 2.1 2.59 1.74 2434

Minimum + 1M+1S 1.81 1.87 2.38 2.19 2743

Minimum + 1M+1S+2FL+.5CS 0.33 1.1 1.63 1.8 2119

Homework Hours per Week

Less than 1 hour 0.97 1.54 1.46 0.85 1702

1-6 hours 0.74 1.02 0.98 0.85 5397

7 or more hours 0.46 0.87 1.15 1.23 5027

Class Rank

Highest Quartile 0.32 1.06 1.46 1.63 3104

Third Quartile 1.1 1.6 2.02 2.08 2713

Second Quartile 1.83 2.07 2.32 1.11 2380

Lowest Quartile 1.12 1.93 2.26 1.53 1855

200
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E4.4a

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Reading by

Student Enrollment and Effort (Cont’d)

Below

Basic Basic Intermediate Advanced

Unweighted

N

Plans For Next Year

Four-Year College 0.55 0.7 0.97 1 6617

Two-Year Academic 1.06 1.87 1.76 1.45 1318

Two-Year Vocational/Trade 1.2 2.19 1.86 1.71 1010

Will not Attend School 1.04 1.39 1.36 1.16 2337

Uncertain 1.39 2.7 2.73 1.4 564

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

201
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E4.4b

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Mathematics by

Student Enrollment and Effort

Below

Level 1

Level

1

Level

2

Level

3

Level

4 or 5

Unweighted

N

Standard Errors

Total 0.3 0.65 0.51 0.6 0.83 11553

High School Program

General High School Program 0.6 1.13 0.86 0.96 1.07 3861

College Preparatory 0.22 0.55 0.8 0.92 1.16 5821

Vocational 1.09 1.81 1.26 1.53 1.12 1252

New Basics Courses Taken

Less than Minimum 0.67 1.34 0.9 1.17 1.32 3938

Minimum: 4E+3SS+2S+2M 0.63 2.6 2.55 1.89 1.98 2212

Minimum + 1M+1S 0.39 1.17 1.85 2.26 2.78 2595

Minimum +

1M+1S+2FL+.5CS

0.22 0.66 0.97 1.54 1.73 2009

Homework Hours per Week

Less than 1 Hour 0.83 1.66 1.19 1.48 1.38 1546

1-6 Hours 0.4 0.99 0.8 0.88 1.02 5012

7 or more Hours 0.37 0.72 0.83 0.93 1.28 4741

Class Rank

Highest Quarter 0.29 0.82 0.71 1.34 1.6 2989

Third Quarter 0.44 2.04 1.27 1.84 2.33 2506

Second Quarter 0.67 1.75 2.98 1.88 1.62 2155

Lowest Quarter 1.04 2.19 1.7 2.16 1.18 1714

202
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E4.4b

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency at Various Levels of Mathematics by

Student Enrollment and Effort (Cont’d)

Below

Level 1

Level

1

Level

2

Level

3

Level

4 or 5

Unweighted

N

Plans for Next Year

Four-Year College 0.2 0.49 0.79 0.84 1.05 6276

Two-Year Academic 0.95 1.84 1.24 1.97 1.55 1203

Two-Year Vocational/Trade 1.47 2.37 2 1.89 1.29 924

Will not Attend School 0.8 1.45 1.07 1.26 1.3 2138

Uncertain 1.86 2.66 1.76 2.71 2.32 506

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

203
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E4.4c

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency of Various Levels of Science by

Student Enrollment and Effort

Below

Basic Basic Intermediate Advanced

Unweighted

N

Standard Errors

Total 0.63 0.59 0.69 0.67 11623

High School Program

General High School Program 0.93 1.01 1.03 0.86 3978

College Preparatory 0.74 0.76 1.08 1.08 5738

Vocational 1.57 1.76 1.64 0.8 1286

New Basics Courses Taken

Less than Minimum 1.32 1.27 1.19 1.02 3979

Minimum: 4E+3SS+2S+2M 1.68 2.06 2.29 1.62 2294

Minimum + 1M+1S 2.01 1.27 2.53 1.78 2567

Minimum +

1M+1S+2FL+.5CS 0.83 1.58 1.99 1.87 1974

Homework Hours per Week

Less than 1 Hour 1.26 1.64 1.39 1.29 1602

1-6 Hours 1.07 0.86 0.95 0.8 5073

7 or More Hours 0.73 0.91 1.12 1.13 4695

Class Rank

Highest Quarter 1.07 0.98 1.4 1.77 2868

Third Quarter 1.4 1.62 1.92 1.28 2557

Second Quarter 2.24 1.95 2.62 1.03 2224

Lowest Quarter 1.69 1.97 2.42 0.78 1758

204
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E4.4c

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Demonstrating Proficiency of Various Levels of Science by

Student Enrollment and Effort (Cont’d)

Below

Basic Basic Intermediate Advanced

Unweighted

N

Plans for Next Year

Four Year College 0.69 0.74 1.03 1.01 6199

Two-Year Academic 1.48 1.8 1.91 1.12 1234

Two-Year Vocational/Trade 2.26 2.12 1.54 1.78 946

Will not Attend School 1.24 1.4 1.23 1.26 2211

Uncertain 2.38 2.78 2.35 1.7 523

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

205
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E5.1

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Who

Plan to Continue Education Immediately After High School

Will Continue

Education

Immediately After

High School

Will Not Continue

Education

Immediately After

High School

Uncertain N

TOTAL 0.58 0.55 0.23 15696

GENDER

Male

Female

0.84

0.67

0.82

0.62

0.35

0.30

7762

7934

RACE/ETHNICITY

Asian

Hispanic

Black

White

2.37

1.57

1.90

0.69

2.10

1.41

1.71

0.64

1.09

1.01

0.67

0.25

1139

1802

1432

11108

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Low

Middle

High

1.17

0.76

0.65

1.15

0.70

0.31

0.82

0.80

0.20

3725

7325

4461

PARENTS’ EDUCATION

Less Than H.S.

High School Graduate/GED

Some College Work

Completed College

Graduate Degree

1.81

1.11

1.70

0.97

1.15

1.84

1.09

1.01

0.95

1.10

0.82

0.54

0.44

0.26

0.43

1222

3897

3326

2778

3030

TESTED PROFICIENCY

Below basic in at least one area

At least basic in all areas

1.44

0.70

1.33

0.66

0.71

0.28

2416

10209

NATIVE LANGUAGE

English

Non-English

0.63

1.47

0.59

1.27

0.24

1.00

13482

1792

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM

General

College Preparatory

Vocational

0.96

0.60

1.77

0.92

0.55

1.80

0.40

0.24

0.87

5644

7562

1681

206
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E5.1

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors Who

Plan to Continue Education Immediately After High School (Cont’d)

Will Continue

Education

Immediately After

High School

Will Not Continue

Education

Immediately After

High School

Uncertain N

NEW BASICS COURSES TAKEN

Less than Minimum

Minimum:4E+3SS+2S+2M

Minimum+1M+1S

Minimum +1M+1S+2FL+.5CS

1.31

2.16

0.97

0.90

1.24

1.95

0.77

0.85

0.50

1.48

0.52

0.36

4875

2706

3137

2373

CLASS RANK

Highest Quarter

Third Quarter

Second Quarter

Lowest Quarter

0.68

1.89

1.60

2.04

0.59

1.89

1.42

1.85

0.32

0.50

0.90

1.67

3549

3036

2652

2030

URBANICITY

Urban

Suburban

Rural

1.08

0.98

0.99

0.98

0.90

0.96

0.45

0.35

0.42

4503

6325

4811

TYPE OF SCHOOL

Public

Catholic

NAIS private

Other private

0.62

1.25

2.09

4.80

0.58

1.05

1.53

4.77

0.25

0.71

0.73

0.86

13391

897

1031

352

PERCENT RECEIVING SUBSIDIZED LUNCH

10% or less

11% - 49%

50% or more

1.34

1.02

2.16

1.20

0.95

1.91

0.62

0.48

1.82

6289

5927

1289

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

207
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E5.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 College Bound

High School Seniors Who Plan to Attend Various Types

of Postsecondary Institutions

Four Year

College

Two Year

Academic

Two-Year

Technical

Trade/

Vocational

School

Unweighted

N

Standard Errors

Total 0.76 0.53 0.43 0.4 14692

Gender

Male 1 0.65 0.62 0.63 7126

Female 0.94 0.74 0.54 0.42 7566

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 2.23 1.77 1.25 1.2 1078

Hispanic 1.77 1.77 1.2 0.98 1694

Black 2.44 1.72 1.55 1.99 1319

White 0.86 0.59 0.51 0.41 10403

Socioeconomic Status

Low 1.27 1.16 0.88 0.89 3368

Middle 0.98 0.70 0.64 0.58 6892

High 1.03 0.84 0.41 0.34 4269

Parents’ Education

Less than High School 2.07 1.78 1.6 1.33 1098

High School Graduate/GED 1.23 1.1 0.85 0.8 3559

Some College Work 1.34 0.99 1.09 0.58 3151

Completed College 1.16 0.9 0.67 0.54 2668

Graduate Degree 1.26 1.1 0.47 0.28 2889

Region

Northeast 1.5 1.15 0.71 0.75 2913

Midwest 1.37 0.82 0.81 0.73 3877

South 1.39 0.93 0.91 0.85 4891

West 1.75 1.38 0.85 0.69 2988

208
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E5.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 College Bound

High School Seniors Who Plan to Attend Various Types

of Postsecondary Institutions (Cont’d)

Four Year

College

Two Year

Academic

Two-Year

Technical

Trade/

Vocational

School

Unweighted

N

Tested Proficiency

Below basic in at least one area 1.74 1.28 1.31 1.59 2144

At least basic in all areas 0.83 0.6 0.49 0.38 9768

Native Language

English 0.8 0.56 0.46 0.44 12620

Non-English 1.95 1.69 1.2 0.99 1686

High School Program

General 1.17 0.93 0.82 0.62 5195

College Preparatory 0.76 0.64 0.32 0.29 7301

Vocational 1.84 1.14 1.6 1.42 1515

New Basics Courses Taken

Less than Minimum 1.37 1.01 1.03 0.92 4704

Minimum: 4E+3SS+2S+2M 2.37 1.89 1.99 1.28 2665

Minimum +1M+1S 1.94 1.78 0.5 0.67 3134

Minimum + 1M+1S+2FL+.5CS 1.33 1.03 0.46 0.83 2372

Class Rank

Highest Quarter 1.29 0.84 0.83 0.53 3511

Third Quarter 2.01 1.19 1.81 1.14 3016

Second Quarter 2.09 1.39 1.22 1.43 2614

Lowest Quarter 1.88 2.19 1.71 1.1 1972

Urbanicity of School

Urban 1.44 1.17 0.66 0.6 4269

Suburban 1.24 0.83 0.78 0.67 5944

Rural 1.16 0.85 0.71 0.71 4428

209
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E5.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 College Bound

High School Seniors Who Plan to Attend Various Types

of Postsecondary Institutions (Cont’d)

Four Year

College

Two Year

Academic

Two-Year

Technical

Trade/

Vocational

School

Unweighted

N

Type of School

Public 0.79 0.54 0.48 0.44 12474

Catholic 2.71 2.53 0.65 0.4 870

NAIS Private 2.24 0.55 0.48 2.11 988

Other Private 5.66 5.33 1.69 1.02 337

Percent Receiving Subsidized Lunch

10% or Less 1.69 1.32 1.1 0.61 6149

11% To 49% 1.28 0.89 0.8 0.82 5851

50% or More 2.37 1.62 2.34 1.66 1298

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

210
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E5.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Are Taking Steps to Continue Education

Took College

Placement Exam Applied to College

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

Standard Errors

Total 0.78 15272 0.72 15938

Gender

Male 1 7576 0.97 7937

Female 0.94 7696 0.83 8001

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 2.26 1117 2.09 1157

Hispanic 1.81 1771 1.76 1876

Black 2.56 1369 2.41 1478

White 0.82 10805 0.82 11205

Socioeconomic Status

Low 1.14 3625 1.13 3835

Middle 0.98 7134 0.95 7421

High 0.91 4331 0.97 4489

Parents’ Education

Less than High School 1.83 1197 1.89 1264

High School Graduate/GED 1.18 3803 1.14 3968

Some College Work 1.38 3240 1.37 3372

Completed College 1.3 2702 1.09 2805

Graduate Degree 0.9 2901 1.11 3042

Region

Northeast 1.53 2959 1.27 3103

Midwest 1.17 4070 1.2 4204

South 1.45 5110 1.35 5373

West 1.74 3110 1.62 3233

211
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E5.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Are Taking Steps to Continue Education (Cont’d)

