Dreams Deferred? The Relationship Between Early and Later Postsecondary Educational Aspirations Among Racial/Ethnic Groups

This study uses data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 to test a conceptual model that integrates aspects of sociological and econometric frameworks into a traditional status attainment model for educational aspirations. Using descriptive and logistic analyses, this study advanced understanding of the patterns and stability of aspirations; characteristics of students who increase, decrease, and maintain aspirations; predictors of 12th-grade aspirations; and variations in predictors of 12th-grade aspirations by race/ethnicity. The study's findings have implications for policy, practice, and research. Specifically, the findings reinforce the need for policies and practices geared toward enhancing existing high school reform efforts. The study also identifies recommendations for future research.