Transition Issues and Data in the United States

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON COMPARATIVE DATA ON EDUCATION-TO-WORK TRANSITIONS:

OECD, Paris 21-23 June 2000

Prepared by:

Rita J. Kirshstein

American Institutes for Research

Email:

Prepared for:

The National Center for Education Statistics

U.S. Department of Education

Table of Contents

Page

Transition Issues and Data in the United States...... 1

Working Group on Student Transition Issues...... 1

Data Collections Measuring Transition Issues in the U.S...... 2

U.S. Department of Education Longitudinal Surveys...... 2

Surveys Beginning with the High School Experience...... 2

National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972...... 3

High School and Beyond...... 3

National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988...... 3

Surveys Beginning with the Postsecondary Experience...... 4

Beginning Postsecondary Student Longitudinal Study...... 4

Baccalaureate and Beyond...... 4

Longitudinal Surveys Conducted by Other Agencies...... 5

National Science Foundation (NSF), Survey of Doctorate Recipients...... 5

U.S. Department of Labor, National Longitudinal Surveys...... 5

U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation...... 5

University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, Panel Study of Income

Dynamics...... 6

Cross-Sectional Surveys...... 6

U.S. Department of Education, National Postsecondary Student Aid Study...... 6

U.S. Department of Education, Recent College Graduates Study...... 7

U.S. Department of Education, National Household Education Survey...... 7

National Science Foundation Surveys...... 7

Transition Issues and Data in the United States

This paper presents a brief overview of (1) transition issues relevant for the collection of data in the United States and (2) key data sources used to collect data on transitions in the U.S. In this context, transitions include changes from one education level to another, from education to work, and from one job to another.

Working Group on Student Transition Issues

At present, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) is examining both issues related to the transition of individuals at various points in the educational system, as well as data that exist or are needed to address these issues. The National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC), an ED-supported partnership of governmental and non-governmental users of education data, has been asked "to examine policy issues at points of student transition and their data implications and, where warranted, to develop and recommend new definitions, analytical conventions, and data systems concepts and methodologies." In doing so, this group is addressing the following issues:

Broad concepts of what it means to be a "student" [or say broader than what]

The definition of a transition and the completion of a learning experience

The use [Comparison of? eExamination of ? “use” is kind of vague and redundant with “commonly used”] of commonly used time-dependent student measures such as credit hours, contact hours, full- and part-time status, etc.

Linkage of student data from different learning providers and education agencies

The use of student-based data vs. institutional-based data [deleted redundancy with bullet below]

Data ownership, confidentiality and privacy

During the current phase of NPEC’s activities, these issues are being examined at the state level in eight states that have appropriate data systems. During the next phase, NPEC will look beyond current data systems to conceptualize how data systems could be used more effectively to address policy questions about transitions.

Although NPEC’s preliminary reports will not be ready until the end of November 2000, NPEC has proposed some definitions that may be of interest in discussions of comparative data on education-to-work:

A learneris an individual who pursues a learning experience that is facilitated by one or more learning providers which could include Title IV eligible institutions,[1] providers with primarily a postsecondary education mission, and providers of formal learning experiences that do not have postsecondary education as their mission.
A lifespan transition occurs when an individual exits one state of significant lifetime activity and enters another. Significant lifetime activities, in addition to education and work, include community service, leisure, and retirement.

A learner transition occurs when a learner exits a learning and/or work experience and enters a different learning and/or work experience.

NPEC also recognizes that the expanded use of technology to deliver instruction makes it more difficult to obtain student-related information from institutions. For example, a "learner" could potentially be working full-time while enrolled in a formal education program and engaged in some type of job-related training via the Internet.

While current U.S. data collection efforts do not necessarily address all of the issues described above, these issues are at the forefront of discussions about collecting, analyzing, and interpreting transition data. The remainder of this paper summarizes current surveys that allow analyses of transition issues within the U.S.

Data Collections Measuring Transition Issues in the U.S.

