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With support from The College Board GE Foundation The George Gund Foundation W.K. Kellogg Foundation KnowledgeWorks Foundation Prepared by EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Life after High School Young People Talk about Their Hopes and Prospects

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With support from

The College BoardGE FoundationThe George Gund FoundationW.K. Kellogg FoundationKnowledgeWorks Foundation

Prepared by

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Life after High SchoolYoung People Talkabout Their Hopes and Prospects

© 2005 Public Agenda

Unauthorized duplication of this executive summary

is a violation of copyright.

Design: Sundberg & Associates Inc

ISBN: 1-889483-86-9

Funding for this project was provided by

The College Board,

GE Foundation,

The George Gund Foundation,

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

and KnowledgeWorks Foundation.

A report from Public Agenda

by Jean Johnson and Ann Duffett

with Amber Ott

THE FULL REPORT, EXPANDING UPON THIS SUMMARY, IS AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD AT:WWW.PUBLICAGENDA.ORG

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Life after High SchoolYoung People Talkabout Their Hopes and Prospects

4 LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL © 2005 Public Agenda

Life after High School: Young People Talk about Their Hopesand Prospects is a large-scale examination of the aspirationsand experiences of America’s young adults ages 18 through 25.

Commissioned by The College Board, GE Foundation, TheGeorge Gund Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation andKnowledgeWorks Foundation, Life after High School is an in-depth study based on a national random sample telephonesurvey of young adults, along with focus groups in California,New Jersey, Texas and Wisconsin (see Methodology for moredetails). The study sample of more than 1,300 young peopleincludes those who have bachelor’s and associate’s degrees, thosewho have graduated from vocational and technical schools,those who never went on to higher education or who droppedout, those who are full-time students, and thosewho are immersed in the world of work. PublicAgenda, a nonpartisan research and citizeneducation group, designed and conducted thestudy and prepared this summary of the results.

Paths DivergingA number of key questions propelled thisresearch. We wanted to learn what lies behindthe fundamental and sometimes life-alteringchoices young people make during the yearsafter high school. What, for example, influencestheir decision to continue schooling or to look for a job? Whatbeliefs and assumptions guide them? What constraints limitthem? What roles do financial reality, family expectations andsocial context play? Are there individuals who step in to helpand encourage them as they search for their own best path?Or, do many young people fall into their future as much bychance as by design?

Given the long-lingering educational and income inequitiesthat affect so many minority youngsters, we were especiallyinterested in learning more about the expectations and experi-ences of young people in different racial and ethnic groups.

Consequently, the study also included analysis of the perspectivesof young adults in four key groups – African Americans, Hispanicor Latino Americans, Asian Americans and white Americans.1

Decisions, Dreams and BarriersFor many, the most heartening message from Life after HighSchool will be that the vast majority of today’s young adults –be they African American, Hispanic, Asian American orwhite – believe strongly in the value of going to college afterhigh school. Most see higher education as a way to both earn society’s respect and insure career advancement and financialsecurity. As one young man, a college-bound African American,put it: “I’m going to just have a better life. Basically, that’s themain reason [I am going on to college].”2

Some experts have voiced concerns that someAfrican American youngsters underestimate theimportance of higher education, or that toomany look down on it as irrelevant or “actingwhite.”3 But the survey for Life after High Schooldemonstrates convincingly that large majoritiesof all young adults aspire to better themselvesthrough education. Regardless of race or ethnicbackground, regardless of their parents’income or educational attainment, regardlessof whether they themselves go on to college or

not, most young Americans believe that continuing to studyafter high school is an advantageous step.

Trading Down in EducationEven so, the reality is that roughly 1 in 3 young Americans do not go on to any form of higher education, and many ofthose who do, don’t end up graduating, according to the U.S.Census.4 In fact, rates for successful college completion havenot changed appreciably in recent years. Life after HighSchool explores the complex set of reasons that may underliethis finding. Not surprisingly, affordability is a major factor,one that affects both whether young people continue their

Study at a Glance

1 We recognize that there are different preferences concerning the use of “Latino” and “Hispanic.” In this report we use the term “Hispanic,” because, according to surveys by the U.S. Census, this is the preference of majorities in this group. It is also the terminology the Census itself uses.

