Appendix Table A1.
Control Variables
| Variable Description (Source) | Categorical Construction | Weighted Mean or Proportion | Proportion Imputed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | |||
| Categorical measure of student’s sex (ELS:2002) | Female | .53 | .00 |
| Male | .47 | ||
| Race/Ethnicity | |||
| Categorical measure of student’s race/ethnicity (ELS:2002) | White non-Hispanic | .60 | .00 |
| Black non-Hispanic | .12 | ||
| Hispanic | .13 | ||
| Asian/Pacific Islander | .10 | ||
| American Indian | .01 | ||
| More than one race | .05 | ||
| Family Structure | |||
| Categorical measure indicating family structure (ELS:2002) | Two biological parents | .64 | .09 |
| Stepfamily | .14 | ||
| Single-parent family | .20 | ||
| Other | .02 | ||
| Parental Education | |||
| Categorical measure indicating the highest level of education by either the mother or father (ELS:2002) | High school or less | .24 | .09 |
| Some college | .32 | ||
| Bachelor’s degree | .24 | ||
| Graduate/professional degree | .21 | ||
| Cognitive Ability | |||
| Standardized continuous composite based on scores from a reading and mathematics assessment in the 10th grade (ELS:2002) | N/A | 50 | .00 |
| Orientation Toward School | |||
| Categorical measure indicating the student’s educational expectations in the 10th grade (ELS:2002) | Does not expect a four-year degree | .80 | .05 |
| Expects a four-year degree | .20 | ||
| Orientation Toward Work | |||
| Categorical measure indicating employment in the 10th grade (ELS:2002) | Does not work | .45 | .19 |
| Works 20 or fewer hours per week | .42 | ||
| Works more than 20 hours per week | .13 | ||
| Size of the Local Youth Population | |||
| Continuous measure indicating the size of the population aged 15–24 living within the county of the sample member (2000 census) | N/A | 122,700 | .00 |
| Number of Local Colleges | |||
| Continuous measures of the number of postsecondary institutions located in a metropolitan area (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) | N/A | 3.39 | .00 |