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Examining the Effects of High School Contexts on Postsecondary Enrollment

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Abstract

The present study is organized around the central hypothesis that the high school context affects students’ postsecondary outcomes. Drawing on a nationally representative sample of high school seniors from the Educational Longitudinal Survey (ELS:2002), this study broadens our empirical understanding of how students’ acquisition of human, social, and cultural capital at the individual and school level affects 2- and 4-year college attendance. Results highlight the normative role of high schools in promoting college enrollment, particularly the role of socioeconomics, academic preparation, and access to parent, peer, and college-linking networks. This study advances our understanding of the secondary-postsecondary nexus and has implications for policies and practices aimed at realizing the current administration’s promise of providing greater access to postsecondary education for all students.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, Loyola University Chicago, 820 N. Michigan Ave., Rm 1140, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Mark E. Engberg

  2. NORC at the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Gregory C. Wolniak

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  1. Mark E. Engberg
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  2. Gregory C. Wolniak
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Correspondence to Mark E. Engberg.

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Engberg, M.E., Wolniak, G.C. Examining the Effects of High School Contexts on Postsecondary Enrollment. Res High Educ 51, 132–153 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-009-9150-y

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