High School Transcript Study (HSTS) Reporting Groups

Results are provided for groups of graduates defined by shared characteristics—gender, race or ethnicity, student-reported highest level of parental education, grade level, and grade point average quartile. In addition, two school level variables are reported—school minority status and school location. Based on criteria for participation rates, results are reported for subpopulations only when sufficient numbers of students and adequate school representation are present. The minimum requirement is at least 62 students in a particular group from at least five primary sampling units (PSUs). However, the data for all students, regardless of whether their group was reported separately, were included in computing overall results. Explanations of the reporting groups are presented below.

Gender
Results are reported separately for males and females.

Race/Ethnicity
HSTS reports of graduates' race and ethnicity are based on school records, with students' self-reports used only if school data are missing. Four mutually exclusive racial/ethnic categories are reported: White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander. The number of American Indian/Alaska Native students in the HSTS was not sufficiently large to provide reliable estimates of their results.

Parental Education
Parents' highest level of education is defined by the highest level reported by twelfth-graders for either parent.

Grade Level
Grade level, or year in school, is defined as freshman year (grade 9), sophomore year (grade 10), junior year (grade 11), and senior year (grade 12).

College Expectations
College expectations is defined as “does not expect to graduate from college” and “does expect to graduate from college,” as reported by students on the NAEP science student questionnaire.

GPA Quartiles
GPA quartiles are reported for Total GPA, Mathematics GPA, and Science GPA. The range of GPAs for each quartile is as follows:

Total GPA
Top 25% = 3.4332 - 4.0000
Third 25% = 2.9801 - 3.4331
Second 25% = 2.5438 - 2.9800
Bottom 25% = 0.0000 - 2.5437

Mathematics GPA
Top 25% = 3.2000 - 4.0000
Third 25% = 2.6250 - 3.1999
Second 25% = 2.0001 - 2.6249
Bottom 25% = 0.0000 - 2.0000

Science GPA
Top 25% = 3.2700 - 4.0000
Third 25% = 2.6700 - 3.2699
Second 25% = 2.0001 - 2.6699
Bottom 25% = 0.0000 - 2.0000

School Location
Results are provided for students attending schools in five mutually exclusive location types—large city, mid-sized city, urban fringe, town, and rural—as defined below. The type of location variable is defined in such a way as to indicate the geographical location of a student's school. There is no intention to indicate or imply social or economic meanings for these location types.

Large City: A principal city of a Metropolitan Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA), with the city having a population greater than or equal to 250,000;

Mid-sized City: A principal city of a Metropolitan CBSA, with the city having a population less than 250,000;

Urban Fringe: Any incorporated place, Census designated place, or non-place territory within a Metropolitan CBSA of a Large or Mid-sized City and defined as urban by the Census Bureau;

Town: An incorporated place or Census designated place with a population greater than or equal to 2,500 and located outside a Metropolitan CBSA or inside a Micropolitan CBSA; and

Rural: Any incorporated place, Census designated place, or non-place territory defined as rural by the Census Bureau.

School Minority Status
School minority status is a measure of the level of historically disadvantaged minority student groups being served by schools participating in the HSTS, specifically Black and Hispanic students. Low minority schools have less than 5 percent disadvantaged minority students. Medium minority schools have 5 to 50 percent disadvantaged minority students. High minority schools have over 50 percent disadvantaged minority students.