The Education Department published a report this spring entitled Parent Expectations and Planning for College. This report is based on survey questions answered by parents of both middle school and high school students about their children and planning for college.
All parents want their children to have a good job that will support them and their families. The next question is do all parents understand the importance of post-secondary education is in getting such jobs?
Some of the findings are interesting. The report suggests that parents of home-schoolers had the lowest expectations for their children to go to college. Parents of privately-schooled children have the highest expectations for college attendance. It was also found that people whose children were born outside the United States had a higher expectation of their children’s going to college than those whose children were born here. In the same way, people who speak a language other than English have higher aspirations for their children than those who only speak English.
The bottom line is all students need encouragement to attend college. This report suggests that schools and communities need to heighten expectations and lend more encouragement to all students in conjunction with at-home expectations.
If you are a parent and want to raise your child’s future aspirations, please check with your school’s guidance department for information about financial and application assistance. If you are a student whose parents have not been encouraging you to attend college, you, too, need to speak with your guidance counselor, but also ask around for teacher guidance, help from the social worker, and advice from employers. Everyone can help advise, and many can help to put you in touch with agencies that can offer assistance.
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