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State
of Our Nation's Youth 2000-2001 Survey
Horatio Alger Association Facts and Figures
www.horatioalger.com
Personal Attitudes
American youth (66%) believe that the amount of work
they do is very important to their later success in life.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
72% of youth agree that it is personally important to them that
they do their best in all of their classes.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Males and females in this survey said that the following factors
were important to their personal success:
Work and career 99%
Personal development and satisfaction 97%
Friendships 95%
Immediate family 92%
Extended family 80%
Make a contribution to society 77%
Religious/spiritual activities 74%
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Youth identified having a job/career (24%), a home/apartment (12%),
and living comfortably (18%) as part of their American Dream.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Youth identified issues about "universal welfare" as a
small part of their idea of the American Dream
Better religious ties 3%
Equality 3%
Happiness, peace and harmony 4%
Less crime and violence 3%
More tolerance/less discrimination 2%
Reaching out to others/improving quality of life 2%
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
When asked what would be their "idea of the American
Dream", males and females identified these factors most often
as providing personal enrichment:
Emotional needs/desires 39%
Family 16%
Happiness/enjoyment 13%
Success/achievement 12%
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Family and Social Relationships
In this 2000 survey, youth reported on their social
relationships:
65% of youth "hang out with a group of friends"
28% of youth "have only one or two close friends"
7% of youth "spend most of their time alone."
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Mothers were rated highly by females and males (85%) as a person
"I can talk to about day-to-day issues."
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Fathers were rated differently by males (70%) and females (58%)
as a person "I can talk to about day-to-day issues."
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
The males in this survey reported that they liked both their mother
(89%) and father (86%).
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
The females in this survey reported that they liked both their mother
(90%) and father (83%).
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Both mothers and fathers were identified equally (88%) by male teens
as "a person I can respect."
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Females identified mothers (93%) and fathers (84%) as "a person
I can respect."
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Males reported that their mothers (97%) and fathers (91%) "really
care about me."
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Females reported that their mothers (96%) and fathers (92%) "really
care about me."
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
In this survey, males identified their mother (69%) rather than
their father (48%) as "a person I can confide in about my personal
problems."
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
In this survey, females identified their mother (75%) rather than
their father (34%) as "as person I can confide in about my
personal problems."
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
This group of youth said that their ideal age for marriage was 25.5
years and those who planned to have children wanted 2.3 children!
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Future Plans
78% of youth (ages 14-18) in this survey said that
they planned to continue their education.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
62% of youth said that they planned to attend a four-year college
or university.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Males and females chose computer software development, medicine,
and teaching as their top three careers.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
38% of youth said that the top reason they are seeking further education
after high school is to get a good job.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Only 20% of youth said that their top reason for seeking further
education is to have the ability to make a difference/change things
for the better.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Opportunities for Success
More females (76%) than males (70%) believe that "the
harder I work, the more opportunities will be available to me."
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
More females (80%) than males (72%) believe that "I will have
many opportunities available to me after I graduate."
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
73% of American youth believe that the harder they work the more
opportunities will be available to them.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
76% of American youth believe that they will have many opportunities
available to them after they graduate.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
In this survey, American youth (58%) believe there is the same amount
of opportunity for students of all races and social classes.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
When asked which academic problem was their greatest challenge during
the next year, males and females identified achieving and maintaining
good grades and a good grade point average.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Males and females identified the following issues as personal challenges
during the next year: adjusting to college, getting along with peers,
and time management.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Role Models
41% of youth surveyed identified a family member as
their primary role model.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Safety
40% of youth in this survey always feel safe in their
school.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
American youth (43%) in America believe that teachers and administrators
have taken all necessary steps for their safety and security.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Of American youth, 86% of females and 78% of males agree that they
can talk about their problems with at least one teacher or administrator.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
In this survey, 69% of females and 71% of males agreed that it is
important to most of their teachers that they youth do their best.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
The youth in this survey differed on the amount of work required
by their teachers:
Not enough work 7%
About right amount of work 53%
Too much work 40%.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
The American youth in this survey differed on the amount of work
required by parents:
Not enough work 16%
About right amount of work 57%
Too much work 28%
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Schools
46% of males and 36% of females try to take the most
difficult and challenging courses in school.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
In this survey, 72% of youth report that "it is important to
me that I do my best in all my classes."
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
More males (53%) than females (39%) are involved in athletics or
clubs. The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger
Association.
More females (27%) than males (18%) are involved in service or volunteer
groups.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
12% of youth said that the behavior of other students in their school
was a positive influence on their own performance.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
More females (45%) than males (38%) believe that half or most students
cheat.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
American youth (65%) believe that it is important to most of their
teachers that they do their best.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
43% of youth agree that homework is a priority which they complete
before other activities.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
Work
Over the past three years, 40% of the youth reported
having a job in the past school year.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio Alger Association.
When asked to identify the greatest problems facing our nation,
youth surveyed identified these issues:
Crime/violence 33%
Decline of family, moral and social values 27%
Drugs 18%
AIDS 12%
Environmental pollution/deterioration 8%
Racial tension/discrimination 7%
Poverty/unemployment 6%.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2000-2001, Horatio
Alger Association
Students' Reactions to September 11 and the War on Terrorism Update to the Horatio Alger 2001 State of Our National's Youth survery of 308 youth ages 14-18.
75% of youth identified the attack on the World Trade
Center and the Pentagon as themost significant event in their lifetime.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2001 Update, Horatio Alger Association.
54% of youth reported that the attacks had affected their lives
a fair or great amount.
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2001 Update, Horatio Alger Association.
Students were asked to report the emotions they felt in response
to the terrorist attacks:
Determination 30%
Anger 25%
Sadness 18%
Fear 13%
Disbelief 11%
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2001 Update, Horatio Alger Association.
If the war continues, students (61%) would serve their county in
the following ways:
Join the military 25%
Become a public safety officer 10%
Take a government job 9%
Join a service program 9%
Would find a way to serve 8%
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2001 Update, Horatio Alger Association.
Students reported how the September 11 attacks had affected their
attitudes/ behavior:
More time attending to news and world events 86%
Felt more patriotism 80%
Flew an American flag 73%
Felt closer to family 68%
Looked for a way to help the rescue and recovery effort 66%
Spent time in prayer, mediation, spiritual reflection 64%
Believe that a college degree is more important 62%
Sought help from older family members to understand the attacks
59%
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2001 Update, Horatio Alger Association.
Following the September 11 attacks, students identified
characteristics they respected and admired in others:
Willingness to work hard and overcome obstacles 84%
Integrity, being true to themselves and their beliefs 81%
Compassion for others 78%
The State of the Nation's Youth, 2001 Update, Horatio Alger Association.
The May 2001 survey revealed that youth tended to
look to their families as role models more than entertainers or
sports stars. The followup survey found that students had expanded
their list of people to admire:
89% looked up to the work of public safety officials, firefighters
and police
Of that 89%, 64% viewed these officials as heroes and role models.
30% of students agreed that entertainers or athletes
who were
contributing their talents to raise funds were worthy role models
While they did not always agree with the policies
of government
leaders, 59% of students agreed that those leaders deserved respect
for their contributions.