Took College

Placement Exam Applied to College

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

Tested Proficiency

Below basic in at least one area 1.67 2369 1.62 2502

At least basic in all areas 0.79 10014 0.79 10337

Native Language

English 0.79 13096 0.77 13640

Non-English 2.01 1775 2.03 1860

High School Program

General 1.13 5503 1.09 5752

College Preparatory 0.77 7337 0.73 7617

Vocational 1.63 1647 1.7 1731

New Basics Courses Taken

Less than Minimum 1.43 5079 1.39 5293

Minimum: 4E+3SS+2S+2M 2.38 2799 2.21 2913

Minimum +1M+1S 1.38 3132 1.84 3285

Minimum +1M+1S+2FL+.5CS 1.16 2375 1.12 2468

Class Rank

Highest Quarter 1.07 3544 1.15 3659

Third Quarter 1.98 3085 2.04 3212

Second Quarter 2.18 2720 1.95 2861

Lowest Quarter 1.65 2196 1.81 2293

212
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E5.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Who Are Taking Steps to Continue Education (Cont’d)

Took College

Placement Exam Applied to College

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

Plans for Next Year

Four-Year College 0.71 7944 0.57 8262

Two-Year Academic 1.73 1702 1.78 1775

Two-Year Vocational/Trade 1.95 1251 2.02 1307

Will not attend school 1.25 2952 1.09 3110

Uncertain 2.07 685 2.02 709

Urbanicity of School

Urban 1.48 4373 1.3 4586

Suburban 1.27 6177 1.25 6426

Rural 1.15 4670 1.16 4872

Type of School

Public 0.8 13039 0.76 13610

Catholic 2.77 877 2.12 905

NAIS Private 0.9 989 0.98 1039

Other Private 4.62 344 4.48 359

Percent Receiving Subsidized Lunch

10% or less 1.58 6326 1.7 6557

11% to 49% 1.25 6104 1.2 6392

50% or More 2.13 1403 2.25 1474

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

213
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E6.1

Standard Errors for Educational Expectations of 1992

High School Seniors and Their Parents

Respondent’s report of

how far in school

High School

or Less

Some College

or Trade

College

Degree

Graduate

Degree

Don’t

Know

SE N SE N SE N SE N SE N

Father wants respondent

to go .28 622 .52 1975 .65 5314 .72 4566 .37 1219

Mother wants respondent

to go .27 599 .52 2193 .62 5721 .67 4993 .32 1017

Respondent thinks he/she

will get .25 731 .58 3512 .61 5180 .67 5290 .32 823

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988: Second

Follow-Up, 1992.

214
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E6.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Most Likely to Study Various Academic Fields

SE Unweighted N

Agriculture .13 189

Architecture .13 253

Art .18 472

Biological Sciences .18 439

Business .40 2173

Communications .22 441

Computer & Info Science .21 324

Education .28 1016

Engineering .31 1105

English .17 278

Ethnic Studies .16 15

Foreign Languages .07 94

Health Occupations .36 1047

Home Economics .09 94

Interdisciplinary Studies .05 33

Mathematics .09 94

Music .14 210

Philosophy .07 46

Physical Science .11 253

Pre Professional .39 1187

Psychology .28 622

Social Sciences .24 636

Other .30 1106

Do Not Plan to Attend College .64 3180

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

215
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E6.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Most Likely to Pursue Various Types of Non-academic Training

SE Unweighted N

Agriculture .05 56

Auto Mechanics .22 246

Aviation .08 62

Accounting .08 102

Business Management .10 138

Secretarial & Related .10 178

Other Business & Office .13 53

Commercial Arts .09 107

Computer Programming/DP .11 153

Construction Trades .08 101

Cosmetology/Hair Styling .12 175

Drafting .09 82

Electronics .11 181

Food Service .12 41

Health Care .13 281

Home Economics .06 43

Hotel & Restaurant Management .07 27

Marketing & Distribution .06 34

Metal Working .08 73

Protective Services .07 93

Refrigeration, Heating & A.C. .09 45

Transportation & Material Moving .06 21

Other .20 389

Do Not Plan Vocational Training .55 12780

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

216
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E6.4

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Expecting to Have Various Occupations at 30

SE Unweighted N

Office Worker .18 475

Tradesperson .15 364

Farmer .10 131

Full-Time Homemaker .11 153

Laborer .08 98

Manager .27 805

Military .27 369

Machine Operator .13 132

Elementary/Secondary School Teacher .30 1134

Professional I* .57 4139

Professional II ** .54 3061

Small Business Owner .29 905

Protective Services .20 553

Sales .18 257

Service Worker .16 324

Technical .26 798

Not Planning to Work .05 37

Other .39 1511

Will Be in School .14 29

* Professional I = Accountant, Registered Nurse, Engineer, Banker, Librarian, Writer,

Social Worker, Actor, Athlete, Artist, Politician, but not Including

School Teacher.

** Professional II = Minister, Dentist, Doctor, Lawyer, Scientist, College Teacher.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

217
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E6.5

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Indicating Level of Education Necessary

for the Job they Expect to have at age 30

High School

or Less

Some College

or Trade

College

Degree

Graduate

Degree

Not Planning

to Work

SE N SE N SE N SE N SE N

.34 759 .61 3555 .63 5775 .70 5041 .08 68

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

218
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E7.1

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Employed During the School Year

Not

Working

20 Hours/

Week or Less

More than

20 Hours/

Week

Unweighted

N

Standard Errors

Total 0.72 0.64 0.46 15259

Gender

Male 0.95 0.84 0.63 7510

Female 0.94 0.91 0.58 7749

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 2.55 2.16 1.76 1107

Hispanic 1.83 1.4 1.27 1777

Black 1.95 1.73 1.19 1385

White 0.8 0.74 0.54 10784

Socioeconomic Status

Low 1.24 1.01 1.31 5421

Middle 0.96 0.90 1.21 7332

High 0.91 0.64 0.79 2323

Parents’ Education

Less than High School 1.94 1.66 1.51 1180

High School Graduate/GED 1.23 1.07 0.89 3805

Some College Work 1.25 1.14 0.91 3216

Completed College 1.51 1.4 0.91 2698

Graduate Degree 1.63 1.61 0.82 2949

Region

Northeast 1.73 1.59 0.9 3029

Midwest 1.24 1.29 0.91 4046

South 1.27 1.05 0.84 5083

West 1.51 1.28 0.97 3077

219
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E7.1

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Employed During the School Year (Cont’d)

Not

Working

20 Hours/

Week or Less

More than

20 Hours/

Week

Unweighted

N

Tested Proficiency

Below basic in at least one area 1.62 1.23 1.22 2359

At least basic in all areas 0.88 0.82 0.46 9977

Native Language

English 0.76 0.72 0.48 13081

Non-English 1.96 1.48 1.23 1766

High School Program

General 1 0.86 0.76 5475

College Preparation 1.03 1 0.52 7360

Vocational 1.8 1.59 1.45 1624

New Basics Courses Taken

Less Than Minimum 1.36 1.22 1.02 5029

Minimum:4E+3SS+2S+2M 2.3 2.31 1.42 2786

Minimum +1M+1S 2.26 2.12 1.11 3168

Minimum+1M+1S+2FL+.5CS 1.65 1.54 0.93 2397

Class Rank

Highest Quartile 1.53 1.54 0.8 3558

Third Quartile 1.98 1.96 1.19 3090

Second Quartile 2.16 2.11 1.17 2711

Lowest Quartile 2 1.65 1.71 2168

Plans For Next Year

Four-Year College 0.95 0.93 0.55 7996

Two-Year Academic 1.77 1.58 1.38 1696

Two-Year Vocational/Trade 2.18 1.61 1.63 1255

Will not attend school 1.31 1.11 1.03 2957

Uncertain 2.52 2.31 1.84 682

220
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E7.1

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Employed During the School Year (Cont’d)

Not

Working

20 Hours/

Week or Less

More than

20 Hours/

Week

Unweighted

N

Urbanicity of School

Urban 1.45 1.38 0.87 4362

Suburban 1.12 1.02 0.71 6170

Rural 1.16 0.95 0.84 4674

Type of School

Public 0.74 0.65 0.5 13030

Catholic 2.76 2.84 1.39 862

NAIS Private 4.01 3.13 2.51 995

Other Private 5.01 4.76 2.3 348

Percent Receiving Subsidized Lunch

10% or less 1.58 1.49 0.92 6326

11% to 49% 1.28 1.23 0.78 6104

50% or more 2.59 1.85 2 1397

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

221
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E7.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Participating in Student Government or Volunteer Work

Student Government

During the Current

School Year

Community Volunteer

Work During Past Two

Years

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

Standard Errors

Total 0.53 14404 0.69 15791

Gender

Male 0.67 7162 0.96 7830

Female 0.7 7242 0.92 7961

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 1.62 1070 2.24 1145

Hispanic 1.7 1709 1.67 1836

Black 2.12 1337 2.35 1454

White 0.57 10092 0.79 11137

Socioeconomic Status

Low 0.78 405 1.02 1163

Middle 0.79 1039 0.87 3172

High 0.96 879 1.26 2753

Parents’ Education

Less than High School 1.17 1126 1.8 1244

High School Graduate/GED 0.91 3560 1.09 3926

Some College Work 0.97 3050 1.16 3359

Completed College 1.13 2591 1.45 2777

Graduate Degree 1.27 2799 1.59 3025

222
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E7.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Participating in Student Government or Volunteer Work (Cont’d)

Student Government

During the Current

School Year

Community Volunteer

Work During Past Two

Years

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

Region

Northeast 0.97 2828 1.62 3083

Midwest 0.94 3797 1.27 4175

South 0.99 4767 1.27 4175

West 1.31 2998 1.47 3214

Tested Proficiency

Below basic in at least one area 0.93 2341 1.3 2472

At least basic in all areas 0.58 9878 0.82 10301

Native Language

English 0.58 12369 0.73 13541

Non-English 1.69 1708 1.82 1825

High School Program

General 0.64 5084 0.96 5688

College Preparatory 0.87 7013 0.98 7574

Vocational 0.88 1551 1.37 1704

New Basics Courses Taken

Less than Minimum 0.81 4819 1.27 5244

Minimum:4E+3SS+2S+2M 2.13 2703 2.25 2893

Minimum +1M+1S 1.53 3071 2.32 3264

Minimum +1M+1S+2FL+.5CS 1.38 2312 1.45 2448

223
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E7.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Participating in Student Government or Volunteer Work (Cont’d)

Student Government

During the Current

School Year

Community Volunteer

Work During Past Two

Years

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

Class Rank

Highest Quarter 1.37 3454 1.49 3649

Third Quarter 1.04 2975 1.91 3192

Second Quarter 2.26 2661 2.09 2838

Lowest Quarter 0.92 2068 1.81 2259

Academic Plans for Next Year

Four-Year College 0.81 7630 0.92 8255

Two-Year Academic 1.31 1587 1.64 1773

Two-Year Vocational/Trade 1.06 1172 1.92 1303

Will not attend school 0.84 2747 1.21 3107

Uncertain 1.57 662 2.11 714

Urbanicity of School

Urban 1.23 4199 1.52 4525

Suburban 0.75 5798 1.11 6362

Rural 0.86 4365 1.04 4851

Type of School

Public 0.56 12332 0.71 13491

Catholic 1.71 846 2.81 898

NAIS Private 3.86 924 4.45 1023

Other Private 5.11 288 4.92 355

224
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E7.2

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Participating in Student Government or Volunteer Work (Cont’d)

