THE state of our nation’s youth 2005-2006 2016-2017 Copyright © Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc, 2005. Copyright © Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., 2016. All rights reserved All rights reserved Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. 99 Canal Center Plaza 99 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 320 Alexandria, Virginia 22314 Alexandria, Virginia 22314 Phone (703) 684-9444 Fax (703) 548-3822 Phone (703) 684-9444 Fax (703) 548-3822 wwwwww..hhoorraattiiooaallggeerr..oorrgg The State Of Our Nation’s Youth ii AUTHORS Gregory Wolniak, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Higher Education Director, Center for Research on Higher Education Outcomes New York University Laura Davis, Ph.D. Assistant Director, Center for Research on Higher Education Outcomes New York University Tiffani Williams, M.A. Ph.D. Candidate, Graduate Research Assistant New York University Kristen Casano, B.S. Master’s Student, Graduate Research Assistant New York University Recommended citation: Wolniak, G., Davis, L., Williams, T., & Casano, K. (2016, August).The State of Our Nation’s Youth: 2016. Alexandria, VA: Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. ii (cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144) The State Of O ur Nat io n’s Yout h H O RATI O AL GER ASSOCIATION CONTENTS AUTHORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii CONTENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii LIST O F DATA T ABLES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii SELECTED KEY FINDING S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 FINDINGS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1. Factors for A Successful Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2. Maintaining Optimism towards the Country’s future . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 3 . Views on American Institutions and Freedoms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 4 . Interacting with Media and Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 5. Fa cin g Challen ges and Managing stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 6. Parent and Guardian Involvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 7. High School Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 8. College Aspirations, Preparation, and Enrollment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 9. Paying for College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 10. Employment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 RESEARCH METHODS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 DATA TABLES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 HORATIO ALGER ASSOCIATION The State Of Our Nation’s Youth (cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144) iii LIST OF DATA TABLES Distribution of High School Students and Graduates by Age, Sex, and Living Area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Distribution of High School Students and Graduates by Family Income and Education Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Family Household Structure of High School Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Living Situation after High School, by College Enrollment Status . . . . . . . . . . 45 Factors Essential or Very Important when Thinking about Education and Career Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Importance of Religion and Spirituality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Luck, Hard Work, and the Ability to Achieve Success. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Influence of Election Outcome on Direction of the Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Level of Trust that the Government in Washington Does What Is Right. . . . . . 48 Satisfaction with System of Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Most Important Changes for the Country. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Confidence in American Institutions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Most Important and Protected American Freedoms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Concerns regarding U.S. Government Fight Terrorism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Outlook toward the Future of the Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Age when One Should Become Financially Independent of Parents. . . . . . . . . 52 Participation in Various Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Top Sources of News and Media about the Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Problems and Issues Faced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Origin of Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Stress Level and Ability to Cope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Effect of Stress. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Incidents with Mean or Hurtful Online Postings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 iv (cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144) The State Of Our Nation’s Youth HORATIO ALGER ASSOCIATION Type of High School Attended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 High Sc hoo l Studen ts’ Ratings of the Quality of Current School . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Aspects of Current High School Important to Quality of Education . . . . . . . . . 58 Learning Skills Needed for Success in Life in High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 High School Students’ Grades on Last Report Card. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 High Sc hool Gradua tes’ Grades Received on Last Report C ard by C ollege E nrollm ent Stat us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Parent/Guar dian and Stu dent’s Academ ics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Desire for Parent/Guardian Interest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Level of Parent/Guardian Worry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Effec t of Tec hnology on You ng People. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Technology Knowledge Compared to Parent(s)/Guardian(s). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Educational Aspirations Among High School Students Who Plan to Complete a College Degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Plan to Complete a College Degree or Certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Factors in Decision Not to Enroll in College after Graduation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 High School Students’ Participation in College Preparation or Advanced Coursework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 High School Graduates’ Participation in College Preparation or Advanced Coursework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Remediation/Developmental Coursework among College Enrollees. . . . . . . . . 66 Plans to Enter College Immediately after High School Graduation. . . . . . . . . . 66 Concerns about Paying for College among High School Students Who Plan to Complete Degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Attitudes towards Paying for College among College Enrollees . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Resources Used or Expected to Use to Pay for College. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Employment Status among High School Graduates by College Enrollment. . . 68 Main Reason for Not Working among High School Graduates . