Post-Secondary Plans Depend on SES

In terms of post-secondary plans, communities often differ on what their students intend to do for a variety of reasons. Below is a sample of the post-secondary plans for high school graduates in five low-income Massachusetts cities. Also included is the graduation rate.

	Chelsea	Holyoke	Lawrence	Lowell	Lynn
4 yr. Public/Private	30	23	35	47	30
2 yr. Public/Private	39	52	47	35	50
Other Post-Secondary	7	3	2	3	1
Work	9	0	6	4	8
Military	1	2	3	2	5
Other/Unknown	15	18	9	11	6
Graduation Rate	53.3	52.5	46.7	69.4	68.5

What is most glaring about this data is obviously the low to mediocre graduation rates for these cities. Lawrence in particular graduates less than half its students in 4 years. Still, a high percentage of the students that do graduate are attending college. Eighty-percent of Lynn graduates, for example, attend a 4- or 2-year college or university. In this sample, a considerable percentage of students join either the workforce or the military; many graduates also do not report their plans to their high schools.

High income communities in Massachusetts differ greatly in the post-secondary plans of their high school graduates. Below is a sample of four of the wealthiest Massachusetts communities.

	Andover	Concord-Carlisle	Wellesley	Weston
4 yr. Public/Private	92	94	93	95
2 yr. Public/Private	4	2	2	1
Other Post-Secondary	0	2	2	2
Work	1	1	1	0
Military	0	0	0	0
Other/Unknown	3	1	1	2
Graduation Rate	95.3	96.4	96.7	96

Unlike the low-income communities listed, these cities/towns tend to graduate nearly all of their students with almost all of these students attending a 4 year college or university. Interestingly, students in high income communities also attend private 4 year institutions at higher rates; in Weston, 84% of high school graduates planned to attend a private college or university. None of the graduates here planned to join the military and a very small, almost nonexistent proportion of students joined the workforce. 

From this data we see that the plans of high school graduates largely depends,  in part, on one's socioeconomic status. For those with more resources, one generally does not join the military or work after high school because college is more easily accessible and financially feasible. For a graduate of Lawrence High School or Lynn Classical, finances become more important such that a graduate of these schools may have to attend community college due to certain constraints. The debate around education reform has to some degree focused on the number of graduates that public schools send to college judging schools negatively if the percentage is 'low.' What is being disregarded is the reality that for some families college is not possible despite the number of loans, grants and scholarships available. Jobs at the present time are scarce and many  families are struggling to afford food and housing costs. Students from low income families often help support their families or care for siblings complicating the picture. The money that could potentially be earned while in school is also low because of a crunch on time. Many students may forgo college to earn money as a result. Additionally, for some, a college degree may not feel "worth" the costs associated with it, particularly if one is looking at serious debt. Some may also see peers who have graduated college, but are unemployed or underemployed leaving them with the belief the benefits of college are not worth the costs.

While all students should be exposed to potential post-secondary options, the complete focus on simply increasing the number of college graduates is misguided. Poverty is not destiny as some would say, but it does have a profound effect on what one is able to do and the options that a person may consider. Instead of disparaging public schools in urban areas for not doing "part", local, state, and federal governments should focus on specific (economic) policies that would allow for a larger number of opportunities for all.

All data taken from: www.doe.mass.edu