Transition issues can be analyzed using a number of different data collections in the U.S. Longitudinal surveys typically provide the best data for examining transitions from one stage of life to another. However, cross-sectional data collections—particularly those that obtain information about earlier situations—can also be insightful. In the remainder of this paper, longitudinal data collections are described first followed by an overview of a few key cross-sectional surveys that included data useful for studying transitions.

Longitudinal surveys follow cohorts of individuals as they make changes from one situation to another. The U.S. has conducted a number of such surveys. Several are no longer collecting data from their original cohorts, but are mentioned because of their contributions to transition research in the U.S. Others are still actively following their original cohorts. The surveys briefly described below are national in focus; states and schools may also conduct longitudinal studies, but these studies are beyond the scope of this overview.

U.S. Department of Education Longitudinal Surveys

ED has sponsored a number of longitudinal surveys that follow students from high school to further education, employment, or non-employment. In addition, other ED surveys follow students from postsecondary school to employment or further education. These surveys are summarized below.

Surveys Beginning with the High School Experience

ED has conducted a series of longitudinal studies of high school students, starting in 1972, with the next longitudinal study planned to start in 2002. This series of studies allows for comparisons of the transition experiences of different cohorts of students across three decades.

National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972

The National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS:72) was the earliest of ED’s longitudinal surveys. The initial student cohort were high school seniors (grade 12, about age 17) in the spring of 1972. Follow-up surveys were conducted in 1973, 1974, 1976, 1979, and 1986; high school records and postsecondary transcripts were also collected. Data thus are available to examine the transitions of individuals from high school to other activities until their early 30s.

The sample for the NLS:72 was a stratified, two-stage probability sample of 12th grade students from public and private schools. During the first stage of sampling, about 1,070 schools were selected for participation in the base-year survey. As many as 18 students were selected from each of the sample schools. Both the school and student samples were increased during the first follow-up survey. The response rates for each of the different rounds of data collection have been 80 percent or higher.

For more information on this survey, go to

High School and Beyond

High School and Beyond (HS&B) is a national longitudinal survey that includes two cohorts: the 1980 senior class (grade 12, or about age 17), and the 1980 sophomore class (grade 10, or about age 15). Both cohorts were surveyed every two years through 1986. The 1980 sophomore class was also surveyed in 1992. HS&B focused on a number of issues regarding the transitions students make from high school to postsecondary education and work. Because it began with students who were either sophomores or seniors, HS&B provided a longer period than the NLS to examine high school experiences and transitions within high school.

The base-year survey included 1,015 high schools with a target sample of 36 sophomores and 36 seniors in each school. Close to 58,300 students participated in the base-year survey. Students were also administered cognitive tests that measured both verbal and quantitative abilities. Sophomores also took tests measuring achievement in science, writing, and civics while seniors were tested in abstract reasoning and nonverbal abilities. In addition, a sample of parents of sophomores and seniors (about 3,600 for each cohort) was surveyed.

For more information on this survey, go to

[It might be better to reverse the order of the surveys below and do NLS, then HSB, then NELS, to follow the time series. Edits in the descriptions of these studies that are made in italics are edits that should be made if you do reverse the ordering. If you do not reverse the ordering, you can ignore the edits made in italics]

National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988

The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) began with a cohort of students who were in the 8th grade (about 13 years old) in 1988. Data were collected not only from students but also from their parents, teachers, and high school principals; high school transcripts were also collected. In addition, tests in reading, mathematics, science, and history were administered during the base year (1988) as well as during the first and second follow-ups (1990 and 1992). Students were also surveyed in 1994, two years after their expected year of high school graduation.

The NELS:88 surveys provide an opportunity to examine a number of issues pertinent to transitions, including: students’ academic growth over time, the transition from eighth-grade to high school, the process of dropping out of school, school experiences and academic performance of minority students, access to and choice of postsecondary schools, transitions to postsecondary education and work, and trend analyses with earlier longitudinal surveys.