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 HHOORRAATTIIOO AALLGGEERR AASSSSOOCCIIAATTIIOONN TThhee SSttaattee OOff OOuurr NNaattiioonn’’ss YYoouutthh (cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144) v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The 2016 State of Our Nation’s Youth report is an effort by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, in collaboration with Hart Research Associates and Dr. Gregory Wolniak from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. The purpose of the report is to give voice to today’s young people, whose perspectives on and concerns about important contemporary issues are too often eclipsed by the voices of public spokespersons, commentators, and policymakers. The report aims to inform the public, education stakeholders, media, and policymakers on the issues facing and shaping the next generation of future leaders for our country. We are deeply grateful to the Members of the Horatio Alger Association for their support of the Association’s mission and for the vision and generosity of the following individuals: Paul Anthony Novelly Matthew K. Rose Chairman Vice President Bryon D. Trott Walter Scott, Jr. President Chairman & President Horatio Alger Endowement Fund vi (cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144) The State Of Our Nation’s Youth HORATIO ALGER ASSOCIATION The source of data for the report is the 2016 State of Our Nation’s Youth survey. Hart Research, led by Founder Peter D. Hart, Corrie Hunt, and Jay Campbell, adminis tere d the su r vey . Ha rt Research A ssocia te’s expe rtise, visio n, and hard work appea r in the ric hness o f th e data and w e alth of i nfo rmation they co ntain on tod ay’s h igh sc hoo l s tu de n ts and rec ent gradua tes. This report was prepared by a team of researchers at New York University, led by Gregory Wolniak, Associate Professor of Higher Education and Director of the Center for Research on Higher Education Outcomes, and assisted by Dr. Laura Davis , Tiffani W illi ams, and Kristen C asano. W olni ak and his t eam analyzed and interpreted t he d ata disc usse d in th e re po rt, and co llabo rated with Ha rt Res earch Asso ciates in developin g t he su rvey. Fi nally, w e are inde bted to the m ore than 1 ,5 00 young m en a nd women w ho t ook the time to participate in the 2016 State of Our Nation’s Youth survey. HHOORRAATTIIOO AALLGGEERR AASSSSOOCCIIAATTIIOONN TThhee SSttaattee OOff OOuurr NNaattiioonn’’ss YYoouutthh (cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144) v1ii INTRODUCTION The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. is honored to deliver the 2016 State of Our Nation’s Youth survey and report. The 2016 edition th marks the 12 in the series, dating back to 1997, and the first time data were collected through an online survey. Since 2004 the State of Our Nation’s Youth has coincided with presidential elections, providing a unique and informative snapshot of youth attitudes and beliefs at a time when politicians and pundits dominate the media. In addition, since 2012, the State of Our Nation’s Youth survey has included national samples of high school students and recent high school graduates. Prior years focused entirely on high school students. By capturing information from high school graduates, most of whom are enrolled in some form of postsecondary education, we are able to identify the ways in which the young people’s attitudes change as they transition out of high school and into the world that awaits. The 2016 report is the first in the series to report on trends over time in both high school students’ and high school graduates’ attitudes and beliefs. The 2016 State of Our Nation’s Youth provides data representing 1,010 high school students and 502 high school graduates between the ages of 14 and 23. In 1947, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and Dr. Kenneth Beebe founded the Horatio Alger Association to recognize and celebrate successful Americans who overcome adversity through hard work and determination. The Association continues that great work by presenting the Horatio Alger Award each year to outstanding individuals who have risen from humble beginnings to achieve success through the free-enterprise system and who serve as role models to young people. Through the generosity of the Association’s membership, the Horatio Alger Association has awarded more than $125 million since 1984 in need-based college scholarships to approximately 25,000 young people across the United States and Canada. These students, like the membership of the Horatio Alger Association, have overcome some of life’s most difficult challenges. In 2016, the Association awarded more than $12 million to more than 1,900 students. The State of Our Nation’s Youth report has been produced by the Association since 1997 to give voice and attention to the opinions, concerns, thoughts, and aspirations of the young people of the United States. The Association is pleased work with Hart Research Associates, Inc. and New York University’s Center for Research on Higher Education Outcomes in issuing the 2016 survey and report. With their collaboration, the 2016 report incorporates the responses of young people across the country to clearly reflect the current political, social, economic, educational, and personal state of our nation’s youth. viii(cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144) The State Of Our Nation’s Youth HORATIO ALGER ASSOCIATION Overview of Findings The 2016 State of Our Nation’s Youth report provides a valuable update to previous editions and reflects the realities of being young in today’s society. By gathering information on individuals between the ages of 14-23, the report offers key insigh ts into the att itudes and beliefs of young Americans on topics such as trust in governmen t, determ ina nts o f success, the media, education, employment, and man agin g stress . Many survey items were asked of both high school students and high sch ool gradua tes, such as th ose rela ted to achieving success, political perspectives , par ental in volvement, an d sou rces o f stress, whereas hosts of other surv ey items were aske d o nly of students or graduates, but not both. For example, the report id entifie s attitude s and behaviors among high school students related to the quality of their high s chool e ducation, aspirations for a college education, and attitu des towa rds paying for college. Among items asked uniquely of graduates were those re late d to th e ti min g of college entry, views on paying for college, and reasons why som e ele ct t o work rath er than con tin ue th eir education after high school. P revious e ditions of State of Our Nation’s Youth reports provide data that span span 15 years, enabling the 2016 edition to uncover several trends by comparing data across years. As with previous editions, the present report provides a comprehensive and intriguing snapshot of young Americans. Results from 2016 State of Our Nation’s Youth study support five main findings. First, today’s youth maintain a strong optimism towards the country’s future. In an era when much of the information received from major media outlets emphasize a historically divisive political system and obstructionist tendencies among factions within our major political parties, it is easy to become cynical or lose hope in the direction the country is headed. However, since 2008, and following seven years of decline in young people’s outlook, feelings of optimism have been on the rise among youth. Importantly, accompanying their optimistic views, today’s young people express a noteworthy lack of trust and confidence in the federal government. It appears therefore that today’s high school students and recent graduates bring a critical perspective that holds the political system accountable for its shortcomings, while ultimately staying optimistic about our country’s future. HORATIO ALGER ASSOCIATION The State Of Our Nation’s Youth (cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144)(cid:144) ix