The major emphasis of the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS) has been directed toward individuals in the 1972 high school graduating class. Consequently, sampling parameters were established to ensure student representation, and the bulk of data collected were individual-level data. School-level data exist on a…

The problems inherent in analyzing data in which subjects are "nested" within hierarchical units (such as classrooms or schools), and thus are not independent of one another, are addressed through the use of Joreskog's LISREL model for analyzing covariance matrices. A solution to the problem is proposed and illustrated using data from…

Procedures are outlined for estimating changes in parenthood and marital status for respondents of the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS). Seven key variables that summarize the information on parenthood and marital status are estimated: number of children as of the first week of October in 1973, 1974, and 1976, a…

An extension of the methods of path analysis to include studies of categorical data was described and exemplified in a causal study of college dropouts. The usual models and methods of causal (path) analysis were designed for the study of quantitative variables and are not appropriate when the variables under investigation are categorical.…

This addendum describes the nature, rationale, and results of the second cleaning and revision of the National Longitudinal Study of 1972 (NLS-72) Postsecondary Education Transcript Files (PETS). This project, conducted for nearly 3 years, followed an initial cleaning and reduction in 1987, which came about as a reaction to the idiosyncratic…

The basic design of the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS) called for repeated surveys of a statistical sample of the Class of 1972. Each sample member was followed so as to build a historical database that would allow the investigation of the complex developmental paths that occur in the transition years from high…

This is a report on the data collection activities of the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972(NLS). This phase of the operation involved the first follow-up contact with the 22,654 seniors selected for participation in this study. The fieldwork for the first follow-up was scheduled between July 1973 and January 1974; it…

A complex two-stage sample selection process was used in designing the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972. The first-stage sampling frame used in the selection of schools was stratified by the following seven variables: public vs. private control, geographic region, grade 12 enrollment, proximity to institutions of higher…

The data entry quality control procedures in discrete data entry tasks in the National Longitudinal Study (NLS) Fourth Follow-Up Survey are examined. Direct data entry terminals were used to key survey questionnaire item responses, telephone interview corrections, respondent background information and supplemental questionnaire responses into…

An overview of the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS) is provided. Section one describes the research design for the base-year and first through third followup surveys. Section two summarizes findings from data analyses of the first followup and base-year, completed before September 1975. The findings are presented…

Reviews the usefulness of existing national longitudinal studies in determining the effects of vocational education. It is clear that there is no unified vocational education program and that students in these programs differ markedly from those in other curricula. (SK)

An outline is presented of the design of the followup surveys of the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS). The NLS is an extensive study of the educational, vocational, and personal development of high school graduates, and the personal, familial, social, institutional, and cultural factors that contribute to that…

After reviewing the research design, objectives, and basic conceptual model for the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS), this document describes the survey plan and issues for the third followup survey. Data analyses--both those that are in progress or planned--are summarized. These activities include composite score…

The National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 obtained data for 23,451 students, of whom 16,683 completed the base-year questionnaire; 21,350 completed the first follow-up; and 20,872 completed the second follow-up. This report describes the methodology for minimizing bias in the data which might be caused by nonresponse to such…

A major purpose of the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS) was to provide a data base for studies concerned with the relationship between high school experience and experience in the years immediately following graduation. This methodological report is designed to facilitate use of the data base. The sample was…