We examine the transition to adulthood in a poor, white, rural community in Appalachia. Young adults come of age in a context of persistent poverty, economic decline, an ongoing opioid and addiction crisis, and strong community norms about family and work bolstered by religious institutions. For low- income young adults in this community, this…

Objective: We estimated the correlations between the "pathways" chosen by community college students--in terms of desired credentials and fields of study, as well as other choices and outcomes along the paths--and the attainment of credentials with labor market value. We focused on the extent to which there were recorded changes in…

National trends and goals have pushed beyond the dropout crisis and are now focused on raising the percentage of graduates prepared for college and career. This study examined a longitudinal cohort (n = 6443) of students in an urban, public school district in order to explore how districts and communities can redirect off-track high school…

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent do CTSOs affect student psychosocial and achievement outcomes (above and beyond stand-alone CTE programs) when controlling for gender and race. Using a cross-sectional descriptive research design, a total of 5,677 students from 10 states were surveyed regarding their high school…

Building on recent research, ICF sought to explore how socioeconomic status and attachment to place influence rural youths' educational and residential preferences across a wider geographic region. Our research questions included: What are rural high school students' educational and residential plans? And what factors influence rural youths' plans…

How much does college matter for getting ahead in America? Having a postsecondary education--broadly defined as a credential beyond a high school diploma--continues to be one of the most important factors in getting a good job and advancing in the workforce. By one estimate, 64 percent of jobs in 2018 will require more than a high school diploma,…

This report provides information about the performance of 2010 graduating seniors who took the ACT as sophomores, juniors, or seniors; and self-reported at the time of testing that they were scheduled to graduate in 2010 and tested under standard time conditions. This report focuses on: (1) Performance: student test performance in the context of…

This report provides information about the performance of 2009 graduating seniors who took the ACT as sophomores, juniors, or seniors; and self-reported at the time of testing that they were scheduled to graduate in 2009 and tested under standard time conditions. This report focuses on: (1) Performance: student test performance in the context of…

A survey was conducted to learn what Kentucky high school students think about the pursuit of learning opportunities after high school and how they are investing their time in anticipation of possible postsecondary attendance. The survey was sent to 3,000 16- and 17-year-olds, and nearly 1,100 responded. Nearly all were planning to go on for more…

Male (N=920) and female (N=915) rural, senior high school students from Eastern Kentucky (N=643), Central Kentucky (N=617), and Western Kentucky (N=575) were surveyed for purposes of exploring: levels of occupational and educational aspirations and expectations, felt certainty of achieving career goals, and migration plans after graduation…

Using data obtained from recent cross-national and longitudinal studies, the link between family influences and the traditional patterns of school achievement were assessed in terms of rural educational mobility and sex differentials within the context of the "sponsored" system of Norway's schools and the "contest" system…

A survey sampling Kentucky secondary school juniors and seniors identified disadvantaged and/or handicapped students, their characteristics and attitudes toward vocational education, and their educational and occupational aspirations compared to vocational program enrollments. While survey data compared with data from other sources show some…

Post-high school enrollment plans and specific choices of May 1980 Kentucky high school graduates were studied based on longitudinal data. The relationships between these choices and academic and personal background characteristics and future plans were analyzed. The analyses include both education-bound and noneducation-bound graduates, and…

Personal and academic background characteristics of 1980 Kentucky high school graduates and the influence of these factors on the graduates' educational plans in general, and the relationship between the students' college of choice and the actual institution in which they enrolled were studied. The analysis was based on data drawn from an initial…

Changes in the occupational and educational aspirations and expectations of fifth and sixth grade children over a 6-year period were studied. In 1969, a questionnaire was administered to 355 students from 4 rural mountain schools and 3 urban schools in low-income areas in 3 Kentucky counties. In 1975, 199 students from the same rural mountain…