Follow-up Study of 1988 Graduates / Linda Leddick and Denny Stavros.

This follow-up study of 1988 graduates of Detroit (Michigan) public high schools examines the status of graduates one year following graduation. Information was gathered from a survey and correlated with demographic and achievement information from student records. Findings must be interpreted in light of a 24 percent response rate to the survey, evidence that the respondents are representative of higher achieving, more affluent students, and overrepresentation of females in the response sample. The following key findings are included: (1) the majority of those who were working were also enrolled in postsecondary education; (2) of the 69 percent who were enrolled in an educational program, the majority attended four-year colleges, 78 percent were receiving financial aid, and the mean self-reported post-high school grade point average (GPA) was 2.7; (3) 5 percent were in a military program; (4) 2 percent were married and 11 percent were parents; (5) 51 percent gave the letter grade of "A" or "B" to the overall quality of their high schools; and (6) when asked to identify how their high schools had prepared them for the job market, the graduates indicated that the schools had provided an academic education (66 percent) taught them how to complete job applications (59 percent), and taught them interview skills (56 percent). The following materials are appended: (1) a history of graduate follow-up studies in Detroit; (2) a list of survey development members; and (3) modified survey forms presenting statistical data for respondents by the entire sample, by school type, and by gender. (FMW)

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