Appendix 11: Collection of the Transcript Data (High School)

Appendix 11: Collection of the Transcript Data (High School)

Notes on Transcript Survey Variables

Transcript Survey variables can be found in the NLSY97 data set by browsing through the "transcript survey" area of interest or by searching for question names with the prefix TRANS_. This section provides supplemental notes not included in the codebook about individual transcript variables.

Table 6. Additional information about Transcript Survey variables

Question name (all begin with TRANS_) and reference number(s) Variable title and notes
CRS_CODE.xx
R97128.-R97251.
Course Code xx
Courses are numbered approximately as they appeared on the high school transcript. The course number has no content except to identify the course uniquely. Because terms are numbered approximately chronologically, course numbers and term numbers may not increase in tandem. Information on the Secondary School Taxonomy - Revised (SST-R) is available on the National Center for Education Statistics website, http://nces.ed.gov. Note that researchers must use the crosswalk provided above to compare the NLSY97 course codes to the SST-R.
CRS_CREDIT.xx
R97252.-R97375.
Credits Earned for Course xx
Credits earned are listed in the units provided by the school and are not necessarily comparable across schools. Some schools may award 1 credit for a one-year course, while others award credits according to the number of hours per week that the course meets. Course credits within a term may not sum to the credits earned for the term due to additional credits from non-coursework activities (e.g., community service, yearbook, etc.), or because of credit accumulation rules that involve multiple courses. For example, all religion courses may be worth .5 credits, but a student may face a ceiling of 2 credits earned from religion courses across all high school terms.
CRS_GRADE_RECODE_STATUS.xx
R97376.-R97499.
Recoding Status of Grade for Course xx
See "Course Grades" discussion under Data Entry and Processing above.
CRS_GRADE.xx
R97500.-R97623.
Recoded Quality Grade xx
See "Course Grades" discussion under Data Entry and Processing above.
CRS_TERM_NU.xx
R97624.-R97747.
Course Term Number xx
Because terms are numbered approximately chronologically while courses are numbered approximately as they appeared on the transcript, course numbers and term numbers may not increase in tandem. The term number has no content except to identify the term uniquely.
TERM_CREDIT.xx
R97748.-R97765.
Credits Earned in Term xx
Credits earned are listed in the units provided by the school and are not necessarily comparable across schools. Some schools may award 1 credit for a one-year course, while others award credits according to the number of hours per week that the course meets. Course credits within a term may not sum to the credits earned for the term due to additional credits from non-coursework activities (e.g., community service, yearbook, etc.), or because of credit accumulation rules that involve multiple courses. For example, all religion courses may be worth .5 credits, but a student may face a ceiling of 2 credits earned from religion courses across all high school terms.
TERM_START_DATE.xx
R97856.-R97873.01
Month, Year Term Started xx
Calendar month and year listed on transcript for start of term. If only one date was associated with a term and a start or end date could not be determined, that date appears in TERM_END_DATE.xx. Term dates may overlap if a youth transferred from one school to another mid-session, or in rare cases, with simultaneous enrollment in a vocational school, alternative school program or community college.
TERM_END_DATE.xx
R97766.-R97783.01
Month, Year Term Ended xx
Calendar month and year listed on transcript for end of term. If only one date was associated with a term and a start or end date could not be determined, that date appears as the end date. Term dates may overlap if a youth transferred from one school to another mid-session, or in rare cases, with simultaneous enrollment in a vocational school, alternative school program or community college.
TERM_GRADE.xx
R97784.-R97801.
Grade Level for Term xx
The grade level (e.g., 10, 11, etc.) in which the youth was enrolled during term xx.
TERM_SCH_NU.xx
R97802.-R97819.
School Number for Term xx
The ID of the school in which the youth was enrolled in term xx. Corresponds only to variables SCH_CAT.xx and not to other school IDs in the NLSY97 youth data. School number 01 indicates the school from which the transcript was received. A school number greater than 01 indicates transferred coursework.
TERM_SEASON.xx
R97820.-R97837.
Term Season xx
Calendar season or other term designation of term xx. Note, when the term structure did not correspond to a season, a term type designation was assigned to maintain a chronological progression.
TERM_YEAR.xx
R97838.-R97855.01
Term Year xx
Calendar year of term xx designation. May not match TERM_END_DATE.xx or TERM_START_DATE.xx, as in Fall 2000 term ending in January 2001.
SCH_CAT.xx
R97874.-R97885.
Course Catalog Received xx
Marked 'yes' if a course catalog was available from the school during the course coding process. May indicate higher reliability of SST-R code assigned in CRS_CODE.xx. Can be linked to CRS_CODE.xx through term number of course (CRS_TERM_NU.xx) and school number of term (TERM_SCH_NU.xx). School numbers link only to TERM_SCH_NU.xx variable and not to other school IDs in the NLSY97 youth data. School number 01 indicates the school from which the transcript was received, generally the most recent school of enrollment. A school number greater than 01 indicates transferred coursework.
