Scottish Government

Linda Croxford
Centre for Educational Sociology
University of Edinburgh

ISBN 978 0 7559 7520 4 (Web only publication)

This document is also available in pdf format (436k)

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements
Executive Summary

1 Introduction

2 The Scottish School Leavers Surveys
Survey response, attrition and weighting
Constructing the time series datasets
Qualifications
Social Class
Comparison of parental social class with census data
Distribution of SSLS samples

3 The changing context of secondary schooling
Labour market changes
Changing perceptions of the role of women
Demographic change
Changes in curriculum and assessment
Other changes in education policy
Summary

4 Social segregation between schools
Trends in social segregation between schools
Summary

5 Overall trends in attainment and participation
Attainment in national examinations at age 16
Perceptions of school at age 16
Participation in full-time education post-16
Attainment in national examinations at age 18
Participation in education at age 18
Summary

6 Inequalities by gender, family background, school characteristics and location
Evidence from recent SSLS special studies and the EYT project
Changing inequalities over time
New analysis of inequalities over time
Inequalities in attainment at age 16
Year
Sex
Social Class
Parents' education
Parents' main activity
Family structure
School type and socio-economic characteristics
School location
Inequalities in attainment at age 18
Overall trends over time
Sex
Social class
Parents' education
Parents' main activity
Family structure
School type and socio-economic characteristics
School location
Summary

7 Discussion
Changing context
Changing experience and outcomes
Changing inequalities

8 References

A1 Appendix 1: Modelling segregation
Differences in segregation across Scotland

A2 Appendix 2: Modelling Inequalities in Attainment
Inequalities in attainment at age 16
Overall trends over time
Sex
Social Class
Parents' education
Parents' main activity
Family structure
School type and socio-economic characteristics
School location
Inequalities in attainment at age 18
Overall trends over time
Sex
Social class
Parents' education
Parents' main activity
Family structure
School type and socio-economic characteristics
School location

CONTENTS OF TABLES

Table 2.1 Scottish School Leavers Survey: youth cohort time series
Table 2.2 SSLS: Respondents as % of initial target sample
Table 2.3 Comparison of un-weighted and weighted sample of the 2002 SSLS cohort by sex and Standard Grade attainment
Table 2.4 Comparison of un-weighted and weighted sample of the 2002 SSLS cohort by sex and social class
Table 2.5 Equivalence of qualifications at age 16
Table 2.6 Equivalence of post-16 qualifications
Table 2.7 Socio-economic classification of occupations of parents of SSLS samples (weighted)
Table 2.8 Scotland only: Comparison of social class distributions from Census 1991 and 2001 with Scottish School Leavers Surveys
Table 6.1 Summary of inequalities at age 16
Table 6.2 Summary of inequalities at age 18
Table A2.1 Factors influencing Standard grade attainment score at age 16 (estimates from regression model)
Table A2.2 Factors influencing UCAS tariff score at age 18/19 (estimates from regression model)

CONTENTS OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1 Urban-rural distribution of SSLS samples
Figure 2.2 Types of school attended by SSLS samples
Figure 3.1 Young people's main activity at age 16
Figure 3.2 Main activity of mother (%)
Figure 3.3 Mother's occupational social class (%)
Figure 5.1 Highest level of Standard Grade awards achieved by each cohort of young people at the end of S4
Figure 5.2 Young people's perceptions of school by S4 attainment band
Figure 5.3 % stayed on in full-time education at school or college for 1st post-compulsory year-stage
Figure 5.4 Young people in full-time education post-16 by S4 attainment band (%)
Figure 5.5 Highest SCQF level achieved by age 18
Figure 5.6 Young people in education at age 18 by S4 attainment band (%)
Figure 6.1 Average Standard Grade score at age 16 by sex
Figure 6.2 Average Standard Grade score at age 16 by social class
Figure 6.3 Average Standard Grade score at age 16 by sex and social class
Figure 6.4 Average UCAS tariff achieved at age 18 by sex and social class
Figure A1.1 Segregation of lower social class pupils (working class + unclassified) by cohort and area (Index derived from variance ratio with 95% confidence intervals)

The views expressed in the report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Scottish Government or any other organisation(s) by which the author(s) is/are employed.

The Scottish Government is making this research report available on-line in order to provide access to its contents for those interested in the subject. The Scottish Government commissioned the research but has not exercised editorial control over the report.