Student Government

During the Current

School Year

Community Volunteer

Work During Past Two

Years

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

Percent Receiving Subsidized Lunch

10% or Less 0.9 6095 1.64 6509

11% to 49% 1.26 5888 1.25 6353

50% or More 1.9 1298 2.34 1430

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

225
Table E7.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Reporting Illicit Drug Use: Marijuana and Cocaine

Marijuana: Lifetime Marijuana: During

the Past Year

Marijuana: During

the Past Month

Cocaine: Lifetime Cocaine: Dur

Past Yea

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unwe

Standard Errors

Total 0.61 13945 0.5 13848 0.35 13848 0.25 13987 0.15 139

GenderMale 0.87 6774 0.71 6711 0.55 6711 0.41 6795 0.24 67Female 0.75 7171 0.67 7137 0.38 7137 0.26 7192 0.16 71Race/EthnicityAsian/Pacific Islander 1.6 1005 1.4 1002 0.79 1001 0.62 1013 0.46 10Hispanic 1.79 1526 1.39 1512 0.84 1518 1.32 1529 0.66 15Black 2.22 1227 1.54 1214 0.68 1209 0.39 1227 0.16 12White 0.67 10001 0.59 9937 0.43 9936 0.27 10030 0.17 100Parents’ EducationLess than H.S. 1.81 1034 1.3 1026 1.02 1021 1.38 1041 0.87 10High School Graduate/GED 1.11 3482 0.91 3457 0.71 3457 0.43 3493 0.27 34Some College Work 1.14 2996 1.02 2976 0.63 2976 0.44 2993 0.25 29Completed College 1.26 2511 1.1 2494 0.83 2496 0.46 2525 0.33 25Graduate Degree 1.5 2746 1.39 2731 0.88 2731 0.44 2757 0.25 27RegionNortheast 1.13 2819 1.04 2810 0.85 2802 0.55 2833 0.35 28Midwest 1.21 3829 1.07 3798 0.75 3806 0.36 3839 0.25 38South 1.07 4469 0.84 4438 0.5 4435 0.45 4471 0.25 44West 1.34 2811 1.12 2785 0.77 2788 0.64 2827 0.41 28
Table E7.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Reporting Illicit Drug Use: Marijuana and Cocaine (Cont’d)

Marijuana: Lifetime Marijuana: During

the Past Year

Marijuana: During

the Past Month

Cocaine: Lifetime Cocaine: Dur

Past Yea

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unwe

Tested ProficiencyBelow basic in at least onearea 1.57 2120 1.08 2098 0.82 2104 0.62 2125 0.47 21At least basic in all areas 0.7 9574 0.59 9510 0.42 9508 0.3 9588 0.15 95Native LanguageEnglish 0.62 12120 0.53 12037 0.38 12037 0.24 12153 0.15 12Non-English 2.02 1508 1.81 1496 0.76 1496 1.3 1515 0.66 15High School ProgramGeneral 0.96 4930 0.79 4885 0.52 4885 0.45 4935 0.27 49College Preparatory 0.81 6858 0.7 6824 0.49 6824 0.26 6870 0.16 68Vocational 1.57 1471 1.33 1459 1.14 1456 0.79 1485 0.61 14New Basics Courses TakenLess than minimum 1.26 4530 1.05 4484 0.72 4484 0.68 4544 0.35 45Minimum: 4E+3SS+2S+2M 1.88 2608 1.05 2582 0.7 2580 0.89 2614 0.39 26Minimum +1M+1S 2.16 2998 2.01 2990 0.6 2990 0.42 3015 0.17 30Minimum +1M+1S+2FL+.5CS 1.33 2271 1 2263 0.71 2264 0.53 2273 0.33 22Class RankHighest Quarter 0.97 3418 0.68 3406 0.5 3408 0.27 3419 0.14 34Third Quarter 1.96 2909 1.96 2889 0.56 2888 0.57 2911 0.23 29Second Quarter 1.91 2493 1.25 2477 0.87 2483 1.11 2506 0.41 25Lowest Quarter 2.12 1935 1.6 1907 1.01 1906 0.79 1945 0.47 19
Table E7.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Reporting Illicit Drug Use: Marijuana and Cocaine (Cont’d)

Marijuana: Lifetime Marijuana: During

the Past Year

Marijuana: During

the Past Month

Cocaine: Lifetime Cocaine: Dur

Past Yea

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unwe

Plans for Next YearFour-Year College 0.78 7566 0.7 7521 0.42 7524 0.22 7584 0.14 75Two-Year Academic 1.54 1562 1.29 1553 1 1553 0.7 1562 0.49 15Two-Year Vocational/Trade 1.71 1117 1.26 1115 1.05 1117 0.67 1126 0.46 11Will not Attend School 1.27 2655 1.14 2627 0.88 2626 0.64 2671 0.41 26Uncertain 2.71 633 1.93 628 1.61 625 1.96 632 0.84 62Urbanicity of SchoolUrban 1.17 3950 1.01 3923 0.63 3920 0.5 3971 0.29 39Suburban 0.97 5597 0.85 5572 0.62 5572 0.37 5615 0.21 56Rural 0.99 4352 0.78 4307 0.59 4310 0.4 4355 0.28 43Type of SchoolPublic 0.64 11869 0.53 11774 0.37 11774 0.27 11894 0.16 11Catholic 2.18 834 1.99 836 1.22 836 0.92 845 0.6 84NAIS Private 6.75 907 6.26 904 5.62 905 1.52 914 1.49 9Other Private 4.02 318 2.64 317 0.86 316 0.38 317 0.26 3Percent Receiving Subsidized Lunch10% or less 1.46 5922 1.25 5886 0.62 5887 0.43 5948 0.22 5911% to 49% 1.03 5647 0.7 5602 0.5 5605 0.31 5668 0.21 5650% or more 2.61 1213 2.02 1204 1.27 1200 2.27 1210 0.7 12
Table E7.3

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Reporting Illicit Drug Use: Marijuana and Cocaine

Marijuana: Lifetime Marijuana: During

the Past Year

Marijuana: During

the Past Month

Cocaine: Lifetime Cocaine: Dur

Past Yea

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unwe

Socioeconomic StatusLow 1.16 3231 0.87 3200 0.75 3200 0.65 3238 0.36 32Middle 0.87 6603 0.76 6556 0.45 6557 0.31 6619 0.19 66High 1.10 4002 0.98 3984 0.76 3983 0.37 4021 0.21 40

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988: Second 
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E7.4

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Reporting Alcohol Use

Alcohol

Lifetime

Alcohol During

Past Year

Alcohol During

Past Month

Had 5 or More

Drinks in a Row

During past 2

Weeks

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

Standard Errors

Total 0.48 14483 0.66 14203 0.75 14213 0.62 14682

Gender

Male 0.59 7062 0.86 6935 1.03 6953 0.94 7168

Female 0.69 7421 0.86 7268 0.94 7260 0.66 7514

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 1.76 1042 2.32 1027 2.51 1025 1.72 1055

Hispanic 1.14 1588 2.14 1525 1.98 1534 1.74 1598

Black 1.58 1258 2.2 1201 2.2 1192 1.35 1284

White 0.55 10401 0.69 10263 0.84 10274 0.73 10551

Parents’ Education

Less than High School 1.42 1081 2.04 1053 2.31 1057 1.84 1095

High School Graduate/GED 0.86 3596 1.11 3515 1.22 3523 1.1 3653

Some College Work 0.76 3098 1.05 3032 1.31 3033 1.08 3140

Completed College 1.02 2578 1.34 2549 1.69 2550 1.56 2620

Graduate Degree 1.34 2851 1.7 2805 1.96 2807 1.25 2888

Socioeconomic Status

Low 0.90 3336 1.27 3261 1.27 3265 1.10 3383

Middle 0.55 6819 0.84 6667 0.99 6668 0.80 6918

High 0.77 4164 1.09 4112 1.35 4117 1.24 4216

Region

Northeast 1.4 2919 1.4 2856 1.51 2860 1.3 2968

Midwest 0.64 3929 0.89 3855 1.49 3856 1.35 3998

South 0.79 4706 1.32 4632 1.38 4626 1.09 4755

West 1.1 2906 1.65 2837 1.56 2849 1.16 2937

230
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E7.4

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Reporting Alcohol Use (Cont’d)

Alcohol

Lifetime

Alcohol During

Past Year

Alcohol During

Past Month

Had 5 or More

Drinks in a Row

During past 2

Weeks

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

Tested Proficiency

Below basic in at least one

area 1.04 2114 1.41 2039 1.82 2036 1.67 2157

At least basic in all areas 0.57 9502 0.71 9346 0.86 9359 0.71 9634

New Basics Courses Taken

Minimum: 4E+3SS+2S+2M 0.96 2630 1.77 2591 2.31 2594 1.53 2690

Minimum +1M+1S 1.17 3030 1.97 2958 2.34 2957 1.82 3075

Minimum +1M+1S+2FL+.5CS 1.24 2302 1.77 2274 1.91 2236 1.39 2313

Class Rank

Highest Quarter 1.12 3471 1.55 3406 1.54 3402 0.95 3493

Third Quarter 0.85 2923 1.47 2870 1.99 2865 1.4 2975

Second Quarter 0.69 2541 1.16 2470 2.01 2486 2 2586

Lowest Quarter 0.78 1991 1.85 1948 2.12 1965 1.85 2043

Plans for Next Year

Four-Year College 0.73 7778 0.97 7649 1.09 7646 0.83 7882

Two-Year Academic 1.15 1635 1.75 1598 1.76 1602 1.44 1659

Two-Year Vocational/Trade 1.29 1162 1.83 1138 2.14 1144 1.8 1190

Will not attend school 0.8 2818 1.18 2757 1.27 2757 1.15 2855

Uncertain 1.4 634 2.41 617 2.64 620 2.39 647

Urbanicity of School

Urban 1.25 4128 1.71 4037 1.63 4041 1.17 4151

Suburban 0.65 5847 0.88 5731 1.07 5743 0.93 5951

Rural 0.6 4455 0.94 4382 1.28 4377 1.18 4526

231
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E7.4

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Reporting Alcohol Use (Cont’d)

Alcohol

Lifetime

Alcohol During

Past Year

Alcohol During

Past Month

Had 5 or More

Drinks in a Row

During past 2

Weeks

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

SE Unweighted

N

Type of School

Public 0.46 12313 0.67 12062 0.76 12070 0.65 12480

Catholic 1.67 860 2.67 846 3 847 2.67 870

NAIS Private 1.95 962 2.47 948 8.25 952 4.85 973

Other Private 5.53 325 6.31 324 5.81 322 3.44 335

Percent Receiving Subsidized Lunch

10% or Less 0.84 6041 1.29 5942 1.59 5950 1.27 6133

11% to 49% 0.66 5775 1.08 5641 1.31 5655 0.99 5865

50% or More 1.62 1247 2.75 1220 2.75 1208 2.49 1254

Native Language

English 0.49 12531 0.66 12304 0.78 12317 0.66 12711

Not English 1.62 1574 2.67 1527 2.21 1526 1.88 1584

High School Program

General 0.65 5181 0.89 5059 1.1 5086 0.98 5257

College Preparatory 0.78 7089 1.02 6980 1.02 6974 0.81 7163

Vocational 1.03 1514 1.43 1481 1.92 1474 1.61 1542

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal

Study of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

232
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E7.5

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School

Seniors Reporting Various Amounts of Television Watching

10 Hours/

Week or

Less

11-20 Hours/

Week

More than

20 Hours/

Week

N

Total 0.5 0.6 0.7 15199

Gender

Male 0.7 0.8 0.9 7498

Female 0.8 0.8 0.9 7701

Race/Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander 2.2 2.1 2.4 1092

Hispanic 1.7 1.6 1.8 1725

Black 2.1 1.7 2.4 1308

White 0.6 0.7 0.7 10873

Socioeconomic Status

Low 1.0 1.0 1.2 3527

Middle 0.8 0.9 1.3 7139

High 1.2 0.9 1.2 4366

Parents’ Education

Less than High School 1.7 1.7 2.0 1153

High School Graduate/GED 1.0 1.1 1.1 3769

Some College Work 1.0 1.2 1.3 3243

Completed College 1.1 1.3 1.5 2708

Graduate Degree 1.6 1.5 1.3 2958

Region

Northeast 1.2 1.4 1.4 2983

Midwest 1.0 1.0 1.2 4069

South 1.0 1.2 1.2 5046

West 1.1 1.2 1.4 3077

233
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E7.5

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School

Seniors Reporting Various Amounts of Television Watching (Cont’d)

10 Hours/

Week or

Less

11-20 Hours/

Week

More than

20 Hours/

Week

N

Tested Proficiency

Below basic in at least one area 1.2 1.4 1.7 2240

At least basic in all areas 0.6 1.7 0.7 10083

Native Language

English 0.6 0.6 0.7 13096

Non-English 1.7 1.7 2.0 1718

High School Program

General 0.8 0.9 1.0 5450

College Preparation 0.8 0.9 0.9 7421

Vocational 1.2 1.6 1.7 1584

Class Rank

Highest Quartile 1.1 1.1 1.1 3603

Third Quartile 1.2 1.2 1.3 3098

Second Quartile 1.1 1.3 1.6 2724

Lowest Quartile 1.1 1.4 1.5 2102

Plans For Next Year

Four-Year College 0.8 0.8 1.0 8086

Two-Year Academic 1.7 1.7 1.6 1706

Two-Year Vocational/Trade 1.4 2.1 2.0 1240

Will not attend school 1.0 1.1 1.2 2906

Uncertain 2.1 2.5 2.5 662

Urbanicity

Urban 1.2 1.3 1.4 4310

Suburban 0.8 0.9 1.1 6159

Rural 0.8 1.0 1.0 4678

234
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table E7.5

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School

Seniors Reporting Various Amounts of Television Watching (Cont’d)