SPECIAL_ED
R97886.
Participated in Special Ed
Marked yes if sampled school indicated on Student Request list that youth was enrolled in special education courses. Pertains to School 01.
BILING_ED
R97887.
Participated in Bilingual Ed
Marked yes if sampled school indicated on Student Request list that youth was enrolled in bilingual education courses. Pertains to School 01.
GIFTED_CRS
R97888.
Participated in Gifted Courses Program
Marked yes if sampled school indicated on Student Request list that youth was enrolled in a gifted courses program. Pertains to School 01.
TERM_TOTAL
R97889.
Total Number of Terms Reported
Total number of terms reported for youth across all schools. Equal to the maximum xx for which TERM_xx variables will have non-missing data.
SCH_START_DATE
R97890.-R97890.01
Month, Year Enrollment at School Started
Calendar month and year in which school shows student as first enrolled. Pertains to School 01.
SCH_END_DATE
R97891.-R97891.01
Month, Year Enrollment at School Ended
Calendar month and year in which school shows student as last enrolled. Pertains to School 01.
AB_AYxxxx
R97892.-R97899.
Number of Absences in Academic Year xxxx
Total absences in each academic year if youth was enrolled during that school year. For example, variable AB_AY1992 refers to absences in academic year 1992-93. May have been reported annually or summed from term-level data. Pertains to School 01.
AB-MISS
R97900.
Number of Absences if Year Not Assigned
Total absences for youth if absences are not classified by attendance year. Pertains to School 01.
TARDY_AYxxxx
R97901.-R97908.
Number of Tardies in Academic Year xxxx
Total tardies in each academic year if youth was enrolled during that school year. For example, variable TARDY_AY1992 refers to tardies in academic year 1992-93. May have been reported annually or summed from term-level data. Pertains to School 01.
TARDY_MISS
R97909.
Number of Tardies if Year Not Assigned
Total tardies for youth if tardies are not classified by attendance year. Pertains to School 01.
FLAG_MISS_AB_AYxxxx
R97910.-R97917.
Enrolled, Missing Absences in Academic Yr xxxx
Flag indicating that youth was enrolled in an academic year but was missing absence information for that year. For example, FLAG_MISS_AB_AY1992 refers to academic year 1992-93. Pertains to School 01.
FLAG_MISS_TARDY_AYxxxx
R97918.-R97925.
Enrolled, Missing Tardies in Academic Yr xxxx
Flag indicating that youth was enrolled in an academic year but was missing tardy information for that year. For example, FLAG_MISS_TARDY_AY1992 refers to academic year 1992-93. Pertains to School 01.
AT_SCH
R97926.
Has R Left School
School's report of youth's enrollment status in spring 2000. Pertains to School 01.
LEFT_DATE
RR97927.-R97927.01
Month, Year Left School
Calendar month and year in which school assigned non-enrollment status to students who have left school. May differ from SCH_END_DATE because of incomplete requirements that delayed graduation beyond the final term in which student enrolled in courses. May also differ if school has a lag period in which students are not considered to have dropped out, or if a student who transfers out mid-session is recorded as enrolled until the end of that session. Pertains to School 01.
LEFT_REASON
R97928.
Reason Left School
School's report of student's departure status for students who have left school. Pertains to School 01.
GPA
R97929.
GPA for Last Year
Grade-point average as calculated by the school in its metric for last year of youth's enrollment. May not match GPA calculated using CRS_GRADE.xx values due to conversion of grades to uniform scale, weighting procedures at school, or other school-specific GPA calculations (e.g., physical education courses do not contribute to academic GPA). Pertains to School 01.
CLASS_RANK
R97930.
Class Rank for Last Year
Youth's rank in class for last year of enrollment. Pertains to School 01.
CLASS_SIZE
R97931.
Class Size Category for Last Year
Categorical variable denoting size of youth's class (grade level) during last year of enrollment. Pertains to School 01.
PSAT_MATH
R97932.
PSAT Math Score
Standardized PSAT math score for youth's last administration of PSAT.
PSAT_VERB
R97933.
PSAT Verbal Score
Standardized PSAT verbal score for youth's last administration of PSAT.
ACT_COMP
R97934.
Composite ACT Score
Standardized ACT composite score for youth's last administration of ACT. Entered directly from transcript, may not correspond to sum of component scores.
ACT_ENG
R97935.
ACT English Score
Standardized ACT English score for youth's last administration of ACT. Entered directly from transcript, may not sum with other components to composite score.
ACT_MATH
R97936.
ACT Math Score
Standardized ACT Math score for youth's last administration of ACT. Entered directly from transcript, may not sum with other components to composite score.
ACT_READ
R97937.
ACT Reading Score
Standardized ACT Reading score for youth's last administration of ACT. Entered directly from transcript, may not sum with other components to composite score.
SAT_VERBAL
R97938.
SAT Verbal Score
Standardized SAT Verbal score for youth's last administration of SAT.
SAT_MATH
R97939.
SAT Math Score
Standardized SAT Math score for youth's last administration of SAT.
SAT_DATE
R97940.-R97940.01
Month, Year SAT Was Taken
Month and year of youth's last administration of SAT.