2 Unless otherwise specified, the term “college” as used in this report refers to the full range of post-secondary educational options, including 2-year colleges, 4-year col-leges and technical schools.

3 Researchers have suggested that the academic achievement of African American students is hindered by a fear of the label “acting white,” earned for superior performancein or too much attention to academic work. John Ogbu, from the University of California, Berkeley, is one oft-cited anthropologist whose theories on the subject havebeen cited by such prominent figures as Bill Cosby and Senator Barack Obama (Steptoe, Sonja and Ann Arbor. “Closing the Gap,” Time Magazine 29 Nov 2004).

See also, “The Year in Ideas,” The New York Times, 12 Dec 2004.

4 Sixty-four percent of students enroll in college immediately after graduation. Of those, 63% graduate within six years (Current Population Survey U.S. Census 2002).

Most see higher

education as a way to

both earn society’s

respect and insure

career advancement

and financial security.

LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL 5

education and which school they attend. Notably, most AfricanAmerican and Hispanic young adults who do go on to collegereport that they would have attended a different school ifmoney had not been a consideration. About half of AsianAmerican youngsters say this is true for them as well.

Life after High School also explores the precarious careertrack of young adults who enter the workforcewithout any higher education or after droppingout of college, and it sheds some light on whyyoung men are less likely to continue theirschooling than young women are. Accordingto the survey, the large majority of these youngpeople are in their jobs by chance, not by specific choice, and they are substantially lesslikely than those with degrees to see their current job as the opening to a future career.

New Answers, New QuestionsLife after High School offers thought-provoking answers to somepersistent questions about young Americans’ aspirations andwhether families, teachers, mentors, and others successfullyinspire them to believe in education’s ability to improve theirlives. Most young people have absorbed the “you’ve got to go tocollege” message. Many are acting on it in their personal lives.

But the study also raises some troubling questions. With suchwidespread belief in higher education, why do so many young

people still miss out on it? With so much emphasis on higherstandards in high school, why do so many young people stillsay their high school should have done more to get them ready?And how much of a factor is affordability? According to theyoung people surveyed here, high tuition costs are still a dealkiller for many who might otherwise continue their education.

Finally, few would deny that many individualsshape constructive, honorable and satisfyinglives without higher education, and there is auseful debate about whether all young peopleneed or will even tolerate more schooling afterhigh school. Even so, it is worth asking howcomfortable we are with the haphazard, “letthe chips fall where they may” career path somany young people who are not in collegeseem to be pursuing.

For the vast majority of youngsters, it seemswe have been successful in inspiring a goal. Whether we alsoprovide the real-life, down-to-earth assistance, mentoring andguidance they need to work toward it is another matter. Andwhether we match young adults’ belief in attending collegewith equal success in completing their degrees is an even morechallenging question. At Public Agenda, our hope is that Lifeafter High School will move the conversation about higher education on to some of these eminently practical and veryimportant matters.

The findings in Life after High School: Young People Talk about Their Hopes and Prospects are based on telephone interviewswith a national random sample of 1000 young adults aged 18 through 25, plus oversamples to ensure totals of 200 AfricanAmerican, Hispanic and Asian American young adults. Interviews were conducted between August 14 and September 4, 2004.The survey was preceded by five focus groups and in-depth interviews with a variety of experts in the field.

The margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points for the sample (n=1,000). It is plus or minus six percentage pointsfor the subgroups of African American (n=200), Hispanic (n=200) and Asian American (n=200) young adults, and plus orminus five percentage points for the subgroup of non-Hispanic, white young people (n=740). Please note that the margin oferror is higher when comparing percentages across subgroups with smaller sample sizes.

