A Longitudinal Investigation of African American and Hispanic Adolescents’ Educational and Occupational Expectations and Corresponding Attainment in Adulthood



This report investigates the relationship between adolescent school and work expectations and adult educational and occupational outcomes among African American and Hispanic populations. The discussion is based on findings from a longitudinal study that reported school- and work-related expectations at the ages of 14, 16 and 18, and attainment at the ages of 20 and 26. Though relationships between expectations and outcomes differed in characteristics across gender and racial groups, the research indicates that, for all study participants, educational expectations did predict attainment – but that occupational expectations predicted attainment only among Hispanic females and males.