10 Hours/

Week or

Less

11-20 Hours/

Week

More than

20 Hours/

Week

N

Type of School

Public 0.6 0.6 0.7 12942

Catholic 2.1 2.5 2.9 881

NAIS Private 5.7 6.1 9.5 1007

Other Private 3.9 5.5 4.2 345

Percent Receiving Subsidized Lunch

10% or less 0.8 0.9 1.0 6347

11% to 49% 0.8 0.9 1.0 6074

50% or more 1.5 1.6 1.8 1333

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

235
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Appendix F: Tables of Ancillary Analyses

of Plans and Expectations

(Chapter 6)

236
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table F6.1a

Educational Expectations of

1992 High School Seniors and their Parents

by Socioeconomic Status

Respondent’s

report of:

High School

or Less

Some

College

or Trade

College

Degree

Graduate

Degree

Don’t

Know

How far in school father wants respondent to go

Low SES

Middle SES

High SES

10.6

5.0

0.8

26.0

17.3

4.1

28.5

43.8

40.3

20.0

24.8

50.8

14.9

9.1

4.0

How far in school mother wants respondent to go

Low SES

Middle SES

High SES

9.4

4.2

0.7

25.8

17.7

5.6

31.3

43.2

41.2

22.2

27.6

49.0

11.3

7.2

3.4

How far in school respondent thinks he/she will get

Low SES

Middle SES

High SES

10.0

4.6

1.1

37.0

25.4

7.8

25.8

37.9

34.9

19.6

26.6

52.9

7.7

5.4

3.3

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

237
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table F6.1b

Educational Expectations of 1992 High School Seniors

and Their Parents by Race

Respondent’s report of: Asian Hispanic Black White

How far in school father wants respondent to go:

High School or Less 2.4 6.1 6.1 4.9

Some College or Trade 9.4 18.7 11.8 16.0

College Degree 35.7 33.7 30.9 41.8

Graduate Degree 47.4 31.9 38.7 28.6

Don’t Know 5.2 12.4 12.4 8.7

How far in school mother wants respondent to go:

High School or Less 3.4 5.3 4.8 4.4

Some College or Trade 10.2 19.6 12.4 17.0

College Degree 36.4 33.8 33.0 42.2

Graduate Degree 44.6 33.7 42.0 29.3

Don’t Know 5.3 7.6 7.8 7.1

How far in school respondent thinks he/she will get:

High School or Less 2.8 5.8 4.4 5.1

Some College or Trade 18.1 28.9 21.8 23.9

College Degree 34.0 28.8 31.6 35.4

Graduate Degree 40.4 28.5 35.3 30.7

Don’t Know 4.8 8.0 6.9 4.9

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

238
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table F6.2a

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Most Likely to Study Various Academic Fields

by Socioeconomic Status

Low

SES

Middle

SES

High

SES

Agriculture 1.1 1.4 1.3

Architecture 1.1 1.8 1.5

Art 2.4 2.8 3.6

Biological Sciences 1.2 2.7 4.0

Business 12.5 13.6 15.2

Communications 1.6 2.6 5.1

Computer & Info Science 2.6 2.5 1.4

Education 5.3 7.5 7.4

Engineering 4.3 7.0 9.4

English 0.5 1.5 2.9

Ethnic Studies 0.1 0.0 0.7

Foreign Languages 0.2 0.4 0.8

Health Occupations 7.7 7.8 5.2

Home Economics 0.9 0.6 0.6

Interdisciplinary Studies 0.2 0.1 0.4

Mathematics 0.3 0.7 0.9

Music 1.2 1.5 1.4

Philosophy 0.0 0.2 0.8

Physical Science 0.6 1.1 2.3

Pre-Professional 4.5 6.2 12.3

Psychology 3.0 3.9 5.4

Social Sciences 2.8 3.4 5.0

Other 7.7 7.9 6.3

Legitimate Skip 38.2 22.8 6.0

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

239
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table F6.2b

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Most Likely to Study Various Academic Fields

by Race

Asian Hispanic Black White

Agriculture 0.6 1.2 0.2 1.5

Architecture 1.4 2.4 1.3 1.5

Art 3.8 3.2 1.6 3.0

Biological Sciences 3.4 1.0 1.7 2.9

Business 18.7 15.5 15.0 13.1

Communications 3.3 2.2 4.1 2.9

Computer & Info Science 2.3 3.8 5.2 1.6

Education 3.6 5.0 4.2 7.8

Engineering 11.8 6.0 8.0 6.5

English 0.9 1.0 0.7 1.8

Ethnic Studies 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.3

Foreign Languages 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.5

Health Occupations 8.5 5.7 9.9 6.7

Home Economics 0.2 1.0 0.6 0.6

Interdisciplinary Studies 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2

Mathematics 0.7 0.1 0.7 0.7

Music 1.1 1.2 0.9 1.6

Philosophy 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.4

Physical Science 1.6 0.8 0.9 1.4

Pre-Professional 12.1 7.9 6.3 7.1

Psychology 3.8 4.6 3.4 4.1

Social Sciences 3.0 4.1 2.9 3.8

Other 6.2 9.1 5.8 7.6

Legitimate Skip 12.4 23.4 26.0 22.4

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

240
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table F6.3a

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Most Likely to Pursue Various Types of Non-academic

Training by Socioeconomic Status

Low

SES

Middle

SES

High

SES

Agriculture 0.2 0.6 0.1

Auto Mechanics 3.3 1.9 0.2

Aviation 0.6 0.6 0.2

Accounting 1.4 0.5 0.3

Business Management 1.6 0.9 0.4

Secretarial & Related 2.4 1.0 0.0

Other Business & Office 0.6 0.6 0.1

Commercial Arts 0.8 0.9 0.2

Computer Programming/DP 1.7 1.0 0.5

Construction Trades 1.1 0.6 0.3

Cosmetology/Hair Styling 2.2 1.2 0.4

Drafting 0.7 0.7 0.1

Electronics 1.8 1.2 0.4

Food Service 0.7 0.4 0.1

Health Care 3.2 1.7 0.5

Home Economics 0.6 0.3 0.0

Hotel & Restaurant Management 0.5 0.2 0.1

Marketing & Distribution 0.3 0.2 0.2

Metal Working 1.3 0.4 0.1

Protective Services 0.7 0.6 0.2

Refrigeration, Heating & A.C. 0.3 0.5 0.0

Transportation & Material Moving 0.6 0.1 0.1

Other 3.5 3.0 1.1

Legitimate Skip 69.9 80.8 94.2

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

241
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High School Senior in 1992

Table F6.3b

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Most Likely to Pursue Various Types of Non-academic

Training by Race

Asian Hispanic Black White

Agriculture 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.5

Auto Mechanics 1.4 2.5 2.4 1.7

Aviation 0.4 0.8 0.4 0.4

Accounting 0.1 0.7 1.2 0.6

Business Management 0.4 1.1 1.4 0.9

Secretarial & Related 0.6 1.6 0.8 1.1

Other Business & Office 0.2 0.4 1.2 0.4

Commercial Arts 1.0 1.0 0.3 0.7

Computer Programming/DP 0.5 1.4 1.5 1.0

Construction Trades 0.3 0.8 0.6 0.6

Cosmetology/Hair Styling 0.0 0.8 1.4 1.4

Drafting 1.0 0.5 0.4 0.6

Electronics 0.5 1.0 2.4 1.0

Food Service 0.2 0.2 0.9 0.4

Health Care 0.9 2.1 2.0 1.7

Home Economics 0.0 0.2 0.6 0.3

Hotel & Restaurant Management 0.0 0.7 0.2 0.2

Marketing & Distribution 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.2

Metal Working 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.7

Protective Services 0.2 0.5 0.1 0.6

Refrigeration, Heating & A.C. 0.0 0.3 0.2 0.4

Transportation & Material Moving 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2

Other 2.6 2.3 2.2 2.8

Legitimate Skip 89.1 80.7 79.6 81.5

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

242
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High School Senior in 1992

Table F6.4a

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Expecting to Have Various Occupations at Age 30

by Socioeconomic Status

Low

SES

Middle

SES

High

SES

Office Worker 6.4 2.7 0.7

Tradesperson 4.1 2.6 0.5

Farmer 1.3 0.9 0.4

Full-Time Homemaker 1.0 0.9 1.3

Laborer 1.1 0.7 0.1

Manager 5.7 5.4 4.6

Military 4.4 3.1 1.2

Machine Operator 2.6 0.6 0.2

Elementary/Secondary School Teacher 6.1 7.6 8.6

Professional I* 22.8 27.8 31.1

Professional II** 10.9 16.3 27.8

Small Business Owner 7.0 6.2 4.6

Protective Services 5.0 3.8 2.2

Sales 1.4 1.4 2.5

Service Worker 4.3 2.1 0.8

Technical 6.5 5.8 3.6

Not Planning to Work 0.4 0.1 0.1

Other 8.7 11.2 9.6

Will Be in School 0.3 0.5 0.1

* Professional I = Accountant, Registered Nurse, Engineer, Banker, Librarian, Writer, Social

Worker, Actor, Athlete, Artist, Politician, but not Including School Teacher.

** Professional II = Minister, Dentist, Doctor, Lawyer, Scientist, College Teacher.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

243
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table F6.4b

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Expecting to Have Various Occupations at Age 30

by Race

Asian Hispanic Black White

Office Worker 2.5 4.7 3.2 2.9

Tradesperson 1.9 2.2 1.8 2.7

Farmer 0.0 0.7 0.6 1.0

Full-Time Homemaker 0.8 0.7 0.4 1.2

Laborer 1.2 0.6 0.3 0.7

Manager 6.6 5.2 7.3 4.8

Military 1.4 2.4 5.5 2.6

Machine Operator 0.5 0.4 1.5 1.1

Elementary/Secondary School Teacher 3.4 6.6 3.6 8.4

Professional I* 28.0 24.6 30.4 27.4

Professional II** 26.6 17.2 16.5 17.7

Small Business Owner 7.0 7.7 6.7 5.6

Protective Services 3.6 5.0 2.1 3.8

Sales 1.6 1.7 2.0 1.7

Service Worker 0.6 2.4 3.0 2.3

Technical 6.0 7.5 5.4 5.0

Not Planning to Work 0.2 0.5 0.2 0.2

Other 8.0 9.6 7.8 10.7

Will Be in School 0.0 0.2 1.8 0.2

* Professional I = Accountant, Registered Nurse, Engineer, Banker, Librarian, Writer, Social

Worker, Actor, Athlete, Artist, Politician, but not Including School Teacher.

** Professional II = Minister, Dentist, Doctor, Lawyer, Scientist, College Teacher.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

244
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table F6.5

Percent of 1992 High School Seniors

Indicting Level of Education Necessary

for the Job They Expect to Have at Age 30

High

School

or Less

Some

College

College

Degree

Graduate

Degree

Not

Planning

to Work

TOTAL 5.7 25.2 38.5 30.0 0.5

RACE

Asian 4.2 17.5 34.7 43.5 0.2

Hispanic 5.6 30.1 37.4 26.8 0.2

Black 8.2 23.7 36.2 31.8 0.2

White 5.4 25.1 39.4 29.5 0.6

SES

Low 10.0 38.7 33.7 17.2 0.5

Middle 5.9 26.8 41.4 25.5 0.5

High 1.3 8.4 38.0 51.7 0.5

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

245
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Appendix G: Standard Errors and Sample

Sizes for the Estimates in

Appendix F

246
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table G6.1a

Standard Errors for Educational Expectations of

1992 High School Seniors and Their Parents

by Socioeconomic Status

Respondent’s report of

how far in school:

High

School

or Less

Some

College

College

Degree

Graduate

Degree

Don’t

Know N

Father wants respondent to go

Low SES

Middle SES

High SES

SE

0.78

0.42

0.19

SE

1.13

0.69

0.45

SE

1.08

0.94

1.24

SE

1.18

0.77

1.32

SE

0.87

0.51

0.51

2877

6487

4190

Mother wants respondent to go

Low SES

Middle SES

High SES

0.72

0.37

0.17

1.04

0.69

0.90

1.10

0.92

1.22

1.12

0.80

1.37

0.78

0.47

0.44

3268

6828

4268

Respondent thinks he/she will get

Low SES

Middle SES

High SES

0.66

0.31

0.23

1.06

0.77

0.60

1.06

0.88

1.21

1.05

0.74

1.33

0.56

0.51

0.49

3685

7267

4406

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988:

Second Follow-Up, 1992.

