Respondents were asked in rounds 1-12 about school programs that help students learn about the world of work. Respondents reported whether their school had a day when adults came to talk about their jobs; they also reported any participation in school-based learning programs (such as internships, mentoring, etc.). After round 12, the questions are no longer asked.
Universes for these variables differed from round to round (universe information for each variable is found in the variable-specific codebook information in Investigator). Respondents enrolled in high school at the time of the survey first answered the question about adult speakers on a career day. Then, all respondents enrolled in K through 12 at the date of interview were asked about their participation in school-based learning programs. Table 1 lists the types of school-based learning programs included in the NLSY97, along with a short description of each.
Table 1. Definitions of School-Based Learning Programs
| Program | Definition |
| Career Major | A coherent sequence of courses based upon an occupational goal. |
| Cooperative Education | Students alternate or parallel their academic and vocational studies with a job in a related field. |
| Internship/ Apprenticeship | Students work for an employer for a short time to learn about a particular industry or occupation. |
| Job Shadowing | A student follows an employee for one or more days to learn about an occupation or industry. |
| Mentoring | A student is paired with an employee who assesses his or her performance over a period of time, during which the employee helps the student master certain skills and knowledge. |
| School-Sponsored Enterprise | The production of goods or services by students for sale or use by others. Enterprises typically involve students in the management of a project. |
| Tech-Prep | A planned program of study with a defined career focus that links secondary and post-secondary education. |
The surveys asked for the characteristics of the most recent program, including the type of program, the number of days or weeks spent at a work site, and the number of hours per day or week spent at the work site. If the respondent was paid for participating in the program, he or she was asked to give the rate of pay. Other questions included whether the respondent took any classes at the work site and whether the employer wrote an evaluation of him or her.
Survey Instruments: Data on school-based learning programs were collected in the schooling section (see the "Education: School-Based Learning" Area of Interest in Investigator) of the Youth Questionnaire.
| Related User's Guide Sections | School & Transcript Surveys Training |
|---|---|
| Main Area of Interest | Education: School-Based Learning |
| Supplemental Areas of Interest | Employment: Jobs & Employers Education: School Experience |