Impact of In-School Suspension on Black Girls’ Math Course-Taking in High School

Black girls are more likely to receive in-school suspension (ISS) in comparison to their non-Black peers. However, research on the effect of in-school suspension on students’ academic achievement, specifically math achievement of Black girls, is still very limited. Mathematics is an important foundational component of science, technology, and engineering fields, which are domains in which Black girls are underrepresented. Using the nationally representative Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), this study explores the relationship between in-school suspension and the highest math course completed in a multi-level analysis of 860 Black female participants from 320 high schools. Our findings revealed that in-school suspension was associated with lower mathematics course-taking. Implications for policy, practice, and research are discussed.

Generational status, social capital and family engagement in immigrant families

This study highlighted the importance of social capital in understanding the disparity in family engagement across immigrant generations. Using the national representative data, the ELS:2002, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the relationships among generational status, social capital, and home- and school-based family engagement. The results suggested that social capital played an important role in immigrant home- and schoolbased family engagement. The findings of specific pathways through social capital in and outside the family to home- and school-based family engagement might make a tangible contribution to understanding of family engagement and immigrant generations. Further, the present research suggested that immigrant families were not only constrained from participating in their children's education, but also had their own strengths for family engagement such as positive expectations for and extensive communications with their children.

Forward and Backward Continuation Ratio Models for Ordinal Response Variables

There are different types of continuation ratio (CR) models for ordinal response variables. The different model equations, corresponding parameterizations, and nonequivalent results are confusing. The purpose of this study is to introduce different types of forward and backward CR models, demonstrate how to implement these models using Stata, and compare the results using data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002).

Differences in High School CTE Coursetaking by Gender and Race/Ethnicity

The purpose of this study was to examine patterns in high school career and technical education (CTE) coursetaking by gender and race/ethnicity across two cohorts of students over time. Using high school transcript data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002) and the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), we examined participation in CTE both overall and disaggregated by field of study. While there were some differences by gender and race/ethnicity in overall CTE participation, disaggregating by field of study revealed wide variation in participation rates in each field. We found large and sustained differences in participation across CTE fields of study by gender as well as pronounced patterns by race/ethnicity, with some changes over time. Overall, these gender and racial/ethnic differences were notable because they persisted even after controlling for other potential explanatory factors.

Investigating the Role of School-Based Extracurricular Activity Participation in Adolescents’ Learning Outcomes: A Propensity Score Method

The purpose of this study was to apply a propensity score method that could control for selection bias at both the student-level and school-level in an investigation of the causal effect linking participation in school-based extracurricular activity (SBEA) to adolescents’ learning outcomes. The data for this study were drawn from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS: 2002) data set. The final sample comprised 12,247 10th graders; 6,026 (49.20%) were males. A propensity score method incorporating marginal mean weighting through stratification was implemented to analyze the data. Results showed that 10th graders who had proper intensity of participation in SBEA (6–15 hours a week) slightly outperformed peers who did not participate in SBEA on the performance of mathematics achievement in 12th grade. Regarding the link between SBEA participation and adolescents’ long-term learning outcomes, results indicated 10th graders in 2002 with low to moderate levels of intensity (i.e., 1–15 hours) were more likely to achieve higher education credentials by the year 2012 when compared to non-participating peers.

Bridging the Gaps: Parental Involvement and Asian Non-native English Speakers’ Postsecondary Enrollment

While the number of the Asian non-native English speakers (NNESs) is increasing, their postsecondary education (PSE) enrollment rate has remained low in comparison to enrollment rates of Asian native English speakers (NESs). The achievement gap in postsecondary enrollment between NNESs and NESs has widened, due not only to content areas such as reading and language arts that require higher English proficiency but also sociocultural factors, such as parental involvement. The current study aims to investigate the extent to which parental involvement factors predict the likelihood of Asian NNESs PSE enrollment after controlling for socioeconomic and linguistic factors. This study, being an expansion of previous work, which explored parental involvement and NNESs' PSE in the U.S., uses the national representative data from the Education Longitudinal Study dataset in 2002 (ELS: 2002) and a binary multilevel logistic regression model analysis. The results indicate that parental involvement is related to a greater likelihood of attending PSE institutions. Among the various forms of parental involvement, parent-student involvement and parent-school involvement have the greatest impact on Asian NNESs' PSE enrollment. The results also showed that Asian NNESs' enrollment is higher if their parents participate in school volunteer work. Limitations, future studies, and implications for educators, parents and school policy makers will also be discussed.

