Ensuring smooth transitions to college may be difficult for the children of immigrants since their families are likely unfamiliar with the U.S. system of higher education, which is horizontally stratified and requires a number of steps before admission. Bridging social science literature on immigrant assimilation, cultural, social, and human…

Vocational psychologists and career theorists have articulated the importance of social support in the development of career plans for high school youth. More recently, Lent, Brown, and Hackett carefully articulated the location of contextual supports in the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) framework. However, there is a paucity of research…

Using data on variability in West Virginia high school dropout rates, this study examined contextual factors in teen pregnancy. Results indicated that teen pregnancy was explained in a similar way to dropping out. The presence or absence of opportunities and valued participation in a socially, culturally stable community affected both issues. (SM)

Factors related to dropping out were examined among Northern Cheyenne and Crow high school students living in three southeastern Montana communities and attending a Catholic school, a public school, or a tribal school. Place of residence, parental educational attainment, and school experiences were important variables, but their effects varied by…

Census and student questionnaire data for 382 African-American and 3,467 white high school students from suburban San Francisco (California) indicate consistent positive relationships among grades and family status, level of parental education, and a two-parent home only for the white majority. The community context is important in understanding…