Higher Education: Gaps in Access and Persistence Study

Contents
Page
Letter from the Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics.............................................................iii
Executive Summary.......................................................................................................................................................v
List of Figures.............................................................................................................................................................. xx
List of Tables.............................................................................................................................................................. xxv
Introduction...................................................................................................................................................................1
Chapter 1—Demographic Context............................................................................................ 6
1. Children Living in Poverty.....................................................................................................................................8
2. Parents’ Educational Attainment..........................................................................................................................12
3. Parent Involvement in Education.......................................................................................................................... 16
4. Language Minority School-Age Children.............................................................................................................20
5. Special Needs.......................................................................................................................................................24
Chapter 2—Characteristics of Schools................................................................................... 28
6. Segregation and Poverty in Schools.......................................................................................................................30
7. Adequate Yearly Progress......................................................................................................................................36
8. Types of Public Schools........................................................................................................................................38
9. Advanced Coursework Offerings..........................................................................................................................44
Contents
10. High School Guidance Counseling......................................................................................................................50
Chapter 3—Student Behaviors and Afterschool Activities..................................................... 54
11. Retention, Suspension, and Expulsion..................................................................................................................56
12. Safety at School....................................................................................................................................................62
13. Alcohol and Other Drug Use................................................................................................................................66
14. Homework...........................................................................................................................................................70
15. Part-Time Work.................................................................................................................................................... 74
16. School-Sponsored and Non-School-Sponsored Activities......................................................................................78
Chapter 4—Academic Preparation and Achievement.......................................................... 82
17. Reading Achievement...........................................................................................................................................84
18. Mathematics Achievement....................................................................................................................................90
19. Science Achievement............................................................................................................................................96
20. Eighth-Grade Algebra.........................................................................................................................................100
21. Ninth-Grade Mathematics..................................................................................................................................104
Contents
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