“A LONGITUDINAL INVESTIGATION OF THE 1997-98 AND 1998-99 NINTH GRADE STUDENT COHORTS”

The attached Research Brief is a follow-up to the previously released report, “A Longitudinal Investigation of the 1997-98 and 1998-99 Ninth Grade Student Cohorts, ” that examined the high school outcomes of Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) students who entered ninth grade for the first time during the 1997-98 and 1998-99 school years. The current study was prompted by the finding that mobile students were over three times less likely than non-mobile students to have received a standard diploma after four years. To expand on this finding, the mobile population of students was compared to the non-mobile population on factors such as ethnicity, gender, free or reduced price lunch (FRL) status, limited English proficiency (LEP), exceptional student education (ESE) status, and academic achievement. Some of the major findings from the investigation were: · Among the major ethnic groups, the mobility rate was highest for Black students, followed by Hispanic, White, and Asian students. · Male students were more likely to be mobile during their high school careers than were female students. · The mobility rate was the highest for the LEP students, followed by ESE and FRL students. · The mobile population of students registered lower academic achievement as measured by th