The survey instrument was designed by Public Agenda, and Public Agenda is solely responsible for all analysis and interpretationof the data. Survey Sampling, Inc. supplied the sample, and the survey was fielded by Robinson and Muenster Associates, Inc.A more detailed methodology and the Complete Survey Results can be found in the full report, available for download atwww.publicagenda.org.

Methodology

It seems we have been

successful in inspiring

a goal, but whether

we also provide the

assistance they need

to work toward it is

another matter.

6 LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL © 2005 Public Agenda

FINDING ONE: High Hopes

The vast majority of young adults recognizethe value of a college degree% who agree with the following statements:*

It’s easier to move up in a company when you have a college degree

AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISPANIC

ASIAN AMERICAN

WHITE, NON-HISPANIC

In the long run, you will make more money if you have a college degree

AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISPANIC

ASIAN AMERICAN

WHITE, NON-HISPANIC

Going to college gives people time to figure out what theyreally want to do

AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISPANIC

ASIAN AMERICAN

WHITE, NON-HISPANIC

People respect you more when they know you've graduatedfrom college

AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISPANIC

ASIAN AMERICAN

WHITE, NON-HISPANIC

College helps prepare you for the real world

AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISPANIC

ASIAN AMERICAN

WHITE, NON-HISPANIC

89%94%

89%92%

84%90%

92%88%

76%88%90%

85%

77%81%

85%81%

78%76%76%

73%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

89%94%

89%92%

84%90%

92%88%

76%88%90%

85%

77%81%

85%81%

78%76%76%

73%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

89%94%

89%92%

84%90%

92%88%

76%88%90%

85%

77%81%

85%81%

78%76%76%

73%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

89%94%

89%92%

84%90%

92%88%

76%88%90%

85%

77%81%

85%81%

78%76%76%

73%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

89%94%

89%92%

84%90%

92%88%

76%88%90%

85%

77%81%

85%81%

78%76%76%

73%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

*NOTE: Question wording in charts may be slightly edited for space. Full question wordingand answer categories are available at Public Agenda’s website, www.publicagenda.org.Percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding or the omission of some answer categories.

Young African Americans and Hispanics areless likely to say that nearly all their friendsgo on to college…

In your circle of friends, how many would you say are goingto college or have gone to college?

Virtually all Most Some Only a few or none

30%

20%

54%

37%

26% 29

%27

% 31%

17%

19%

12% 16

%

28% 32

%7%

16%

50

37.5

0

25

12.5

75

81.25 93.7568.7556.25

18.75

43.75

31.25

87.5

62.5

100

! AFRICAN AMERICAN

! HISPANIC

! ASIAN AMERICAN

! WHITE, NON-HISPANIC

…But they are more likely to say that theirfriends are impressed by someone with a college degree

In your circle of friends, what do most people think aboutsomeone who graduates from college?

Most people are really impressed

AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISPANIC

ASIAN AMERICAN

WHITE, NON-HISPANIC

It is something they look down on

AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISPANIC

ASIAN AMERICAN

WHITE, NON-HISPANIC

It is just something routine and expected

AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISPANIC

ASIAN AMERICAN

WHITE, NON-HISPANIC

46%53%

29%27%

7%3%

1%2%

46%41%

70%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.7556.2543.7531.25

87.562.5 100

68%

46%53%

29%27%

7%3%

1%2%

46%41%

70%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.7556.2543.7531.25

87.562.5 100

68%

46%53%

29%27%

7%3%

1%2%

46%41%

70%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.7556.2543.7531.25

87.562.5 100

68%

Most young Americans are optimistic about their futures and, regardless of race or ethnic background,believe that attending college makes a genuine and significant difference in how people fare in theworld. Although young African Americans and Hispanics are less likely to have college-educated parentsor acquaintances, they are more likely than their Asian American or white peers to say that graduatingfrom college is seen as an impressive accomplishment among their circle of friends.

LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL 7

FINDING TWO: Someone to Watch Over MeVast majorities of young adults – across all racial and ethnic groups – say their parents and teachersencouraged them to aim for college. But large numbers also report that there were not enough counselors in their own high school, and young adults are divided on the degree to which they receivedindividualized guidance from them.

Most young people have had someone whohas inspired and encouraged them% of young adults who say that:

They had a teacher or coach in high school who really inspiredthem and motivated them to do their best

AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISPANIC

ASIAN AMERICAN

WHITE, NON-HISPANIC

They had a teacher who really took an interest in them personally and encouraged them to go to college

AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISPANIC

ASIAN AMERICAN

WHITE, NON-HISPANIC

Their parents strongly expected them to go to college

AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISPANIC

ASIAN AMERICAN

WHITE, NON-HISPANIC

5%There were toomany counselors

There were toofew counselors

The ratio of counselors tostudents was about right

1%There were no counselors [Voluntary Response]

41%

53%

The counselorsusually made aneffort to reallyget to know meand to treat meas an individual

I usually felt like I was justanother face in the crowd

52%

47%

79%70%

69%76%

74%69%

63%66%

61%59%

86%63%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

79%70%

69%76%

74%69%

63%66%

61%59%

86%63%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

79%70%

69%76%

74%69%

63%66%

61%59%

86%63%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

…School counselors were often in short supply…

Thinking about the number of students in your high school,would you say that:

…And the quality of counseling gets mixed reviews

8 LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL © 2005 Public Agenda

FINDING THREE: Just What Can I Afford?Despite believing in higher education and getting encouragement from parents, teachers and others,many young people compromise, or set this goal aside because of finances. Lack of money is not theonly reason young adults don’t go on to college, but it is a recurring theme, especially among AfricanAmericans and Hispanics. And the money dilemma continues even for those who do get their foot in thecollege door. The majority of African Americans and Hispanics – and about half of Asian Americans – saythat they would have gone to a different school if money were not a consideration.

About half of young people who don’t go onto college say that they couldn’t afford it

I didn’t go to/continue with college because:

I wanted to work and make money

I couldn’t afford it

I had too many other responsibilities

I had enough of school and didn't want to go anymore

My grades were too low

My career goals didn't require a college degree

BASE: Dropped out or never went to a 2-year or 4-year college (n=342)

46%

49%

28%

24%

24%

46%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25

93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

46%

49%

28%

24%

24%

46%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25

93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

46%

49%

28%

24%

24%

46%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25

93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

46%

49%

28%

24%

24%

46%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25

93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

46%

49%

28%

24%

24%

46%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25

93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

46%

49%

28%

24%

24%

46%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25

93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

Young African Americans and Hispanics areless confident that qualified students cangenerally find money for college

% who say that the vast majority of people who want to goto college and are qualified can find a way to pay for it

AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISPANIC

ASIAN AMERICAN

WHITE, NON-HISPANIC

And most say they would have gone to a different school if money were not an issue

% who say that If financial concerns were not an issue,they would have chosen a different school to go to afterhigh school

AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISPANIC

ASIAN AMERICAN

WHITE, NON-HISPANIC

BASE: Have attended any higher education or just starting(African American n=141, Hispanic n=136, Asian American n=174, White n=592)

46%45%

54%59%

59%58%

51%40%

76%88%

90%85%

77%81%

85%81%

78%76%76%

73%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

46%45%

54%59%

59%58%

51%40%

76%88%

90%85%

77%81%

85%81%

78%76%76%

73%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

Many young people who continue on tohigher education say schools and teachersshould have done more to prepare them

% who say that high school teachers and classes shouldhave done more to prepare them for college-level work

AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISPANIC

ASIAN AMERICAN

WHITE, NON-HISPANIC

BASE: Have attended a 2-year or 4-year college(African American n=115, Hispanic n=120, Asian American n=151, White n=507)

51%48%

44%39%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL 9

FINDING FOUR: No Degree, No Problem?While the overwhelming majority of young adults recognize the value and importance of highereducation, most young adults also believe that college is not for everyone. Young men are especially likelyto see merit in a non-college path. But the experiences of those who either don’t go to college or who dropout suggest that the alternative path is hardly clear and purposeful. Most young workers who don’t completedegrees say they are in their current jobs by chance and relatively few see their current work as the pathto a real career. This group is also more likely to report that they could have worked harder in high school.

