It has been well established that the high schools students attend contribute significantly to how well they do in college, and even if they choose to attend college at all (Lee & Frank, 1990). Low performing high schools tend to under-prepare their students for post-secondary education and contribute to the very high percentages of students…

In an increasingly competitive global economy, the consequences of dropping out of high school are devastating to individuals, communities and our national economy. At an absolute minimum, adults need a high school diploma if they are to have any reasonable opportunities to earn a living wage. A community where many parents are dropouts is…

Utilizes data from the Metropolitan Opportunity Project to examine trends in White and minority experiences in the high schools, community colleges, and universities of Los Angeles (California) since the mid-1970s. Concludes that Black and Hispanic access to higher education has been severely hampered. (FMW)