America’s Ninth Graders

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High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09): A First Look at Fall 2009 Ninth-Graders' Parents, Teachers, School Counselors, and School Administrators

This report features initial findings from the base year of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), which began in the fall of 2009 with a nationally representative cohort of ninth-graders who will be followed through postsecondary education and the world of work. The HSLS:09 surveys focus on students’ transitions into and out of high school, especially their decisions about courses, postsecondary education, and careers generally and specifically in math and science. This First Look report highlights data provided by students’ parents, teachers, school counselors, and school administrators and provides insight into ninth-graders’ experiences at home and in school.

Findings include:

• Forty-one percent of Asian students' parents have saved more than $25,000 for their child's postsecondary education, while 23 percent of White students' parents, 12 percent of Black students' parents, and 8 percent of Hispanic students' parents have saved more than $25,000 for the same purpose.

• Of ninth-graders in the lowest socioeconomic (SES) category, 15 percent had school administrators who reported student absences as a serious problem at the school, compared to 4 percent of students in the highest SES category.

• About 43 percent of ninth-graders’ school administrators described a lack of parental involvement as a moderate or serious problem at their school.

• Of the ninth-graders scoring in the highest quintile of the math assessment, 82 percent had math teachers with a regular teaching certificate, compared to 74 percent of students in the lowest quintile of the math assessment.

• About 11 percent of students’ school administrators experienced difficulty in filling math vacancies.

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