Most young workers without degrees saythey are in their jobs by chance, and few seetheir current job as a career

% of employed young adults who say that their current job:

Was chosen Is a career Is a stepping- Is just a job by chance stone to a to get by

career

! HAVE A DEGREE* ! NO DEGREE

BASE: Currently employed full-time or part-time (n=691)

56%

70%

32%

15%

41%

37%

26%

48%

7%

7%3%

1%2%

46%41%

70%

50

37.5

0

25

12.5

75

81.25 93.7568.7556.25

18.75

43.75

31.25

56.25

87.5

62.5

100

68%

56%

70%

32%

15%

41%

37%

26%

48%

7%

7%3%

1%2%

46%41%

70%

50

37.5

0

25

12.5

75

81.25 93.7568.7556.25

18.75

43.75

31.25

56.25

87.5

62.5

100

68%

56%

70%

32%

15%

41%

37%

26%

48%

7%

7%3%

1%2%

46%41%

70%

50

37.5

0

25

12.5

75

81.25 93.7568.7556.25

18.75

43.75

31.25

56.25

87.5

62.5

100

68%

56%

70%

32%

15%

41%

37%

26%

48%

7%

7%3%

1%2%

46%41%

70%

50

37.5

0

25

12.5

75

81.25 93.7568.7556.25

18.75

43.75

31.25

56.25

87.5

62.5

100

68%

Young people without degrees are more likely to say schools and teachers should havedone more to prepare them, and most alsoadmit that they could have worked harder in high school

% of young adults who say that:

! HAVE A DEGREE* ! NO DEGREE

38%

48%

47% 54

% 62%

78%

7%

50

37.5

0

25

12.5

75

81.25 93.7568.7556.25

18.75

43.75

31.25

56.25

87.5

62.5

100

38%

48%

47% 54

% 62%

78%

7%

50

37.5

0

25

12.5

75

81.25 93.7568.7556.25

18.75

43.75

31.25

56.25

87.5

62.5

100

38%

48%

47% 54

% 62%

78%

7%

50

37.5

0

25

12.5

75

81.25 93.7568.7556.25

18.75

43.75

31.25

56.25

87.5

62.5

100

Their high schoolteachers and classes should havedone a lot more toprepare them for college level work or the workplace

Their highschool teachersmade it easy todo just enoughto get by

They could havepaid a lot moreattention andworked harder in high school

Young workers without degrees are less likelyto say their families expected them to go onto college after high school

% of employed young adults who say their parentsstrongly expected them to go to college:

! HAVE A DEGREE* ! NO DEGREE

67%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

40%32%

Young men more attracted to work right afterhigh school

% who say they:

Went to college because they really enjoy being in school

YOUNG WOMEN

YOUNG MEN

Didn’t continue with college because they had enough ofschool and didn’t want to go any more

YOUNG WOMEN

YOUNG MEN

BASE: Ever went to a 2-year or 4-year college or just starting

Didn’t continue with college because they wanted to workand make money

YOUNG WOMEN

YOUNG MEN

BASE: Dropped out or never went to a 2-year or 4-year college

42%56%

69%58%

22%32%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

Finding Four*Chart 1.D [Bar Charts]/[Title] Young wom en have positive views on schooling/% who say they:[Q26] typically got As in high school45% Young women32% Young men