The NELS:88 sample was selected from a universe of approximately 40,000 public and private schools that include grade 8. About 1,000 schools were sampled, and about 24 students were randomly selected from each of these schools. Additional Asian and Hispanic students were sampled, bringing the total original sample to about 25,000 students.

For more information on this survey, go to

High School and Beyond

High School and Beyond (HS&B) is a national longitudinal survey that includes two cohorts: the 1980 senior class (grade 12, or about age 17), and the 1980 sophomore class (grade 10, or about age 15). Both cohorts were surveyed every two years through 1986. The 1980 sophomore class was also surveyed in 1992. HS&B focused on a number of issues regarding the transitions students make from high school to postsecondary education and work. Because it began with students who were either sophomores or seniors, HS&B provided a longer period than the NLS to examine high school experiences and transitions within high school.

For more information on this survey, go to

National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972

For more information on this survey, go to

Surveys Beginning with the Postsecondary Experience

Beginning Postsecondary Student Longitudinal Study

The Beginning Postsecondary Student Longitudinal Study (BPS) recognized the increasing diversity of postsecondary students by focusing on a cohort of individuals who were starting their postsecondary education in the fall of 1989. Using a cohort of students enrolling in postsecondary education rather than a high school cohort allows this study to track a representative sample of postsecondary students, rather than just those who enrolled in postsecondary education immediately after graduating from high school. In addition to examining the persistence, progress, and attainment of students throughout their postsecondary experiences, BPS also followed this cohort into graduate education and the workforce.

The BPS draws its initial sample from a cross-sectional postsecondary survey, the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS). About 8,000 students in the NPSAS sample who were beginning their postsecondary education in 1990 were followed in 1992 and 1994. The first follow-up described the experiences of students while in school, and their transitions from postsecondary education into the labor force; family formation was also included in the survey. By the second follow-up in 1994, many of those in the sample had completed a bachelor's degree, allowing for an examination of their initial entry into either graduate education or the work force.

A second BPS cohort was selected from the 1996 NPSAS sample. These students, who began their postsecondary education in the 1995-96 academic year, were recontacted for the first time in the spring of 1998.

For more information on this survey, go to

Baccalaureate and Beyond

The Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B) cohort consisted of students who completed a bachelor's degree in 1992-93. At that time, these students were asked about their undergraduate education experiences, as well as their future employment and education expectations. The first follow-up occurred in 1994 and asked about job search activities after graduation, and education and employment experiences since receiving a baccalaureate degree. This survey oversampled individuals who expressed an interest in becoming teachers; this group of respondents was asked additional questions about their interests and (if relevant) their teaching jobs. Another follow-up in 1997 gathered data on education, employment, and other experiences.

Approximately 11,000 students who completed their degrees in the 1992-93 academic year were included in the first B&B survey. Because this sample was drawn from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), data were also available for 8,000 parents of these students in the base year survey. Postsecondary transcripts were collected as well.

Another B&B survey cohort will be drawn from a NPSAS sample scheduled to begin in 2000.

For more information on this survey, go to

Beginning Postsecondary Student Longitudinal Study [it might be better to discuss this survey before B&B—this survey follows better after the high school studies, since you compare the BPS to the high school cohorts. If you make this change, you should make the changes above and below marked in italics; otherwise ignore these edits]

For more information on this survey, go to

Longitudinal Surveys Conducted by other Agencies

National Science Foundation (NSF), Survey of Doctorate Recipients

The Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR) is designed to provide demographic and career history information about individuals with doctoral degrees in science and engineering fields. The results of this survey help policymakers understand and predict trends in employment opportunities and salaries for science and engineering doctorate holders, and to evaluate the effectiveness of equal opportunity efforts.

NSF’s Survey of Earned Doctorates (see below) provides the sampling frame for this longitudinal study. The SDR has followed individuals who received doctorates in science and engineering since the 1950s. New doctorate recipients are added each time the survey is conducted and individuals over the age of 75 are dropped from the survey.