Recent research shows that U.S. 15-year-olds are behind their international counterparts in problem solving and mathematics literacy, ranking 24th of 29 nations (Lemke et al. 2004). Therefore, a key concern among policymakers and educators is improving the quantitative and analytical skills of American youth, who face job prospects in an economy…

This study was conducted in an effort to generate information toward fostering academic outcomes among African American adolescents. Gender differences in African American adolescents' personal, educational, and occupational expectations were examined in relation to perceptions of neighborhood quality. Participants included 352 African American…

This report presents information on similarities and differences between U.S. high school sophomores as studied at three points in time over the past 22 years, with a focus on cohort demographics, academic programs and performance, extracurricular activities, life values, and educational/occupational aspirations. It provides an update to the…

Changes that occurred between 1972 and 1980 in the intended field of study and occupational aspirations of high school seniors were investigated, along with how successfully seniors attained their aspirations. Background, personal, and school variables associated with selecting each occupation and field among the 1980 seniors were analyzed…

This report is based on data from the 1979, 1980 and 1981 waves of the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth Labor Market Experience. These data were collected for a nationally representative sample of 12,686 youth in 1979, 12,141 in 1980 and 12,195 in 1981. This report contains four analytical chapters. Chapter One investigates those…