AP_ART
R97
AP Art Score
Highest test score for an Advanced Placement art exam. This Advance Placement variable is available for Wave 2 students only; students taking this exam in Wave 1 would have their score reported in the OTH_AP variable series below.
AP_BIO
R97941.
AP Biology Score
Highest test score for an Advanced Placement biology exam.
AP_CALC
R97942.
AP Calculus Score
Highest test score for an Advanced Placement calculus exam.
AP_CHEM
R97943.
AP Chemistry Score
Highest test score for an Advanced Placement chemistry exam.
AP_CMPSCI
R97
AP Computer Science Score
Highest test score for an Advanced Placement computer science exam. This Advance Placement variable is available for Wave 2 students only; students taking this exam in Wave 1 would have their score reported in the OTH_AP variable series below.
AP_ECON
R97
AP Economics Score
Highest test score for an Advanced Placement economics exam. This Advance Placement variable is available for Wave 2 students only; students taking this exam in Wave 1 would have their score reported in the OTH_AP variable series below.
AP_ENG
R97944.
AP English Score
Highest test score for an Advanced Placement English exam.
AP_HIST_EU
R97945.
AP European History Score
Highest test score for an Advanced Placement European history exam.
AP_GOVT
R97946.
AP Government and Politics Score
Highest test score for an Advanced Placement government and politics exam.
AP_INTENG
R97
AP International English Score
Highest test score for an Advanced Placement international English exam. This Advance Placement variable is available for Wave 2 students only; students taking this exam in Wave 1 would have their score reported in the OTH_AP variable series below.
AP_PHYS
R97947.
AP Physics Score
Highest test score for an Advanced Placement physics exam.
AP_PSYCH
R97948.
AP Psychology Score
Highest test score for an Advanced Placement psychology exam.
AP_SPAN
R97949.
AP Spanish Score
Highest test score for an Advanced Placement Spanish exam.
AP_STAT
R97
AP Statistics Score
Highest test score for an Advanced Placement statistics exam. This Advance Placement variable is available for Wave 2 students only; students taking this exam in Wave 1 would have their score reported in the OTH_AP variable series below.
AP_HIST_US
R97950.
AP U.S. History Score
Highest test score for an Advanced Placement U.S. history exam.
OTH_AP1
R97959.
Number Other AP 1
Total number of other Advanced Placement exams on which youth received a score of 1. May include additional exams in subjects listed above.
OTH_AP2
R97960.
Number Other AP 2
Total number of other Advanced Placement exams on which youth received a score of 2. May include additional exams in subjects listed above.
OTH_AP3
R97961.
Number Other AP 3
Total number of other Advanced Placement exams on which youth received a score of 3. May include additional exams in subjects listed above.
OTH_AP4
R97962.
Number Other AP 4
Total number of other Advanced Placement exams on which youth received a score of 4. May include additional exams in subjects listed above.
OTH_AP5
R97963.
Number Other AP 5
Total number of other Advanced Placement exams on which youth received a score of 5. May include additional exams in subjects listed above.
SATII_BIO
R97951.
SAT II Biology Score
Highest standardized score for an SAT 2 Biology exam.
SATII_MATH1
R97952.
SAT II Math I Score
Highest standardized score for an SAT II Math I exam.
SATII_MATH2
R97953.
SAT II Math II Score
Highest standardized score for an SAT II Math II exam.
SATII_CHEM
R97954.
SAT II Chemistry Score
Highest standardized score for an SAT II Chemistry exam.
SATII_ENG_LIT
R97955.
SAT II English Literature Score
Highest standardized score for an SAT II English Literature exam.
SATII_ENG_WRITE
R97956.
SAT II English Writing Score
Highest standardized score for an SAT II English Writing exam.
SATII_HIST_AM
R97957.
SAT II American History and Social Studies Score
Highest standardized score for an SAT II American History and Social Studies exam.
SATII_PHYS
R97
SAT II Physics Score
Highest standardized score for an SAT II Physics exam. This SAT II variable is available for Wave 2 students only; students taking this exam in Wave 1 would have their score reported in the OTH_SAT variable series below.
SATII_HIST_WORLD
R97958.
SAT II World History Score
Highest standardized score for an SAT II World History exam.
SATII_SPANL
R97
SAT II Spanish Score
Highest standardized score for an SAT II Spanish exam. This SAT II variable is available for Wave 2 students only; students taking this exam in Wave 1 would have their score reported in the OTH_SAT variable series below.
OTH_SAT1
R97964.
Number Other SAT 200400
Total number of other SAT II exams on which youth received a score of 200-400. May include additional exams in subjects listed above.
OTH_SAT2
R97965.
Number Other SAT 401500
Total number of other SAT II exams on which youth received a score of 401-500. May include additional exams in subjects listed above.
OTH_SAT3
R97966.
Number Other SAT 501600
Total number of other SAT II exams on which youth received a score of 501-600. May include additional exams in subjects listed above.
OTH_SAT4
R97967.
Number Other SAT 601700
Total number of other SAT II exams on which youth received a score of 601-700. May include additional exams in subjects listed above.
OTH_SAT5
R97968.
Number Other SAT 701800
Total number of other SAT II exams on which youth received a score of 701-800. May include additional exams in subjects listed above.

