ERIC Number: EJ865044
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0098-9495
EISSN: N/A
Class, Ability, Mobility: Economic and Academic Paths from Middle School to Early Adulthood
Baker, Joe G.
Journal of Education Finance, v34 n4 p355-371 Spr 2009
This article examines academic and economic progression of 8th graders using the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS 88). In terms of educational mobility, this analysis indicates it is clearly better to possess academic ability--middle-school students who have high-academic ability but low family socioeconomic status (SES) obtain baccalaureate degrees at over twice the rate of modest-ability students from affluent families. The findings in this article indicate considerable economic mobility. Over one in five middle-school students whose family was in the lowest SES quartile had advanced to the highest SES quartile as young adults--the keys to this advancement are attainment of the baccalaureate degree, attendance in a private middle school, and an intensive curriculum in high school. This does not diminish the strong positive effect that parental income has on student success; however, it clearly indicates that students from the lowest SES can achieve economic and academic success, despite meager economic resources. (Contains 5 tables and 11 footnotes.)
Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Young Adults, Grade 8, Educational Mobility, Academic Ability, Middle School Students, Socioeconomic Status, Educational Attainment, Secondary School Curriculum, Private Schools, Bachelors Degrees, Correlation, Predictor Variables, Family Financial Resources, Economic Status, Economic Impact, Educational Status Comparison, Longitudinal Studies, Economics
University of Illinois Press. 1325 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820-6903. Tel: 217-244-0626; Fax: 217-244-8082; e-mail: journals@uillinois.edu; Web site: http://www.press.uillinois.edu/journals/main.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education; Grade 8; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A