This report describes patterns of continuity and change over time in four areas of the transition to adulthood among young adults as measured 2 years after their senior year of high school. The four areas are postsecondary enrollment, labor force roles, family formation, and civic engagement through voting or military service. The analysis…

The different preferences for occupational roles and college majors of the recent college graduates in this study account for one-third to two-thirds of the gender differences in earnings three years after graduation. The implications for estimating labor market discrimination are discussed. (SK)

Overall, college graduates' earnings increased compared to high school graduates' in the 1980s. For men, skills acquired before college had not effect on the increase; for women, returns to math ability rose considerably. For men, the trend away from such subjects as education and toward engineering accounted for one-fourth of the rise in relative…

Recent reports have confirmed that boys, not girls, are increasingly on the unfavorable side of the gender gap in education and developmental matters. This paper provides an analysis of trends in the gender gap among students in Catholic and public schools during the period from 1972 to 1992 for a select set of variables. Although the gender gap…

Analysis of data from 3,309 National Longitudinal Survey participants showed that high school academic and vocational curriculum, college, and graduate school significantly affected earnings; the magnitude was greater for men. Occupational and industrial sector also influenced earnings; the magnitude was greater for women. (SK)

Analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Study, High School Class of 1972 found that (1) men and Blacks received more on-the-job training than women and Whites; (2) postsecondary education and aptitude had a positive effect; (3) high school curriculum did not affect training; and (4) training was affected by verbal, math, and clerical job…

A causal framework was used to explore factors that influence the enrollment of four-year college students in the hard and technical sciences (math, science, engineering) and the professions (pre-law, medicine, dentistry). The factors studied were family status, standardized test performance, high school rank, educational expectations, high school…

Project S-114 (1977-1983) consisted of three objectives which dealt with rural Southern youth and focused on educational and occupational aspirations and attainment results for males and females, blacks and whites. Each objective involved utilization of a distinct dataset. In 1979 Objective 1 was completed; the fourth wave of a longitudinal panel…

Data from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 and both cohorts of the 1980 High School and Beyond study were used to analyze trends in postsecondary educational attainment since 1972. The report contains information on educational attainment beyond high school and group differences by sex, high school type, race or…

The relationship between starting wage rates and level of education attained by young adults was studied, based on findings of the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972. According to 1972-1979 data, the greater the educational attainment of the young adults, the higher their starting wage rates. Although the wage rates of…

The study contributed to further understanding of the educational and occupational aspirations of Louisiana rural seniors during 1968 and 1972 and of rural seniors from throughout the United States and the South in 1972. Of the variables used, i.e., time, location, sex, and race, two variables were significant on levels of aspiration time and…

Changes in the self-concept and career orientation of 10,759 members of a nationally representative sample of high school graduates was studied over 7 years. Objectives were to determine: (1) the degree to which changes in adolescents' self-concept and career attitudes were related to their level of involvement in postsecondary education; and (2)…

Using data from the fifteen-year National Longitudinal Study (NLS), a special study examined the interaction of work-related attitudes and subsequent behavior for eight age-sex-race groups. It was found that attitudes do influence subsequent work behavior. Specifically, it was established that individuals who felt they could influence their future…

The effects of school factors on occupational attainment of black students were studied based on data from the 1972 National Longitudinal Study (NLS) and its 1980 followup and the 1980 High School and Beyond (HSB) study and its 1982 followup. The sample sizes were as follows: 319 NLS females, 167 NLS males, 324 HSB females, and 259 HSB males.…

The effects of college choice on the educational experiences and attainments of female and male college entrants in 1972 were studied, using institutional data and results of the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972. Attention was directed to: college control and level, average Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, percent of…