High School Graduation Requirements (Geocode CD only)

Available on the restricted-use geocode CD only, these variables record information concerning high-school graduation requirements applicable to each case. GRADREQ_TYPE describes whether the requirements were in terms of credits, terms, or term/years. The five credit-requirement variables, GRADREQ_TOTAL through GRADREQ_SOC, give the total number of credits required for graduation and the numbers required from courses in the four specific subject areas of English, Math, Science, and Social Studies. The final variable, GRADREQ_SOURCE, shows where the requirements information was obtained. We preferred to show requirements information that came from or applied to the student's particular school, either through the individual school's catalog or website or from the school district. However, in some cases school-specific information was not available, and in these cases, we show graduation requirements set by the state in which the primary school was located, where these requirements could be determined. The values of the five credits-requirements variables must be divided by 100 before they can be used. Variable question names and titles are as follows:

  TRANS_GRADREQ_TYPE Credits or time requirements?
  TRANS_GRADREQ_TOTAL Graduation requirements, total
  TRANS_GRADREQ_ENGL Graduation requirements, English
  TRANS_GRADREQ_MATH Graduation requirements, Math
  TRANS_GRADREQ_SCI Graduation requirements, Science
  TRANS_GRADREQ_SOC Graduation requirements, Social Studies
  TRANS_GRADREQ_SOURCE Source of requirements data