247
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High School Senior in 1992

Table G6.1b

Standard Errors (unweighted N) for Educational Expectations of 1992 High

School Seniors and Their Parents by Race

Respondent’s

report of:

Asian Hispanic Black White N

N = (998) (1443) (1052) (10023)

How far in school father wants respondent to go:

High School or Less 0.4 0.8 0.9 0.3 617

Some College 1.9 2.1 1.5 0.6 1967

College Degree 2.8 1.7 2.2 0.8 5296

Graduate Degree 2.8 2.1 2.6 0.8 4547

Don’t Know 0.9 1.2 1.4 0.4 1213

N = (1039) (1623) (1253) (10413)

How far in school mother wants respondent to go:

High School or Less 0.6 0.8 0.8 0.3 594

Some College 1.9 1.9 1.3 0.6 2183

College Degree 2.3 1.6 2.1 0.7 5701

Graduate Degree 2.3 1.8 2.4 0.8 4975

Don’t Know 0.8 1.2 1.1 0.4 1011

N = (1118) (1797) (1419) (10991)

How far in school respondent thinks he/she will get:

High School or Less 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.3 725

Some College 2.3 2.0 1.6 0.7 3498

College Degree 2.3 1.6 2.1 0.7 5161

Graduate Degree 2.4 1.6 2.1 0.8 5266

Don’t Know 0.9 1.1 1.7 0.3 821

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

248
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High School Senior in 1992

Table G6.2a

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992

High School Seniors Most Likely to Study

Various Academic Fields by Socioeconomic Status

Low SES

SE

Middle SES

SE

High SES

SE N

Agriculture 0.36 0.16 0.21 187

Architecture 0.17 0.22 0.23 249

Art 0.30 0.28 0.37 469

Biological Sciences 0.21 0.24 0.48 433

Business 0.81 0.55 0.82 2141

Communications 0.23 0.28 0.57 435

Computer & Info Science 0.34 0.36 0.27 319

Education 0.52 0.40 0.59 1014

Engineering 0.39 0.45 0.71 1094

English 0.12 0.26 0.37 275

Ethnic Studies 0.05 0.01 0.65 15

Foreign Languages 0.08 0.10 0.14 91

Health Occupations 0.81 0.53 0.47 1035

Home Economics 0.24 0.11 0.16 94

Interdisciplinary Studies 0.08 0.03 0.16 33

Mathematics 0.09 0.15 0.20 93

Music 0.32 0.21 0.23 207

Philosophy 0.02 0.06 0.26 45

Physical Science 0.13 0.13 0.30 250

Pre Professional 0.49 0.37 1.21 1178

Psychology 0.39 0.42 0.55 619

Social Sciences 0.35 0.38 0.47 631

Other 0.68 0.42 0.54 1090

Legitimate Skip 1.19 0.84 0.56 3139

N = 3664 7158 4314

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

249
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High School Senior in 1992

Table G6.2b

Standard Errors (unweighted N) for Percentage of 1992

High School Seniors Most Likely to Study Various

Academic Fields by Race

Asian Hispanic Black White N

N = (1102) (1755) (1385) (10858)

Agriculture 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.2 189

Architecture 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.2 251

Art 1.0 0.5 0.4 0.2 472

Biological Sciences 0.7 0.2 0.5 0.2 435

Business 2.3 1.4 1.3 0.5 2162

Communications 1.4 0.5 0.7 0.2 441

Computer & Info Science 0.6 0.8 1.2 0.2 321

Education 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.3 1015

Engineering 1.5 0.8 1.3 0.4 1095

English 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 277

Ethnic Studies 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 15

Foreign Languages 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 94

Health Occupations 1.3 0.7 1.6 0.4 1040

Home Economics 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.1 94

Interdisciplinary Studies 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 33

Mathematics 0.3 0.1 0.3 0.1 93

Music 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.2 210

Philosophy 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.1 45

Physical Science 0.5 0.2 0.3 0.1 253

Pre-Professional 1.4 0.9 0.8 0.5 1186

Psychology 0.8 0.8 1.3 0.3 620

Social Sciences 0.7 0.7 0.5 0.3 635

Other 1.0 1.2 0.9 0.3 1099

Legitimate Skip 1.8 1.5 2.4 0.7 3167

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

250
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table G6.3a

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992

High School Seniors Most Likely to Pursue Various

Types of Non-academic Training by Socioeconomic Status

Low SES

SE

Middle SES

SE

High ES

SE N

Agriculture 0.08 0.10 0.05 56

Auto Mechanics 0.41 0.39 0.08 236

Aviation 0.16 0.14 0.08 62

Accounting 0.24 0.11 0.11 100

Business Management 0.28 0.14 0.14 137

Secretarial & Related 0.29 0.12 0.02 176

Other Business & Office 0.13 0.25 0.07 53

Commercial Arts 0.15 0.14 0.15 105

Computer Programming 0.25 0.17 0.16 151

Construction Trades 0.18 0.10 0.10 97

Cosmetology/Hair Styling 0.28 0.17 0.17 175

Drafting 0.17 0.14 0.06 81

Electronics 0.24 0.15 0.19 180

Food Service 0.24 0.22 0.05 41

Health Care 0.34 0.19 0.11 280

Home Economics 0.13 0.10 0.03 43

Hotel & Restaurant Management 0.26 0.06 0.05 26

Marketing & Distribution 0.08 0.05 0.20 32

Metal Working 0.28 0.08 0.05 72

Protective Services 0.13 0.11 0.07 93

Refrigeration, Heating & A.C. 0.10 0.16 0.03 43

Transportation & Material Moving 0.22 0.03 0.04 21

Other 0.45 0.32 0.20 386

Legitimate Skip 1.02 0.76 0.54 12636

N = 3646 7224 4412

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

251
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High School Senior in 1992

Table G6.3b

Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Most Likely to Pursue Various Types of Non-academic Training

by Race (unweighted N)

Asian Hispanic Black White N

(1122) (1779) (1398) (10950)

Agriculture 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.1 56

Auto Mechanics 0.4 0.6 1.5 0.1 244

Aviation 0.3 0.5 0.2 0.1 62

Accounting 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.1 101

Business Management 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.1 138

Secretarial & Related 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.1 177

Other Business & Office 0.2 0.2 1.0 0.1 53

Commercial Arts 0.7 0.3 0.1 0.1 106

Computer Programming 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.1 152

Construction Trades 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 99

Cosmetology/Hair Styling 0.0 0.2 0.3 0.2 174

Drafting 0.7 0.2 0.2 0.1 82

Electronics 0.3 0.2 0.6 0.1 179

Food Service 0.1 0.1 0.5 0.2 41

Health Care 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.2 281

Home Economics 0.0 0.1 0.4 0.0 43

Hotel & Restaurant Management 0.0 0.6 0.1 0.0 27

Marketing & Distribution 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 32

Metal Working 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 73

Protective Services 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 92

Refrigeration, Heating & A.C. 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.1 45

Transportation & Material Moving 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 21

Other 0.1 0.4 0.7 0.2 389

Legitimate Skip 1.7 1.4 2.2 0.6 12727

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

252
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High School Senior in 1992

Table G6.4a

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992

High School Seniors Expecting to have Various Occupations

at Age 30 by Socioeconomic Status

Low SES

SE

Middle SES

SE

High SES

SE N

Office Worker 0.50 0.22 0.14 470

Tradesperson 0.36 0.23 0.11 355

Farmer 0.26 0.13 0.13 130

Full-Time Homemaker 0.21 0.15 0.29 152

Laborer 0.22 0.13 0.06 96

Manager 0.48 0.43 0.42 788

Military 0.47 0.46 0.24 368

Machine Operator 0.47 0.11 0.08 129

Elementary/Secondary School Teacher 0.55 0.40 0.64 1130

Professional I* 1.08 0.84 1.20 4091

Professional II* 0.71 0.67 1.32 3037

Small Business Owner 0.61 0.40 0.48 889

Protective Services 0.52 0.28 0.26 545

Sales 0.33 0.16 0.54 255

Service Worker 0.48 0.20 0.19 318

Technical 0.47 0.42 0.45 788

Not Planning to Work 0.16 0.04 0.04 35

Other 0.62 0.60 0.86 1491

Will Be in School 0.14 0.28 0.06 29

N = 3577 7146 4373

* Professional I = Accountant, Registered Nurse, Engineer, Banker, Librarian, Writer, Social

Worker, Actor, Athlete, Artist, Politician, but not Including School

Teacher.

** Professional II = Minister, Dentist, Doctor, Lawyer, Scientist, College Teacher.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

253
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table G6.4b

Standard Errors for Percentage of 1992 High School Seniors

Expecting to Have Various Occupations at Age 30

by Race

Asian Hispanic Black White N

Office Worker 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.2 473

Tradesperson 0.8 0.4 0.4 0.2 363

Farmer 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.1 131

Full-Time Homemaker 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.2 153

Laborer 0.6 0.2 0.2 0.1 97

Manager 1.6 0.8 1.3 0.3 795

Military 0.5 0.6 1.6 0.2 369

Machine Operator 0.3 0.1 0.6 0.2 130

Elementary/Secondary School Teacher 0.6 0.9 0.6 0.4 1133

Professional I* 2.2 1.7 2.1 0.6 4119

Professional II** 2.1 1.2 1.2 0.6 3054

Small Business Owner 1.4 0.9 0.8 0.3 901

Protective Services 0.9 0.7 0.7 0.2 552

Sales 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.2 257

Service Worker 0.2 0.7 0.5 0.2 324

Technical 1.1 0.9 0.7 0.3 792

Not Planning to Work 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.0 37

Other 1.7 0.9 1.0 0.5 1501

Will Be in School 0.0 0.1 1.2 0.1 29

* Professional I = Accountant, Registered Nurse, Engineer, Banker, Librarian, Writer, Social

Worker, Actor, Athlete, Artist, Politician, but not Including School

Teacher.

** Professional II = Minister, Dentist, Doctor, Lawyer, Scientist, College Teacher.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

254
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

Table G6.5

Standard Errors for Percentages of 1992 High School Seniors

Indicting Level of Education Necessary for the

Job They Expect to Have at Age 30

High

School

or Less

Some

College

College

Degree

Graduate

Degree

Not

Planning

to Work N

TOTAL 5.7 25.2 38.5 30.0 0.5 15198

RACE

Asian 0.8 2.4 2.3 2.4 0.1 1083

Hispanic 0.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 0.2 1722

Black 1.8 1.8 0.7 0.8 0.1 1346

White 0.3 0.7 4.3 4.8 0.8 10837

SES

Low 0.7 1.1 1.2 0.9 0.2 3565

Middle 0.6 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.1 7118

High 0.2 0.8 1.1 1.3 0.1 4340

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study

of 1988: Second Follow-Up, 1992.

255
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High School Senior in 1992

Appendix H: NCES NELS:88 Publications

256
A Profile of the American

High School Senior in 1992

APPENDIX H

NELS:88 Key Technical Documentation: Listing;

NELS:88 Analysis Reports, Tabulations and Statistical Briefs:

Listing and Content Abstract

LISTING OF KEY TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION AVAILABLE FROM NCES

Ingels, S.J., Abraham, S., Rasinski, K.A., Karr, R., Spencer, B.D., and Frankel, M.R. NELS:88 Base Year

Data File User’s Manuals, 1990:

1988 Student Component: NCES 90-464;

1988 Parent Component: NCES 90-466;

1988 School Component: NCES 90-482;

1988 Teacher Component: NCES 90-484.

Spencer, B.D., Frankel, M.R., Ingels, S.J., Rasinski, K.A., and Tourangeau, R. NELS:88 Base Year

Sample Design Report, 1990; NCES 90-463.

Rock, D.A., and Pollack, J.M. Psychometric Report for the NELS:88 Base Year Test Battery, 1991;

NCES 91-468.

