Js. Mahoney et Sr. Merritt, EDUCATIONAL HOPES OF BLACK-AND-WHITE HIGH-SCHOOL SENIORS IN VIRGINIA, The Journal of educational research, 87(1), 1993, pp. 31-38
This study presents exploratory research comparing college aspirations
and expectations of Black and White high school seniors in Virginia w
ho desire to attend college, (N = 40,848; Whites n = 33,006, or 81% of
total population; Blacks, n = 7,842, or 19%). Research questions inve
stigate how expectations and aspirations are influenced by (a) high sc
hool counseling, (b) perceived parental agreement with educational goa
ls, and (c) type of curriculum-college preparatory or other. Results i
ndicate that Black students use high school counseling to develop educ
ational goals significantly more than Whites do (p < .05). The races d
iffered significantly in the high school program in which they were en
rolled: Over 60% of White students and 40% of Black students were enro
lled in a college preparatory curriculum. Yet this did not produce a s
ignificant difference between the races in their educational expectati
ons even when they were enrolled in noncollege preparatory programs. P
olicy implications of these findings are addressed.