The study reported in this book was designed to address the experiences of educationally disadvantaged young people in English cities. The study, called "Changing Lives," involved a survey of over 3,000 inner-city 16-year-olds from 34 schools in 6 urban areas of England. The young people surveyed were eligible to leave school in spring or summer of 1993, and questionnaires were mailed to them in the 1993-94 academic year. The study allowed the examination of initial post-school destinations and information on progress, further education, and the different experiences of males and females and of ethnic minorities. The first chapter explores the education and labor market experiences of young people leaving compulsory education in England. Chapters 2 and 3 describe study methodology. In Chapter 4 the respondents describe their academic and vocational qualifications. Initial destinations at age 16 are described in Chapter 5. Chapter 6 describes the respondents' calendar years in detail, and Chapter 7 describes the multivariate analyses of the routes taken by subgroups. Chapters 8 and 9 look at respondents' reported experiences, and the final chapter summarizes the findings and draws some policy conclusions. Four appendixes present a glossary, the questionnaires, sample estimates, and statistical analysis notes. (Contains 21 tables, 26 figures, and 49 references.) (SLD)