Ingels, S.J., Scott, L.A., Lindmark, J.T., Frankel, M.R., and Myers, S.L. NELS:88 First Follow-Up Data

File User’s Manuals, 1992:

1990 Student Component: NCES 92-030;

1990 School Component: NCES 92-084;

1990 Dropout Component: NCES 92-083;

1990 Teacher Component: NCES 92-085.

Ingels, S.J., Scott, L.A., Rock, D.A., Pollack, J.M., Rasinski, K.A. NELS:88 First Follow-Up Final

Technical Report, 1994; Washington, D.C.: NCES 94-632.

Ingels, S.J., Dowd, K.L., Baldridge, J.D., Stipe, J.L., Bartot, V.H., Frankel, M.R. NELS:88 Second

Follow-Up (1992): Student Component Data File User’s Manual, 1994; NCES 93-374.

Ingels, S.J., Dowd, K.L., Stipe, J.L., Baldridge, J.D., Bartot, V.H., Frankel, M.R. NELS:88 Second

Follow-Up (1992): Dropout Component Data File User’s Manual, 1994; NCES 93-375.

Ingels, S.J., Thalji, L., Pulliam, P., Bartot, V.H., Frankel, M.R. NELS:88 Second Follow-Up (1992):

Parent Component Data File User’s Manual, 1994; NCES 94-378.

Ingels, S.J., Thalji, L., Pulliam, P., Bartot, V.H., Frankel, M.R. NELS:88 Second Follow-Up (1992):

Teacher Component Data File User’s Manual, 1994; NCES 94-379.

Ingels, S.J., Thalji, L., Pulliam, P., Bartot, V.H., Frankel, M.R. NELS:88 Second Follow-Up (1992):

School Component Data File User’s Manual, 1994; NCES 94-376.

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Ingels, S.J., Dowd, K.L., Taylor, J.R., Bartot, V.H., Frankel, M.R. NELS:88 Second Follow-Up (1992):

Transcript Component Data File User’s Manual, 1995; NCES 94-377.

Ingels, S.J., and Dowd, K.L. Conducting Trend Analyses: HS&B and NELS:88 Sophomore Cohort

Dropouts, 1995; Washington, D.C.: NCES Working Paper Series, 95-07.

Ingels, S.J., and Baldridge, J.B. Conducting Trend Analyses: NLS-72, HS&B, and NELS:88 Seniors,

1995; Washington, D.C.: NCES Working Paper Series, 95-05.

Ingels, S.J., and Taylor, J.R. Conducting Cross-Cohort Comparisons Using HS&B, NAEP, and NELS:88

Academic Transcript Data, 1995; Washington, D.C.: NCES Working Paper Series, 95-06.

Ingels, S.J., and Dowd, K.L. NELS:88 Second Follow-Up Questionnaire Content Areas and Research

Issues, 1995, Washington, D.C.: NCES Working Paper Series, 95-04.

Rock, D.A., and Pollack, J.M. NELS:88 Base Year through Second Follow-Up Psychometric Report,

forthcoming, 1995; Washington, D.C.: NCES 94-382.

Ingels, S.J. Sample Exclusion and Undercoverage in NELS:88: Characteristics of Base Year Ineligible

Students; Changes in Eligibility Status after Four Years, 1995; Washington, D.C.: NCES 95-723.

NELS:88 Base Year Through Second Follow-Up Sample Design Report, forthcoming, 1995 Washington,

D.C.: NCES 94-250.

258
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LISTING OF ANALYTIC PUBLICATIONS

1. Hafner, A., Ingels, S.J., Schneider, B., and Stevenson, D.L. A Profile of the American Eighth Grader,

1990; NCES 90-458.

2. Rasinski, K.A., and West, J. NELS:88: Eighth Graders’ Reports of Courses Taken During the 1988

Academic Year by Selected Student Characteristics, 1990; NCES 90-459.

3. Hoachlander, E.G. A Profile of Schools Attended by Eighth Graders in 1988, 1991; NCES 91-129.

4. Rock, D.A., Pollack, J.M., and Hafner, A. The Tested Achievement of the National Education

Longitudinal Study of 1988 Eighth-Grade Class, 1991; NCES 91-460.

5. Kaufman, P., and Rasinski, K.A. Quality of Responses of Eighth-Grade Students to the NELS:88 Base

Year Questionnaire, 1991; NCES 91-487.

6. McMillen, M. Eighth to Tenth Grade Dropouts, 1992; Statistics in Brief series, NCES 92-006.

7. Owings, J.A., and Peng, S. Transitions Experienced by 1988 Eighth Graders, 1992. NCES 92-023.

8. Kaufman, P., and Bradby, D. Characteristics of At-Risk Students in NELS:88, 1992; NCES 92-042.

9. Bradby, D. Language Characteristics and Academic Achievement: A Look at Asian and Hispanic

Eighth Graders in NELS:88, 1992; NCES 92-479.

10. Horn, L., and Hafner, A. A Profile of American Eighth-Grade Mathematics and Science Instruction,

1992; NCES 92-486.

11. Horn, L., and West, J. A Profile of Parents of Eighth Graders, 1992; NCES 92-488.

12. Green, P.J. High School Seniors Look to the Future, 1972 and 1992, 1993; Statistics in Brief series,

NCES 93-473.

13. McMillen, M., Hausken, E., Kaufman, P., Ingels, S., Dowd, K., Frankel, M. and Qian, J. Dropping

Out of School: 1982 and 1992, Issue Brief series, 1993; NCES 93-901.

14. Rasinski, K.A., Ingels, S.J., Rock, D.A., and Pollack, J. America’s High School Sophomores: A Ten

Year Comparison, 1980 - 1990, 1993; NCES 93-087.

15. Rock, D.A., Owings, J.A., and Lee, R. Changes in Math Proficiency Between Eighth and Tenth

Grades. Statistics in Brief series, 1994, NCES 93-455.

16. Finn, J.D. School Engagement and Students At Risk. 1993; NCES 93-470.

17. Rasinski, K.A. The Effect of High School Vocational Education on Academic Achievement Gain and

High School Persistence: Evidence from NELS:88, 1994; Report to the Office of Research, U.S.

Department of Education.

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18. Ingels, S.J., Schneider, B., Scott, L.A. and Plank, S.B. A Profile of the American High School

Sophomore in 1990, NCES, 1994; NCES 95-086.

19. Myers, D., and Heiser, N. Students’ School Transition Patterns between Eighth and Tenth Grades

Based on NELS:88, forthcoming 1994; NCES 94-137.

20. Green, P.J., Dugoni, B.L., Ingels, S.J., and Camburn, E. A Profile of the American High School

Senior in 1992, NCES, 1995; NCES 95-384.

21. Scott, L.A., Rock, D.A., Pollack, J.M., and Ingels, S.J. Two Years Later: Cognitive Gains and School

Transitions of NELS:88 Eighth Graders, 1995, NCES 94-436.

22. Green, P.J., Dugoni, B.L., and Ingels, S.J. Trends Among High School Seniors, 1972 - 1992. NCES,

1995; NCES 95-380.

23. Hoffer, T. High School Seniors’ Instructional Experiences in Science and Mathematics. forthcoming,

1995.

24. Green, P.J., and Scott, L.A. "At-Risk" Eighth Graders Four Years Later, NCES, 1995; NCES 95-736.

25. Rock, D.A., and Pollack, J.M. Mathematics Course Taking and Gains in Mathematics Achievement.

NCES, 1995; NCES 95-714.

26. Hoffer, T.B., Rasinski, K.A., and Moore, W. Social Background Differences in High School

Mathematics and Science Coursetaking and Achievement. NCES, 1995; NCES 95-206.

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ABSTRACTS54 OF ANALYTIC PUBLICATIONS

1. Hafner, A., Ingels, S.J., Schneider, B., and Stevenson, D.L. A Profile of the American Eighth Grader,

1990; NCES 90-458.

Descriptive statistics and associated analysis on American eighth graders are presented based on

data from the 1988 National Education Longitudinal Study. The study will be repeated with the

same cohort at 2-year intervals. Study variables cover attitudes, school performance, and activities

of the eighth-grade students. In addition to direct student data, the study design incorporates data

from students’ school principals, parents, and teachers to identify additional factors that affect

student achievement. In addition to a general statistical profile of the target population, statistics

and accompanying analyses cover mathematics and reading performance, at-risk issues, school

safety and climate, and high school and college plans. Focus is on circumstances under which

children flourish and succeed. The study included a clustered, stratified national probability sample

of about 800 public and 200 private schools. Almost 25,000 students participated in the base-year

study. The sample represents the nation’s eighth-grade population, totalling about 3 million

eighth-graders in over 38,000 school in the spring of 1988. Results reveal that the American

eighth-grade population is very diverse. One out of every five students is unable to perform basic

arithmetic tasks, and 14% of the students are unable to perform basic reading comprehension

tasks. Pertinent methodological discussions and associated data are appended. (Fifteen graphs and

69 data tables are included; 66p.)

2. Rasinski, K.A., and West, J. NELS:88: Eighth Graders’ Reports of Courses Taken During the 1988

Academic Year by Selected Student Characteristics, 1990; NCES 90-459.

This set of tables examines self-reports of coursework taken by a national probability sample of

eighth graders in public and private schools in the United States. Statistics were obtained from

the base-year student survey of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88).

Estimates in the tables are based on a sample of 24,599 students in 1,052 schools across the

nation. Technical notes follow 45 pages of tables. Three basic sets of tables on self-reported

course-taking are provided in the areas of: (1) mathematics, science, and computer education

(Tables 1.1 to 1.5); (2) English, foreign language, history, social studies, and religion (Tables 2.1

to 2.5); and (3) arts, vocational education, and personal development (Tables 3.1 to 3.5). Within

each set of tables, the first table shows course-taking across all schools. Subsequent tables show

course-taking for public, Catholic, independent private, and other private schools. In addition to

information about the sample, the technical notes contain information about survey design,

response rates, variables used in the tables, and methods for estimating standard errors. An

appendix contains standard errors of estimates and unweighted sample sizes for levels of

classification variables. (68 p.)

54 Abstracts are taken from ERIC when available, otherwise from the NELS:88 bibliography maintained by NORC under the

NELS:88 third follow-up contract.

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3. Hoachlander, E.G. A Profile of Schools Attended by Eighth Graders in 1988, 1991; NCES 91-129.

As part of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), this study examined

the schools attended by eighth-graders in 1988, the year during which the more than 25,000

eighth-graders of the cohort were first studied. NELS:88 provides information on 802 public

schools, 105 Catholic schools, 68 other religious schools, and 60 private, non-religious schools.

Throughout the report, the unit of analysis is the school rather than students or teachers. Most of

the school data were provided by school administrators. The data are used to develop a profile of

the schools attended by eighth- graders, with information about various aspects of the learning

environment, school policies and programs, and administrators’ assessments of school climate. In

1988, 87.9% of eighth-graders attended public schools, 7.6% attended Catholic schools, 2.9%

attended other religious schools, and 1.5% attended private non-religious schools. The study

shows that eighth-graders learned under a wide range of different conditions in both public and

private schools. Fifty-six data tables and five graphs are included. Appendices contain technical

notes, information about the accuracy of estimates and procedures, standard errors and unweighted

"N"s, and 56 additional tables. (119 p.)

4. Rock, D.A., Pollack, J.M., and Hafner, A. The Tested Achievement of the National Education

Longitudinal Study of 1988 Eighth-Grade Class, 1991; NCES 91-460.

Sixty tables are presented, which examine the test achievement of a national probability sample

of eighth graders in public and private schools. Statistics were obtained from the base-year

student survey of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). Its purpose is

to provide policy-relevant data concerning the effectiveness of schools, curriculum paths, special

programs, variations in curriculum content, and/or mode of delivery in bringing about educational

growth. The NELS:88 test battery includes four tests: (1) reading comprehension; (2) mathematics;

(3) science; and (4) history/citizenship/government. This report is a tabular summary of

achievement test scores for approximately 24,000 eighth graders from 1,052 schools. Results are

grouped into: student background variables; parental involvement variables; and school

characteristics and school climate. Reading and mathematics tables contain, in addition to mean

scores, the percentage of each group scoring at each proficiency level and the standard error of

the percentage estimate. Effect sizes are included to compare group differences. Technical notes

on survey design, response rates, variables in the tables, significance testing, and methods for

estimating standard errors and effect sizes follow the tables. (122 p.).

5. Kaufman, P., and Rasinski, K.A. Quality of Responses of Eighth-Grade Students to the NELS:88 Base

Year Questionnaire, 1991; NCES 91-487.

