Past research is held to indicate a consistent relationship between participation in interscholastic athletics and educational orientations. This research is said to focus specifically on the "athletic success". Athletic success should be a stronger facilitator of the mobility attitudes of black youth, it is argued, because sports is…

THE EDUCATIONAL GOALS AND PLANS OF ADOLESCENTS (GRADES 9-12) IN FOUR SOUTHERN STATES WERE EXAMINED, WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO NEGRO YOUTH. NEARLY 16,000 BOYS AND GIRLS FROM 17 COUNTIES IN ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, NORTH CAROLINA, AND VIRGINIA WERE SURVEYED BY MEANS OF A QUESTIONNAIRE. FOR MANY OF THESE STUDENTS, ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION…

Examined four variables (sense of control, perceived social support, degree of achievement motivation, and experienced satisfaction) thought to mediate or buffer adolescents from the negative impact of stress. Study of 61 students and their parents revealed that students perceiving high levels of support and self control had the lowest levels of…

Examines the relationship between contextual variables and situational expectation of drug use at the school level. Results indicate that the more prosperous the school and the greater the students' perceptions of academic expectations, the lower the situational expectation of smoking cigarettes or taking depressants. However, the higher the…

Five scales measuring self-esteem, social isolation, locus of control, alienation, and anxiety were used along with personal interviews to test the relationship between gender and adjustment in 88 gifted adolescents in Singapore. Gifted girls were found to have difficulty reconciling their giftedness with societal notions of femininity. (78…

Investigated how Hispanic American and white students from rural and urban high schools differed in their perspectives on postsecondary plans according to grade level, ethnicity, and urbanicity. Surveys and focus groups illustrated differences in attitudes and behaviors depending on urbanicity. Students' ethnicity affected high school experiences.…

A survey of gifted high school juniors (22 African Americans, 22 Hispanic Americans, 12 Asian Americans, 7 Native Americans) showed that 89% planned to earn at least a bachelor's degree. Those from larger towns, with greater academic comfort, and whose parents had higher educational levels were more likely to plan to attend graduate school. (SK)

Risk and protective factor indices were developed to examine vulnerability to drug use among Latino high school students. Survey data was collected from 516 Latino 9th and 10th grade youth in the Los Angeles (California) area. Frequency and quantity of use data were collected for a range of drugs including inhalants, cocaine, and other hard drugs.…

This paper presents results from a study of the effects on student development of open and traditional family and school environments. The theory is entertained that a match (or congruence) of family and school styles improves some student outcomes, while a mismatch (or incongruence) of environments results in improvement of different student…

Historical change in occupational and educational status projections of Texas rural Mexican American teenage boys and girls between 1967 and 1973 were examined. The study determined the nature and extent of historical change patterns occurring among these youth in reference to the following dimensions of occupational and educational status…

This report documents and summarizes research findings on the influence of religion on the lives of U.S. adolescents. It examines recent academic research on religious influences during adolescence and reports findings from quality studies, published mostly in academic journal articles or book chapters. The report focuses on: "Levels of…

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the causes and accuracy of adolescents' judgments regarding the likelihood of obtaining a high status occupation. High school students were asked to estimate the probability that a fictitious target subject would actually achieve the goal of becoming a doctor. Information about job availability…

Studied the ways in which male African American adolescents formulated their education plans, using 559 National Education Longitudinal Study students from two-parent homes and 369 from households headed by single mothers. Results show the greater influence of school factors in the plans of students from single mother homes. (SLD)

This article focuses on the degree that "students' aspirations" (educational and occupational) are linked to or affected by their working status, and other personal or family characteristics. By drawing data from a larger cross-sectional study of the social and educational profile of students in primary and secondary education (ages…

This study extends previous understanding of the association between adolescent extracurricular activity participation and adjustment by asking whether participation in school-based extracurricular activities is associated with lower substance use and depression, higher grades and academic aspirations, and more positive attitude toward school. In…