Is There a Career and Technical Education Coursetaking Pipeline between High School and College?

Background Previous studies have explored the relationship between career and technical education (CTE) on numerous secondary and college outcomes. However, a key oversight in the literature is the examination of the CTE coursetaking pipeline as it makes a direct connection between high school and college. Research Questions We asked the following research questions to address the gap in CTE literature around secondary to postsecondary pipelines: (1) Does taking CTE courses in high school predict taking CTE courses in college? (2) Does this relationship differ between students who attend 2- and 4-year colleges? (3) Does the relationship differ by different areas of CTE? Research Design To respond to these questions, we used the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), a nationally representative dataset. We employed basic logistic regression, school fixed effects, and instrumental variable estimations to reduce biases in our estimations in the relationship between high school and college CTE coursetaking. Results We found that CTE coursetaking in high school linked to overall CTE coursetaking across all years of college. When examining 2- and 4-year college coursetaking independently, only the relationship between high school and 4-year college CTE coursetaking was significant. We also found that there existed differential linking based on type of institution in which the courses were completed and area of CTE—specifically, applied STEM, business, trade and industry, and health. Conclusions A first implication from these findings is that CTE in high school, which is itself funded through the current iteration of the Perkins legislation, appears to be having a noticeable link to CTE participation in college. From the second research question, there could very well be a strong connection between high school CTE and 2-year enrollment that is not reflected in first year CTE coursetaking at the 2-year level. Finally, the implications from the third research question speak to the need to focus on CTE as a group of individual categories as opposed to a single overarching group.

The Predictive Role of Gender and Race on Student Retention

Student retention is an important issue in American higher education, and has major impacts on students' access to employment and earning potential. Furthermore, it significantly influences the finances of colleges and universities. This chapter looks at the predictive role of gender and race on students' college retention, and analyzes the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS, 2002) that follows a nationally representative cohort of students from 2002, when they were high school sophomores, through their postsecondary education. The analytic sample of this research includes high school graduates who remained in the study from 2002-2012, and reported “any known degree attained as of June 2013.” Findings indicate that male students are more likely to drop out of college compared to female students, and this gender effect does not change even after controlling for several other variables. Similar to gender, race is also found to be a significant predictor of student retention.

Overcoming Undermatching: Factors Associated With Degree Attainment for Academically Undermatched Students

Academic undermatching—students enrolling in colleges that are less academically selective than those for which they qualify—is a barrier hindering college degree attainment. Given the many reasons students undermatch, this phenomenon is likely to continue; yet, we know little about the characteristics that may be related to degree attainment for this population of students. Utilizing the ELS: 2002 national dataset, we developed an operationalization of undermatch and then applied this operationalization to the BPS: 04/09 national dataset ( N = 11,260). Using logistic regression methods, we identified institutional and student characteristics that are associated with degree attainment for undermatched students. Starting at a 4-year institution, completing at least precalculus, having at least one parent with a college education, being female, and being socially and academically integrated into the institution were positively associated with degree attainment. Our results emphasize the critical influence of nonacademic factors on degree attainment for undermatched students.

The Predictive Role of Gender and Race on Student Retention

Student retention is an important issue in American higher education, and has major impacts on students' access to employment and earning potential. Furthermore, it significantly influences the finances of colleges and universities. This chapter looks at the predictive role of gender and race on students' college retention, and analyzes the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS, 2002) that follows a nationally representative cohort of students from 2002, when they were high school sophomores, through their postsecondary education. The analytic sample of this research includes high school graduates who remained in the study from 2002-2012, and reported “any known degree attained as of June 2013.” Findings indicate that male students are more likely to drop out of college compared to female students, and this gender effect does not change even after controlling for several other variables. Similar to gender, race is also found to be a significant predictor of student retention.