This report presents results of an examination of the quality of responses of eighth-grade students

to a subset of variables available in the NELS:88 database. The quality of the data was assessed

several ways. The correspondence between parent and student responses to similar items on the

similar items on the survey instruments was examined. When data were available, the study

examined consistency among responses to related items. Finally, the reliability of several scales

created from NELS:88 data was assessed. The indicators of data quality suggest that NELS:88

data display a high degree of accuracy and consistency, comparing favorably with responses from

the prior NCES longitudinal study, High School and Beyond Study (HS&B). The quality of

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student responses to items common to both studies was somewhat less for NELS:88 eighth-graders

than for HS&B high school sophomores and seniors, with quality increasing with age, and, as

expected from prior research, with reading ability and socioeconomic status. There are 39 tables

of NELS:88 data and 2 illustrative bar graphs. (119 p.)

6. McMillen, M. Eighth to Tenth Grade Dropouts, 1992; Statistics in Brief series, NCES 92-006.

This report presents data from the 1988 National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS:88), which

started with an eighth-grade cohort and aimed to provide data on dropout experiences as students

made the transition into high school and to examine the contextual school and family factors

associated with dropping out. The report explains the parameters of the study, the survey

methodology, and the data reliability. The data are presented in the following bar graphs: (1) 8th

to 10th grade cohort dropout rates by race/ethnicity and sex; (2) 8th to 10th grade cohort dropout

rates by region and metropolitan status; and (3) 8th to 10th grade cohort dropout rates by eighthgrade school (public, Catholic, religious private, and non-religious private). (7 p.).

7. Owings, J.A., and Peng, S. Transitions Experienced by 1988 Eighth Graders, 1992. NCES 92-023.

This brief report presents findings regarding two types of transitions experienced by students as

they move between the eighth and 10th grades: continuing or dropping out of school and

transferring between sectors. While 98% of public school students remained in public schools,

over one-third of Catholic school eighth graders and over 25% of National Association of

Independent Schools students transferred to public or other private schools. About 6% of all eighth

graders were classified as dropouts by spring of their scheduled 10th-grade year. For most

students, the move between eighth and 10th grades involves a change of schools and exposure to

new educational settings. These transitions may have an impact on student learning and personal

development. Consequently, differences in transition patterns and possible outcomes are of major

interest. Data were obtained from the base year and first follow-up surveys of the National

Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), which began in 1988 with a sample of 1,052

schools and 24,599 eighth graders. In the spring of 1990, 17,424 students were studied in the first

follow-up to determine their education status and progress, and school, community, and work

experiences. Four tables present study data, and five graphs illustrate trends from 1988 to 1990.

(13 p.).

8. Kaufman, P., and Bradby, D. Characteristics of At-Risk Students in NELS:88, 1992; NCES 92-042.

The study described in this report examined the characteristics of eighth-grade students who were

at risk of school failure. The study used data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of

1988, which is a large-scale, national longitudinal study begun in the spring of 1988 when 25,000

eighth graders attending public and private schools across the nation were surveyed along with

the students’ parents, teachers, and school principals. The students were re-surveyed in 1990, and

the base year and follow-up data of NELS:88 taken together provide a wealth of information about

eighth graders’ as they move in and out of the U.S. school system and into the varied activities

of early adolescence. This study, focused on at-risk students within the eighth-grade cohort,

examined the following sets of variables: (1) basic demographic characteristics; (2) family and

personal background characteristics; (3) the amount of parental involvement in the student’s

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education; (4) the students’ academic history; (5) student behavioral factors; (6) teacher

perceptions of the students; and (7) characteristics of the students’ schools. Black, Hispanic

American, and Native American students and students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds were

more likely to be at-risk. Male eighth graders were more likely to have low basic skills, but were

no more likely to drop out. After controlling for sex and socioeconomic status, Black and

Hispanic American dropout rates were found to be the same as that for Whites. However, even

when controlling for sex and economic status, Black and Hispanic American students were more

likely than White students to perform below basic proficiency levels. (Included are 15 tables in

the text and 31 tables in 2 appendixes; 107 p.).

9. Bradby, D. Language Characteristics and Academic Achievement: A Look at Asian and Hispanic

Eighth Graders in NELS:88, 1992; NCES 92-479.

This report examines the demographic and language characteristics and educational aspirations of

Asian American and Hispanic American eighth graders and relates that information to their

mathematical ability and reading comprehension as measured by an achievement test. Special

attention is paid to students who come from homes in which a non-English language is spoken.

Of the 1,505 Asian American students evaluated, 73 percent were reported as language minorities

(LMs), while 77 percent of the 3,129 Hispanic American students evaluated were LMs. Of the LM

students, 66 percent of the Asian Americans had high English proficiency as compared to 64

percent of the LM Hispanic Americans. Both Asian American and Hispanic American groups had

4 percent of LM students showing low English proficiency. Overall, the study found many

similarities between the two groups. However, differences are apparent when data are divided

along language proficiency, mathematics achievement, aspiration, and other measures. Statistical

data are provided in 33 tables and 44 graphs. Appendices present selected survey questions,

technical notes and methodology, and 109 standard error tables. (197 p.).

10. Horn, L., and Hafner, A. A Profile of American Eighth-Grade Mathematics and Science Instruction,

1992; NCES 92-486.

This report profiles the mathematics and science instruction received by eighth graders (11,414

eighth graders had teacher reports in mathematics and 10,686 in science) in public and private

schools in 1988. A preface lists highlighted findings, tables, and figures included in the

document. The body of the report consists of five chapters. Chapter I discusses the purpose and

format of the report and limitations of the study. Chapters II and III examine the relationship of

various aspects of mathematics and science instruction to students’ socioeconomic status and

race-ethnicity and type of school attended. Among the aspects examined were the major topics

taught, average class size, hours per week attended, allocation of class time, assigned homework,

availability of instructional materials, student attitudes toward mathematics and science, and

teacher characteristics and qualifications. Chapter IV examines mathematics and science

achievement test scores in relation to the various components of instruction measured in the study.

Chapter V provides a descriptive profile of the mathematics curriculum, the science curriculum,

teacher characteristics and qualifications, classroom characteristics, school type differences, and

students’ opportunity to learn based on the findings. Appendices that describe the methodology

employed and standard errors of estimates reported in tables and figures in the text are provided.

(121 p.).

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11. Horn, L., and West, J. A Profile of Parents of Eighth Graders, 1992; NCES 92-488.

This report profiles the family characteristics and the level of involvement reported by the parents

of 1988 eighth graders, using the base year survey and dropout data from the first follow-up.

About 93 percent of the parents of the first year sample were interviewed to provide information

about home life and family experiences. This study examined child-directed involvement,

including activities such as parent-child discussions and school-directed involvement such as

parent-teacher association membership and volunteering in the school. There was some indication

that parent involvement was related to whether or not students scored below the basic level in

reading or mathematics proficiency, but there was a strong relationship between parent

involvement and whether or not a student dropped out of school between the 8th and 10th grades.

There are 26 tables and 18 figures presenting study findings. (121 p.).

12. Green, P.J. High School Seniors Look to the Future, 1972 and 1992, 1993; Statistics in Brief series,

NCES 93-473.

In light of the many changes of the past 20 years, it may be expected that plans of high school

seniors for further education may have also changed, along with the kinds of jobs they expect to

have and the things they regard as important. These questions are examined through data from the

National Longitudinal Study of 1972 (NLS-72) and the National Education Longitudinal Study

in 1988 (NELS:88), the 1992 Second Follow-Up. The proportion of seniors in academic or college

preparatory programs was approximately the same in both years, although enrollment in the

general track increased and enrollment in vocational education decreased. In 1992, there was little

difference between the sexes in high school program placement. In 1992, only 5.3 of students

reported that they would not attend some kind of school after high school, but in 1972, 18.9% had

reported that they would not continue. Eighty-four percent in 1992 planned to go to college,

compared with the 63% who planned to attend in 1972. Differences for females were dramatic,

with female seniors in 1992 four times more likely to plan on graduate or professional school as

in 1972. Nearly 60% in 1992 planned a professional career, compared with approximately 45%

in 1972. Changes in values were most marked among women, who in 1992 espoused values closer

to those traditionally held by men. One figure and three tables present data about the two

populations. (6 p.)

13. McMillen, M., Hausken, E., Kaufman, P., Ingels, S., Dowd, K., Frankel, M. and Qian, J. Dropping

Out of School: 1982 and 1992, Issue Brief series, 1993; NCES 93-901.

In recent years, concern over students dropping out of school has increased. A primary focus is

the size of the dropout population, a question that has been addressed in two National Center for

Education Statistics (NCES) longitudinal studies. Both studies provide the data needed to consider

the dropout experiences between the sophomore and senior years of two groups of students a

decade apart in time. Over the 10 years between the 1980-82 High School and Beyond survey

(HS&B) and the 1990-92 data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988

(NELS:88) (follow-ups), there was a 43 percent reduction in the percent of sophomores who

dropped out of school. The NELS:88 rate for the sophomore cohort of 1990 is 6.2 percent.

Relative rankings for racial and ethnic groups did not change over the decade, and in both cohorts

the dropout rates for Hispanics were higher than those for Whites and Asians. Rates for Blacks

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were between those of Hispanic Americans and Whites. In both periods, failure in school and

dislike for school were major factors leading students to drop out of school. Pregnancy and

marriage were important factors influencing females’ decisions to leave school early. Three figures

illustrate the discussion. (3 p.)

14. Rasinski, K.A., Ingels, S.J., Rock, D.A., and Pollack, J. America’s High School Sophomores: A Ten

Year Comparison, 1980 - 1990, 1993; NCES 93-087.

This study of high school sophomores in 1980 and 1990 compares the experiences of students in

the two cohorts, identifying changes in in-school and out-of-school activities, academic

achievement, self-concept, values, plans, and aspirations. Similarities and differences between the

two groups are documented using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988

(NELS:88) and High School and Beyond (HS&B, 1980). HS&B and NELS:88 sophomores are

marked by basic demographic differences, including the smaller size of the NELS:88 1990 cohort,

reflecting the baby bust of the 1970s, and a higher proportion of racial minority and poverty status

sophomores in 1990. NELS:88 sophomores also reflect the influence of various waves of school

reform since the late 1970s and early 1980s. Overall, the comparison paints a pictures that is in

most respects encouraging in its portrayal of the high school academic orientation and

postsecondary expectations of the 1990 sophomore class. Positive changes, however, are typically

small or moderate in magnitude. Among the findings are: (1) general and college preparatory

program placement has increased, at the expense of vocational program placement; (2) patterns

of extracurricular participation changed especially in musical activities (31% in 1980 to 22% in

1990) and in hobby clubs (21% in 1980 to 7% in 1990); (3) changes in sophomores giving high

importance to particular life values (e.g., marriage and family 83% rating this as very important

in 1980, 72% in 1990); (4) small but statistically significant increase in the number of females

aspiring to traditionally male-dominated non-professional occupations (15.6% in 1980 versus 18.%

in 1990). Sixteen tables and 13 figures present data from the 2 studies. Three appendixes contain

information about the survey sample sizes, standard errors, and other methodological and technical

information. Appendix A contains an additional 20 data tables. (Contains 46 references; xiv, 98

p.)

15. Rock, D.A., Owings, J.A., and Lee, R. Changes in Math Proficiency Between Eighth and Tenth

Grades. Statistics in Brief series, 1994, NCES 93-455.

This publication illustrates use of the NELS:88 dichotomous proficiency scores for conducting

achievement gain analysis (see Scott, Rock, Pollack and Ingels [entry 21] for an illustration of an

alternative gain analysis strategy, the use of mathematics probability of proficiency scores). The

findings presented in this report suggest that course-taking patterns in mathematics between eighth

grade and the sophomore year of high school represent an important factor in explaining growth

in math proficiency. For example, even after controlling for eighth-grade math proficiency, higher

math gains were associated with course-taking patterns that reflected advanced level math courses.

The report also suggests that eighth-grade students who have higher aspirations for postsecondary

education are also more likely to show positive math gains. (20 p.)

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16. Finn, J.D. School Engagement and Students At Risk. 1993; NCES 93-470.