[Q44] went to college because they really enjoy being in school32% Young women22% Young men

[Q39] didn't continue with college because they had enough of school a32% Young women22% Young men

42%56%

69%58%

22%32%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

Finding Four*Chart 1.D [Bar Charts]/[Title] Young wom en have positive views on schooling/% who say they:[Q26] typically got As in high school45% Young women32% Young men

[Q44] went to college because they really enjoy being in school32% Young women22% Young men

[Q39] didn't continue with college because they had enough of school a32% Young women22% Young men

42%56%

69%58%

22%32%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

Finding Four*Chart 1.D [Bar Charts]/[Title] Young wom en have positive views on schooling/% who say they:[Q26] typically got As in high school45% Young women32% Young men

[Q44] went to college because they really enjoy being in school32% Young women22% Young men

[Q39] didn't continue with college because they had enough of school a32% Young women22% Young men

* Includes those who have completed a 4-year college, 2-year college orvocational school program

* Includes those who have completed a 4-year college, 2-year college orvocational school program

* Includes those who have completed a 4-year college, 2-year college orvocational school program

10 LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL © 2005 Public Agenda

FINDING FIVE: On the RoadYoung Americans who do go on to college – whether a 4-year or 2-year institution – are convincedthat their efforts will give them a leg up on a good career. The vast majority say their parents instilled theimportance of college in them, and large numbers say they enjoy being in school. Most African American,Hispanic and Asian American young people expect to surpass their parents’ standard of living; their whitepeers, however, are more divided on whether they will do better than their parents have financially.

Most young adults who go on to college havesupportive parents and specific jobs in mind

% of young adults who say they went to college because:

Their parents always instilled in them the importance of college

The job they want specifically requires it

They really enjoy being in school

They really didn't know what they wanted to do after high school

Most of their friends were going

BASE: Ever went to a 2-year or 4-year college or just starting (n=754)

86%

77%

33%

28%

64%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

86%

77%

33%

28%

64%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

86%

77%

33%

28%

64%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

86%

77%

33%

28%

64%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

86%

77%

33%

28%

64%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

Most young people are optimistic abouttheir financial future, but African Americans,Hispanics and Asian Americans are especially sowhen compared to their white peers

% of young people who think they will be financially betteroff than their parents:

AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISPANIC

ASIAN AMERICAN

WHITE, NON-HISPANIC

74%72%75%

57%

5037.50 2512.5 7581.25 93.7568.75

87.562.5 100

Public Agenda

OFFICERS

Daniel Yankelovich Chairman, Co-Founder

Sidney Harman Chairman, Executive Committee

CO-FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN

Cyrus Vance 1976-1999

MEMBER EMERITUS

Frank Stanton Former President, CBS

Ruth A. Wooden President

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Richard DanzigFormer Secretary of the Navy

Alice S. HuangCalifornia Institute of Technology

Bobby R. InmanAdmiral, U.S. Navy (Retired)

David MathewsKettering Foundation

Lloyd MorrisettFormer President, Markle Foundation

Judith Davidson MoyersPublic Affairs Television, Inc.

Peter G. PetersonThe Blackstone Group

Lois Dickson RiceThe Brookings Institution

Alice RivlinThe Brookings Institution

Max StierPartnership for Public Service

Deborah WadsworthSenior Advisor, Public Agenda

Public Agenda

6 East 39th Street

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-6610

Fax: (212) 889-3461

Web site: www.publicagenda.org

Price: $5.00

ISBN: 1-889483-86-9

PUBLIC AGENDA

Public Agenda is a nonprofit organization dedicated to nonpartisan public policy research.

Founded in 1975 by former U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and Daniel Yankelovich, the social

scientist and author, Public Agenda is well respected for its influential public opinion surveys and

balanced citizen education materials. Its mission is to inject the public’s voice into crucial policy

debates. Public Agenda seeks to inform leaders about the public’s views and to engage citizens

in discussing complex policy issues.