Determinants of School Enrollment and School Performance

Abstract

This paper investigates determinants of school enrollment and school performance of children in the United States. School enrollment here refers to whether a child is or is not enrolled in school, and school performance refers to whether an enrolled child is behind, with, or ahead of his age group in years of schooling completed. The investigation is based on data from the 1960 Census. Variables describing age, color, sex, rural-urban status, education of parents, and income of parents are used to explain variation in school enrollment and school performance across the school age population.