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Draft:The National Longitudinal Study of the Class of 1972

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The National Longitudinal Study of the Class of 1972

The National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS:72) is the first in a series of longitudinal studies funded by the United States Department of Education's  National Center for Education Statistics. It is considered the richest archive of data ever assembled on a single generation of Americans.[1]. The original purpose of this study was to collect data on the educational, personal, and vocational developments of a nationally-representative sample of high school seniors, and to assess the social, institutional, economic, personal, and cultural factors that affect that development[2]. The NLS:72 sample included 23,450 1972 high school seniors and 1340 sample schools[3].

In 2019, the National Institute of Aging and the Alzheimer's Association awarded grants to recontact the sample members from NLS:72. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Minnesota, the University of Wisconsin, and Columbia University are working in collaboration with NORC at the University of Chicago to perform a sixth follow-up to the study in 2024-25[4]. The focus of the upcoming follow-up is to assess the effects of education and life experiences on cognitive health.

Historical Context

NLS:72 is the oldest of the longitudinal studies sponsored by NCES. The National Education Longitudinal Studies program was created in response to a need for policy-relevant, time-series data for nationally representative samples of elementary and secondary school students. NLS:72's rich archive of data sets it apart as the baseline comparison for the progress and achievements of the subsequent cohorts.

The 1972 graduating class serves as a unique cohort to track over time. Most sample members were born between 1953 and 1955, at the height of the Baby Boom. These students graduated in the waning years of the Vietnam War, experiencing the last of the United States Armed Forces Draft. The world they graduated into was rapidly changing, as a result of the Civil Rights Movement and the Second-Wave Feminist Movement. These social movements provided opportunities and capital to women and minorities, allowing them to attend college and pursue careers in never-before-seen numbers.

Due to these societal and cultural shifts, the data collected during NLS:72 on students' education choices, vocational aspirations, and personal development proved valuable.

Study Design

Base Year Survey

Base-year data for NLS:72 was collected in spring 1972, prior to high school graduation. Initial instruments included a Student Questionnaire, a Student Record Information Form (SRIF), a School Questionnaire, and a Counselor Questionnaire. The base year sample included 23,450 1972 high school seniors from 1340 sample schools[1]. The student questionnaires in the 1972 survey gathered information on personal and family backgrounds, education and work experiences, future plans, as well as attitudes, aspirations, and opinions. The questionnaire also included a cognitive test battery.

Follow Up Surveys

Follow up surveys for the study were conducted in 1973, 1974, 1976, 1979, and 1986. These questionnaires collected information on sample members' marital status, children, educational attainment, military service, work history, attitudes and opinions related to self-esteem, goals, job satisfaction, and participation in community affairs. During the fourth follow up survey (1979), a subsample of respondents were retested on the cognitive test battery from the base year survey.

Teaching Supplement

The teaching supplement was administered to fifth follow-up respondents in 1986 who indicated on the main survey that they had teaching experience or training[5]. The supplement assessed the experiences, qualifications, and perspectives of current and former teachers, both elementary and secondary. The supplement also gathered data on the qualifications of those who had completed an education degree and/or received certification, but had not become teachers.

Postsecondary Education Transcript Study (PETS)

To obtain data on coursework and credits for analysis of occupational and career outcomes, NCES requested official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended by participating sample members. The PETS was conducted in 1984-85 and collected transcripts from all academic and vocational schools over the course of the first through fourth follow-ups[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b Christopher, Elise (2018). "The National Longitudinal Study of 1972" – via NCES. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ^ "National Longitudinal Study of 1972 (NLS-72)". 2023-09-05.
  3. ^ "National Longitudinal Study of 1972 (NLS -72) - Survey Design and Sample Sizes". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  4. ^ "EdSHARe Project". EdSHARe Project. 2023-09-05.
  5. ^ Spencer, Bruce; Sebring, Penny; Campbell, Barbara (1987). The National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS-72) Fifth Follow-Up (1986) Sample Design Report. National Center for Education Statistics.
  6. ^ Jones, Calvin; Others, And (August 1986). National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972. Postsecondary Education Transcript Study Data File User's Manual. Contractor Report (Report).