This report compares results from the 1997 national study of the current attitudes of American teenagers with similar 1974, 1983, and 1996 surveys. Participating were 334 students between 14 and 18 years of age, from households representative of the national population in geographic distribution, population density, household size, age of…

This report details findings of a national questionnaire survey of the attitudes and plans of American adolescents. Participating were 1,195 students between 14 and 18 years of age in a nationally representative sample. To permit regional comparisons, 250 questionnaires were sent to representative households from each of the 9 U.S. Census regions,…

This report presents social and economic characteristics of the population below the poverty level in 1986 based on the March 1987 Current Population Survey. Among the highlights are the following: (1) the number of persons below the poverty level was 32.4 million; (2) the poverty rate was 13.6 percent; (3) Whites represented 69 percent of the…

There is a crisis in the black family; at its core is the inextricable linkage of low educational achievement, high unemployment levels, and limited opportunities for access to stable jobs at adequate wages. This report is directed at an examination of the causes and the consequences of this essentially economic crisis, providing a brief…

Discusses growing recognition of the importance of parenting and of parents as educators, due to the increase in single-parent households and awareness of importance of early childhood learning experiences. Ways outdoor education can help (emphasizing methods, materials, motivations) are described, including 11 starting points and 15 tips for…

Recognizing the great variety of families in which children live, this book for children in upper elementary grades and their parents and teachers illustrates that variety through children's personal narratives about their families and descriptions of family activities. Section 1, "Families," presents the narratives of children ages 8 to 18 years…

This report contains a summary of descriptive information about 1980 seniors two years after leaving high school--their educational, vocational, socioeconomic, and familial status and their plans and attitudes. Chapter I is an introduction to the High School and Beyond (HS&B) longitudinal surveys. Chapter II indicates the percentages of male…

Marriage offers important social and economic benefits. Well-designed public policies could play a constructive role in helping couples develop the skills needed to develop healthy, sustainable relationships with each other and their children. It does not follow, however, that marriage promotion should be a significant component of anti-poverty…

The relationship between learning and family formation and dissolution was examined through a review of the literature that focused on education and family life in Great Britain and elsewhere. The following topics were examined: learning, marriage, and cohabitation; learning, dissolution, and divorce; changing patterns of childbearing in…

Data primarily from Australia's Youth in Transition Survey were analyzed to explain differences in the schooling decisions of individuals born in 1961 versus 1970. The main measured factors affecting individuals' schooling decisions were as follows: ability; school type; and family background. Participation in school was positively associated with…