Presented are findings of a 1986 national survey of 1000 American students between the ages of 8 and 17 years. Face-to-face interviews focused on youths' perceptions of their families, their schools, and major social issues confronting them. After a preview highlighting important findings, in-depth results and commentary are offered with supporting charts and tables. Chapter 1 reveals respondents' satisfaction with their home lives, their school lives, and their personal situation. The students' major concerns and expectations are explored in a broad national context. Chapter 2 examines respondents' family relationships, evaluates the "problem areas" in family life, and suggests improvements. The chapter also discusses how children perceive the provision of parental guidance, and examines the impact of working mothers on children's livelihood. Chapter 3 looks at students' evaluations of curriculum areas and of how well their schools are providing the basic elements of education, as well as students' suggestions about ways to improve the quality of education. In addition, the chapter reveals students' aspirations for their lives after high school. Chapter 4 probes sensitive problems confronting American society today, including discipline in the schools, sex education, drug and alcohol abuse education, and socio-political issues affecting schools. Concluding sections describe the survey methodology and provide a copy of the 56-item questionnaire. (RH)