To examine the proposition that students who do not remain active participants in class or school

may be at risk for school failure, regardless of status characteristics such as ethnicity or family

income, two studies of engagement and achievement were conducted. The studies used a

nationwide sample of eighth-grade students from the U.S. Department of Education’s National

Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) survey. The first study examined the

association of participation in school and classroom activities with academic achievement in

15,737 eighth-graders attending public schools. The study found that participation and academic

achievement were positively related, even after controlling for gender, ethnicity, and

socioeconomic status. The second study examined behaviors that distinguish students who are at

risk, but who are successful in school subjects, from their less successful peers. A sample of 5,945

eighth-graders identified as at risk by virtue of race, home language or socioeconomic status were

classified as unsuccessful, passing, or successful, based on reading and mathematics achievement

tests. It was found that achievement groups were distinct in terms of variety of classroom

participation behaviors, out-of-class participation, and interactions with their parents regarding

school. Three major conclusions were drawn from the investigation: (1) behavioral risk factors are

indeed related to significant outcomes of schooling; (2) risk behaviors have their roots in the early

school years or before; and (3) more attention should be given by educators and researchers to

encouraging the potential of "marginal" students. Further research is needed to identify

manipulable aspects of classroom and school processes that encourage student engagement.

Appendices provide details of the measures used in the studies and the standard deviations and

correlations of the measures. Contains 91 references. (117p.).

17. Rasinski, K.A. The Effect of High School Vocational Education on Academic Achievement Gain and

High School Persistence: Evidence from NELS:88, 1994; Report to the Office of Research, OERI,

U.S. Department of Education.

This analysis of the effects of vocational education on academic achievement and high school

persistence was prepared for the National Assessment of Vocational Education. Data from the

NELS:88 high school transcript study were analyzed to assess the influence of vocational

programs and vocational courses on gains in tested achievement in mathematics, science and

reading. The analysis also addresses the issue of whether, regardless of their effect on

achievement gain, vocational programs serve to keep students from dropping out of high school.

18. Ingels, S.J., Schneider, B., Scott, L.A., and Plank, S.B. A Profile of the American High School

Sophomore in 1990, 1994; NCES 95-086.

This cross-sectional report supplies descriptive analyses of the educational situation of a

representative sample of the nation’s 1990 sophomores (comprising 1988 eighth-grade cohort

members who were in tenth grade in the spring term of 1990 and "freshened" sophomores,

students new to the sample who were not in the base year sampling frame, either because they

were not 1987-88 eighth graders or not in the United States). Chapter 1 provides an in-depth

view of tenth-grade learning and achievement in mathematics. Chapter 2 supplies a summary of

tenth-grade course-taking patterns and instructional practices in science, reading, social studies,

and foreign language. Chapter 3 explores the tenth grader’s life outside of school, including the

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process of educational decision making. Chapter 4 reports on sophomores’ plans for the future,

including their educational expectations and aspirations. Taken together, these four chapters

provide a statistical profile of the American high school sophomore in 1990, which is summarized

in Chapter 5. Appendices A and B provide technical notes and tables of standard errors of

measurement and sample sizes for all reported population estimates. Appendix C contains further

information about NELS:88 in general and the first follow-up in particular. Appendix D presents

additional tabulations on reading and social studies achievement.

19. Myers, D., and Heiser, N. Students’ School Transition Patterns between Eighth and Tenth Grades

Based on NELS:88, 1994; NCES 94-137.

Analysis of NELS:88 data makes it possible to explore the relationships between student and

family characteristics and the likelihood of shifting among public and private schools as students

progress from eighth to tenth grade. This study examines the characteristics of students who

switch between sectors (public to private, or private to public) as they move from eighth to tenth

grade. Five sets of variables were examined to estimate the association between variations in the

students’ transition patterns and student and family characteristics: (1) basic student and family

background characteristics; (2) the amount of parental involvement in the student’s education; (3)

the student’s academic achievement and educational expectations; (4) the characteristics of the

student’s school; and (5) parental satisfaction with the student’s school. Examination of these

characteristics permits four research questions to be addressed: (1) How many students shift

between the public and private school sectors? How many students shift from one private school

to another?; (2) Who shifts between sectors? Are family background factors, parental

involvement, or students’ academic achievement or educational expectations associated with

variations in transition patterns?; (3) Are school characteristics associated with students’ propensity

to move between school sectors?; (4) Do parents who are dissatisfied with their children’s school

shift their children to another type of school?

20. Green, P.J., Dugoni, B.L., Ingels, S.J., and Camburn, E. A Profile of the American High School

Senior in 1992, NCES, 1995; NCES 94-384.

This report examines the background of 1992 high school seniors, the school environment which

shaped their senior year experiences, the curriculum in which they were enrolled, their academic

achievement, their plans and expectations for the future, and their non-academic experiences

during this important period of development. Chapter 1 provides a demographic profile of high

school seniors. Chapter 2 depicts their school and peer environment by recording seniors’

perceptions of school, of the safety of their school, and of the values of their peers. Chapter 3

describes their course and program enrollments. Chapter 4 examines the tested achievement of

1992 seniors. Chapter 5 describes their short-term plans--their postsecondary plans, steps they

have taken to gain entrance to college, and factors they considered in choosing a postsecondary

institution. Chapter 6 reports on seniors’ plans and expectations for the future. Finally, chapter

7 describes the senior cohort’s experiences outside of school--use of illicit drugs and alcohol,

television viewing, jobs, participation in school government, and community volunteer work.

Taken together, these seven chapters provide a statistical profile of the American high school

senior in 1992. Appendices provide unweighted (sample) Ns and standard errors.

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21. Scott, L.A., Rock, D.A., Pollack, J.M., and Ingels, S.J. Two Years Later: Cognitive Gains and

School Transitions of NELS:88 Eighth Graders, 1994, NCES 94-436.

This report describes the growth in cognitive skills and achievement, and the continuities and

discontinuities experienced in school and at home by the NELS:88 eighth grade-cohort during the

two years between the study’s base year (1988) and first follow-up (1990) surveys. Four distinct

topics are addressed, involving both school dropouts and persisters. (1) By 1990, some 1988

eighth graders were dropouts; this report describes their characteristics and the reasons they gave

for dropping out of school. (2) This report presents findings on patterns of school transition--

changing from a public eighth-grade school to a private high school or vice versa--and the changes

in perception of safety and overall learning environment cohort members experienced after moving

from a typically more homogeneous middle school environment to a more heterogeneous high

school environment. (3) Additionally, this report summarizes major changes in home life and

family, such as the divorce or remarriage of a parent, that also occurred during cohort members’

transition to and/or early years of high school. (4) Finally, this report examines the 1988-90

achievement gain of the eighth-grade cohort, thus addressing several basic questions: How much

did students gain in achievement in the two years following eighth grade?; Who gained, in what

subjects, and (for mathematics) in what way (that is, at what skill or proficiency level)? The

analysis of growth in achievement illustrates use of the NELS:88 continuous measure of

probability of mathematics proficiency (see Rock, Owings and Lee [1994, entry 15] for an

illustration of mathematics achievement gain analysis using NELS:88 dichotomous proficiency

scores).

22. Green, P.J., Dugoni, B.L., and Ingels, S.J. Trends Among High School Seniors, 1972 - 1992. NCES,

1995; NCES 94-380.

This report compares the NLS-72 1972, HS&B 1980, and NELS:88 1992 senior cohorts. It

supplies a sociodemographic description of the three senior cohorts. The report compares the

cohorts’ high school program placement, course-taking and achievement, as well as participation

in extracurricular activities. It also compares 1972, 1980 and 1992 seniors’ plans for the next

year, noting the proportions who planned to work full-time in the year following graduation, the

type of postsecondary institution seniors planned to attend, college selection, and major field of

study. Finally, the report compares the future educational and occupational aspirations of the three

senior cohorts.

23. Hoffer, T.B. and Moore, W. High School Seniors’ Instructional Experiences in Science and

Mathematics, 1995.

This study examines the instructional experiences of a national sample of 1992 high school seniors

in the subjects of science and mathematics. The data analyzed are from the second follow-up

survey of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). The information on

instruction comes from the NELS:88 1992 survey of teachers, which collected questionnaires from

the science and mathematics teachers of 9,853 sampled seniors enrolled in public and private high

schools across the United States. Two general questions are addressed: Why do students’

instructional experiences differ? and What consequences do the differences have for student

academic achievement? Descriptive statistics on the relationships of students’ family backgrounds,

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curriculum track level, and high school characteristics with instructional variables are presented.

Regression analysis is used to estimate the effects of different instructional experiences on

achievement score gains from 1990 to 1992.

24. Green, P.J., and Scott, L.A. "At-Risk" Eighth Graders Four Years Later, NCES, 1995; NCES 95-

736.

This publication in the NCES Statistics in Brief series extends to the 1992 second follow-up the

analysis of "at risk" factors begun by Hafner, Ingels, Schneider, and Stevenson (1990) with the

base year data and continued by Scott, Rock, Pollack and Ingels (1995) with the first follow-up

data. Approximately 26 percent of eighth grade students had an "at risk" characteristic and 20

percent had two or more of these risk factors. Examining the outcomes of at-risk eighth graders

four years later (1992), Green and Scott examine both achievement outcomes and social and

behavioral outcomes. With respect to achievement, Green and Scott report that (1) approximately

one in six adolescents with multiple risk factors were unable to comprehend basic written

information, testing below the basic level in reading in 1992. In comparison, only about one in

twenty of those with no risk factors were unable to demonstrate basic reading skills. (2) At-risk

students were more likely than others in 1992 to test poorly in mathematics. Over half of those

with multiple risk factors tested at the basic level, or below, In contrast, only about a fifth of

those with no observed risk factors tested at that level. (3) Nearly one-third of students with

multiple risk factors could not demonstrate even a "common knowledge" of science. Only 12.2

of students with no risk factors failed to demonstrate competence at this basic level. In respect

of 1992 social and behavioral outcomes, and 1992 graduation status, Green and Scott report (1)

Students who had multiple risk factors in 1992 were no more likely than others to report using

illicit drugs (marijuana or alcohol), or to report abusing alcohol than those with no risk factors.

(2) Eighth graders who had multiple risk factors in 1988 were more likely than others to have

a child in 1992--18.9 percent compared to 5.4 percent. (3) Students with multiple risk factors

were more likely than others to report being suspended, and being sent to a juvenile home or

detention center. (4) Among 1988 eighth graders with no risk factors, ninety percent had earned

a high school diploma by 1992. Among 1988 eighth graders with multiple risk factors, sixty

percent had earned their high school diploma by 1992, while the other forty percent had not.

25. Rock, D.A., and Pollack, J.M. Mathematics Course Taking and Gains in Mathematics Achievement.

NCES, 1995; NCES 95-714.

This publication in the NCES Statistics in Brief series extends to the 1992 second follow-up the

analysis of 1988-1990 test score gains reported in Scott, Rock, Pollack and Ingels (1995).

However, instead of self-report data on courses completed, Rock and Pollack utilize the results

of the NELS:88 high school transcript study. Rock and Pollack found that when student gains

in tested mathematics achievement were cross-classified by grade in school and highest level of

mathematics course taken:

• Slightly over 60 percent of high school students do not go beyond the algebra 2/geometry

level of coursework.

• Approximately 1 out of 9 students take a calculus course while in high school; about 1 out

of 4 students, in contrast, never go past algebra in their high school career.

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• Growth in arithmetic, algebra, and geometry achievement appears to be greater in the first

two years of high school than in the last two years for almost all course-taking categories.

• Students who take the more advanced mathematics courses show greater gains, both between

8th and 10th grade, and between 10th and 12th grade.

• Students who do not take advanced courses make greater gains on test items dealing with

computational skills, while students in the advanced courses make larger gains on test items

requiring conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills. In fact, for these students,

significant growth does not occur until they move into the pre-calculus level of coursework.

26. Hoffer, T.B., Rasinski, K.A., and Moore, W. Social Background Differences in High School

Mathematics and Science Coursetaking and Achievement. NCES, 1995; NCES 95-206.

This publication in the NCES Statistics in Brief series uses NELS:88 test and transcript data to

address two questions: (a) To what extent do students from different social backgrounds differ

in the numbers of courses they complete during high school and in their final levels of academic

achievement? And (b) Does additional coursework have comparable relationships to measured

achievement gains during the high school years for students from different backgrounds. Hoffer,

Rasinski and Moore report the following findings: (1) Gender differences in the numbers of

science and mathematics courses students complete are not significant. Students from higher

socioeconomic families, however, complete more courses in these subjects. (2) The numbers of

math and science courses students complete in high school are strongly related to how much their

test scores increase from the end of eighth grade to the end of senior year. (3) Additional

coursework pays off about equally for all students in terms of increasing achievement gain,

regardless of gender, race-ethnicity, and social class.

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