This paper uses a case history approach to present the evolution of two longitudinal studies, Youth in Transition, which involved 8 years of data collection (1966-1974) and Monitoring the Future, for which data collection began in 1975 and continues in the present. The Youth in Transition project is described as a study of the causes… Continue reading From “Youth in Transition” to “Monitoring the Future”: A Tale of Two Longitudinal Studies of Youth in the United States

The paper provides an overview of high school seniors’ views of the military as an institution, and also as a prospective work role. Data were obtained from the Monitoring the Future project, an ongoing study of high school seniors conducted by the Institute for Social Research. Surveys were mailed to a national sampling of high… Continue reading Trends In High School Seniors’ Views of the Military. Monitoring the Future Occasional Paper 12

Schooling has been overused as a credential, and the way to reduce the credential value of sheer years of schooling is to provide better alternative credentials. Research findings indicate high unemployment among those who have not attained a high school diploma. A productive approach toward reducing this overemphasis on diplomas and years of schooling is… Continue reading Schooling as a Credential: Some Suggestions for Change. An Issue Paper

The broad range of changes during high school years is the focus of Youth in Transition, a longitudinal study of over 2,000 boys which began during their tenth-grade year. Open-end interview questions asked in 1966 were repeated 18 months later during the second of three rounds of data collection. The boys were asked to tell… Continue reading Changes in Young Men’s Attitudes Toward Military Service: Fall 1966 to Spring 1968