A two-part study was conducted to determine the impact of adolescent employment on the tasks associated with adolescence: transition to adulthood and the development of social and personal responsibility. The first part of the study examined a body of literature around the question. Some of the studies focused on the intrinsic value of work and examined the school-work connection. Others recommended more work experiences for students to help them become more productive members of the community. The outcomes associated with working while in high school have been the subject of a plethora of studies. Some found positive outcomes of student employment, such as increased punctuality, dependability, and motivation, whereas others suggested that work can have undesirable effects. The problem with adolescent work, these studies suggest, is that it is usually low level and does not use basic academic skills. Few students were found to be involved in cooperative education. The second part of the study was based on work in progress in a national longitudinal study of employed and unemployed high school students in rural and urban sites. Data from this study tended to support a tentative conclusion that work benefits students when it is school related and that there are positive effects from school-based work experience programs. (45 references) (KC)