This report looks at the educational aspirations of Potential First Generation College Students – high school students who would be the first in their families to earn postsecondary degrees. Increasing attention has been devoted to First Generation College Students for good reason: They are currently the majority of U.S. college students (56% to be exact). As the U.S. economy depends on an adequate supply of highly skilled, highly trained workers, the success of First Generation College Students will be fundamental to society.

This report highlights the five most interesting survey findings when Potential First Generation College Students are compared to “Dual Legacies”—high school students who report both parents hold Bachelor’s Degrees.

A strong U.S. Manufacturing Sector has the potential to reduce the supply chain crisis, expand the middle class, and boost national security. Americans see manufacturing as vital to the U.S. economy. Manufacturing offers good pay and benefits. CTE Teachers across the nation agree Manufacturing holds great promise for their students and the nation. But a Skills Gap means too many of these jobs are going unfilled – more than 500K in 2021!

Today’s High School Students can help close the Skills Gap. Ask a CTE teacher how to get on track for a career in manufacturing that can strength the nation’s economy and boost your own opportunity for success.

Demand for workers with education beyond a high school diploma is growing – as the proportion of students opting to continue their education declines. A nationwide survey of high school students suggests this trend has concerning implications for both economic growth and civic life in the U.S.

Check out this infographic to learn more!

Today’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) attracts a broader cross-section of high school students than ever.

Findings from SRF’s Fall 2021 in-class survey of students in CTE classrooms across the nation illustrate that diversity. CTE students are headed to a wide array of post-secondary institutions. Despite their diverse plans, they most often take CTE to learn or improve skills.

Regardless of their future educational path or reason for taking CTE, students most frequently cite CTE as helping them understand the work environment and connect their academic studies with the “real world.”

Dig into the infographic for the stats!

Today’s high school students will soon assume adult responsibilities of citizens. A survey of these young Americans shows they feel empowered to affect people’s lives – particularly at the local level. But whether the focus is on the local or national level, fewer than half feel connected to their fellow citizens, follow the news, or feel obligated to participate in debate over issues.

How Much Do Teachers Love Teaching? Did you know that 1 in 6 public school teachers work second jobs during the school year. Check out the numbers behind our findings and why we believe teachers deserve to be paid their worth.

The economic future of of the US depends on navigating two waves of change: Skills in demand and Demographic change. What careers and industries will be effected most through changing times?

The 4Cs (collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity) can empower today’s students to thrive in tomorrow’s increasingly diverse and automated workforce.  However, female high school students see them as more valuable than males do to career success – even when they aspire to similar fields.

What does this gender gap mean for the workplace of the future?

The American Dream is the idea that any person can achieve success, regardless of where they start from. Aspiring to post-secondary education and thinking about future careers provides a foundation on which students can reach this Dream. However, not all students are thinking about future careers at the same rate. This infographic delves into the different groups of students who are thinking “Very Much” about their future careers, a step which empowers them to make the most out of their educational experiences and take steps toward achieving their own American Dream.

The future workplace will require a unique set of skills. Global Citizenship and the “Four Cs” (collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity) will be increasingly important as work more frequently spans national boundaries and automation takes over simple, routine tasks once solely performed by humans.

While a nationwide survey finds high school students overwhelmingly rate the 4Cs as highly important to success in their future careers, only one in three feel prepared for global citizenship. This infographic takes a close look at the attitudes of students who feel prepared for global citizenship, identifying areas of strength and growth opportunities.

This infographic offers good news to teachers looking to boost student engagement. First, it summarizes research identifying three key benefits of career goals for high school students. Second, it shows leveraging career goals to boost engagement may not be a heavy lift.

Why? Because a nationwide survey of high school students finds majorities of all demographic groups report giving considerable thought to their future careers. Whether there is little or lots of opportunity to talk about careers in class, connecting today’s classroom learning with students’ dreams of future careers may help students get the most from their return to normal.

Few high school students could have imagined longing for routine school days. Yet remote learning in Spring 2020 brought to life what mattered most to students, especially:

• classroom camaraderie
• forces fueling motivation
• boundaries around school

The Student Research Foundation (SRF) analyzed comments about remote learning U.S. high school students made on social media during Spring 2020. This infographic summarizes their insights about ways to fine-tune remote learning and boost student success in Fall 2020.

Between 2018 and 2028, the U.S. workforce will grow by 5.2%. The computing/IT sector will grow even more – 12.7%. Yet continued underrepresentation of women in the computing sector (26%) will reduce the talent pool and jeopardize the nation’s ability to fill these high-skilled, high-paying jobs. Will a new generation transform the computing sector?

High school students’ career aspirations foreshadow the future. This report analyzes data from a 2018 national survey of high school students, conducted by the Student Research Foundation. 74,149 students responded. Their attitudes identify prospects for gender equity and insights for interventions. See the report about Women & Girls in Computing here.

Learn how SRF surveys can help teachers boost student engagement.

The nation faces a teacher shortage. Previous research shows dissatisfaction contributes to teacher turnover and discourages today’s students from pursuing teaching careers. Teacher satisfaction matters.

SRF surveyed teachers nationwide about their satisfaction on 14 workplace factors. This infographic and report examines the complex relationship between teacher satisfaction with compensation and other aspects of their professional experiences. The 2385 teachers who responded were least often satisfied with salary and benefits. But it was not just about pay. The data suggest teacher dissatisfaction with salary may be symptomatic of the toll exacted from teachers and students when education is underfunded. See our blog post about Teacher Satisfaction here.

The demand for STEM professionals continues to grow, especially as forecasts show there will be 10.6 million STEM jobs by 2028. Attracting Gen Z Hispanics is imperative to the STEM workforce, because Hispanic adults are historically underrepresented and underutilized in the field.

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation and Student Research Foundation’s new report on Hispanics in STEM, a collaboration with the Research Consortium on STEM Career Pathways and Google, suggests that now is the time to embrace the next generation of Hispanic STEM leaders. Data show that Gen Z Hispanics are equally as interested in STEM subjects as historically over-represented groups, despite challenges. See our report and infographic for more on effective strategies for developing and furthering the STEM aspirations of today’s Hispanic students!

Today’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) attracts a broader cross-section of high school students than ever. Findings from SRF’s Fall 2019 in-class survey of students in CTE classrooms across the nation illustrate that diversity.

The overwhelming majority have at least a B average, plan to continue their education immediately after graduation, and are headed to a wide array of post-secondary institutions. They take CTE to learn skills and explore/prepare for careers. Regardless of educational path, students most frequently cite CTE as helping them understand the work environment and connecting their academic studies with the “real world.”