Do GED Recipients Differ From Graduates and School Dropouts?

Abstract

The differences in income, crime, health, mental health, and substance use among high school dropouts, GED recipients, and high school graduates are investigated. The study sample is drawn from the Chicago Longitudinal Study (CLS), an ongoing investigation of a panel of low-income minority children who grew up in the inner city. After controlling for sociodemographic factors, early cognitive skills, and participation in postsecondary education, results indicate that there are significant differences between dropouts and GED recipients, and between GED recipients and high school graduates in the five aspects of quarterly income equal to or above average, life satisfaction, future optimism, symptoms of severe depression, and substance use.

Depressive Symptoms and Life Satisfaction Among Emerging Adults: A Comparison of High School Dropouts and Graduates

“…For example, using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 and the 4th follow-up panel collected in 2000, Chan et al (2003) found significant differences in life satisfaction, measured primarily in terms of work satisfaction, between dropouts who completed their high school education and those who did not. Similarly, Ou (2008), controlling for sociodemographic factors, early cognitive skills, and participation in postsecondary education, found significant differences in symptoms of serious depression, future optimism, and life satisfaction between high school graduates, dropouts that later received their GED, and dropouts without a GED. The current study will extend previous research exploring differences in mental health outcomes among drop outs, dropouts with GEDs or high school degrees, and graduates by exploring these associations during emerging adulthood.…”

“…Both life satisfaction and depression have been associated with dropping out of school (Chan et al 2003;Kaplan et al 1994;Ou 2008) and level of education (Herzog et al 1998;Suldo et al 2006). In general, leaving high school without graduating is a developmental transition associated with a more problematic life-course, including poorer employment outcomes (U.S. Department of Labor 2003;McCaul et al 1992), lower wages (Alliance for Excellent Education 2003), and higher levels of risky behaviors (Beauvais et al 1996), as well as poorer mental health outcomes (Kaplan et al 1994;Kortering et al 1997;Liem et al 2001;Ou 2008).…”

“…In general, leaving high school without graduating is a developmental transition associated with a more problematic life-course, including poorer employment outcomes (U.S. Department of Labor 2003;McCaul et al 1992), lower wages (Alliance for Excellent Education 2003), and higher levels of risky behaviors (Beauvais et al 1996), as well as poorer mental health outcomes (Kaplan et al 1994;Kortering et al 1997;Liem et al 2001;Ou 2008). For example, Kaplan et al (1994) found that not graduating increased the likelihood of depression, anxiety, and self-derogation.…”

Developmental dynamics between young adults’ life satisfaction and engagement with studies and work

“…However, despite the positive associations between life satisfaction and academic (e.g., achievement, competence, school satisfaction; Suldo, Riley, & Shaffer, 2006) and work outcomes (e.g., job performance, commitment), only a few studies have examined the associations between life satisfaction and academic- (Lewis et al, 2011) and work-related wellbeing (Erdogan et al, 2012). These studies have shown that most adolescents and young adults report positive global life satisfaction, although variation exists across domains; middle-school and high-school students typically report higher dissatisfaction with their school experiences compared to other life domains (Huebner, Drane, & Valois, 2000 (Ou, 2008). Among adult workers, life satisfaction is positively associated with several workrelated variables, such as organisational commitment and personal growth (Erdogan et al, 2012); some evidence suggests that life satisfaction is more strongly related to job performance than job satisfaction (Jones, 2006).…”

“…More specifically, and following the broaden-and-build theory (Fredrickson, 2001) we expected that life satisfaction predicts study/work engagement during the participants' second and third decade (H1), whereas study/work engagement predicts life satisfaction more prominently after the transition to higher education/work and during the participants' third decade (H2). In addition, we expected that males and students with high academic performance would experience higher levels of life satisfaction (H3) (Diseth et al, 2012;Ou, 2008). Finally, we expected that females and students following a vocational track or with high academic performance would experience higher levels of study/work engagement (H4) (Salmela-Aro & Upadyaya, 2012;.…”