Moving on: The Transition out of High School for Children of Immigrants and Immigrant Children

Alexis Silver, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Higher levels of educational attainment are becoming increasingly important for long term occupational success. While many studies of immigrant and second and third generation youth examine high school drop out rates, far fewer examine the transition out of high school. I use data from the NLSY 97 to analyze the impacts of family, school, and community context, as well as generation and citizenship status, on the likelihood of pursuing a job, higher education, or both. Additionally, the data will allow me to test if the students are transitioning onto 2 yr or 4 yr institutions, and in what types of employment they work. The results of this study will greatly contribute to the understanding of the school-to-work transition for 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation immigrant youth. Additionally, it will add valuable knowledge about the various factors impeding or facilitating the advancement of immigrant youth as they transition out of high school.