Racial/Ethnic Differences in College Graduation: The lasting effects of high school experiences

William Carbonaro

The racial/ethnic gap in college graduation is both an important social problem and a pressing policy issue. In this project, I will examine: (1) how minority students’ social and academic experiences in high school affect their chances of graduating from a four-year college and (2) whether the importance of students’ high school experiences for graduation depend on characteristics of the four-year college attended by students. Students’ academic experiences will be assessed by examining (1) courses taken while in high school and (2) the quality of instruction students’ received in their high school classes. The social climate of the high school will be measured in four ways: (1) peers’ own educational plans after high school and their expectations for the respondent, (2) teacher and counselor expectations for the respondent, (3) peers’ engagement in “risky” behaviors that are associated with poor academic performance, such as drinking, drug use, dropping out, etc., and (4) the racial/ethnic and socioeconomic composition of the school. In addition, information regarding students’ participation in Project Talent or Upward Bound will also be included in the analyses. Information about colleges will consist of measures of (1) selectivity and (2) the racial composition of colleges attended by students in the sample. In this study, I will analyze data from two data sets: NELS:88 and IPEDS. NELS:88 contains information from students, parents, teachers, and school administrators that renders a very detailed picture of students’ academic and social experiences in high school. In addition, the longitudinal design of the NELS:88 data set makes it possible to examine long-term patterns that connect students’ secondary and post-secondary school experiences. IPEDS provides valuable information about numerous characteristics of the post-secondary institutions attended by NELS:88 students. By linking student records from NELS:88 with data regarding post-secondary institutions from IPEDS, it will be possible to examine whether characteristics of students’ post-secondary institutions affect the relationship between students’ social and academic experiences in high school and their chances of graduating from college. By investigating the crucial linkages between students' high school and college experiences, this study will deepen our understanding of this important problem and provide valuable information for policymakers who seek to improve retention outcomes for minority students.

About William Carbonaro

Bill Carbonaro is an assistant professor of sociology and a fellow with the Institute for Educational Initiatives at the University of Notre Dame. He received his PhD in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall of 2000. His main research interests include (1) socio-economic and racial/ethnic inequality in educational opportunities and outcomes and (2) the role education and cognitive skills play in shaping unequal labor market opportunities and outcomes. He has published articles in the American Education Research Journal, the American Sociological Review, and Sociology of Education.