________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                            |         1998          |         1999                       |         2000\1\
                            |_______________________|____________________________________|______________________________________
      Characteristics       |       | Com-  | Com-  |           | Com-      | Com-       |            | Com-      | Com-
                            |Dropout|pleted |pleted |Dropout    |pleted     |pleted      |Dropout     |pleted     |pleted
                            |       |by GED |  by   |           |by GED     |  by        |            |by GED     |  by
                            |       |       |diploma|           |           |diploma     |            |           |diploma
____________________________|_______|_______|_______|___________|___________|____________|____________|___________|_____________
             1              |   2   |   3   |   4   |  5        |  6        |   7        |   8        |  9        |  10
____________________________|_______|_______|_______|___________|___________|____________|____________|___________|_____________
Number, in thousands .......| 5,636 | 3,321 |33,706 |5,576 (122)|3,314  (92)|33,819 (379)| 5,473 (121)|2,165  (73)|35,213  (390)
  Percent distribution .....|  13.2 |   7.8 |  79.0 | 13.1 (0.3)|  7.8 (0.2)|  79.2 (0.3)|  12.8 (0.2)|  5.1 (0.2)|  82.2  (0.3)
                            |_______|_______|_______|___________|___________|____________|____________|___________|_____________
Sex ........................| 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |100.0  --- |100.0  --- | 100.0  --- | 100.0  --- |100.0  --- | 100.0   ---
  Male .....................|  57.0 |  47.3 |  48.4 | 53.5 (1.0)| 49.6 (1.3)|  48.0 (0.4)|  54.2 (1.0)| 52.4 (1.7)|  48.0  (0.4)
  Female ...................|  43.0 |  52.7 |  51.6 | 46.5 (1.0)| 50.4 (1.3)|  52.0 (0.4)|  45.8 (1.0)| 47.6 (1.7)|  52.0  (0.4)
                            |       |       |       |           |           |            |            |           |
Age ........................| 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |100.0  --- |100.0  --- | 100.0  --- | 100.0  --- |100.0  --- | 100.0   ---
  18 and 19 ................|  19.6 |  13.4 |  15.2 | 18.8 (0.8)| 13.2 (0.9)|  15.3 (0.3)|  18.5 (0.8)| 11.3 (1.0)|  15.5  (0.3)
  20 and 21 ................|  18.5 |  16.2 |  16.2 | 18.0 (0.8)| 14.0 (0.9)|  16.5 (0.3)|  18.2 (0.8)| 12.8 (1.1)|  17.3  (0.3)
  22 to 24 .................|  24.8 |  25.6 |  24.3 | 24.5 (0.9)| 25.6 (1.2)|  25.4 (0.4)|  23.9 (0.9)| 29.9 (1.5)|  25.8  (0.4)
  25 to 29 .................|  37.1 |  44.8 |  44.4 | 38.8 (1.0)| 47.2 (1.3)|  42.7 (0.4)|  39.4 (1.0)| 45.9 (1.6)|  41.4  (0.4)
                            |       |       |       |           |           |            |            |           |
Race/ethnicity .............| 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |100.0  --- |100.0  --- | 100.0  --- | 100.0  --- |100.0  --- | 100.0   ---
  White, non-Hispanic ......|  40.0 |  67.5 |  70.6 | 39.1 (1.0)| 67.7 (1.3)|  70.2 (0.4)|  38.7 (1.0)| 67.5 (1.5)|  69.5  (0.4)
  Black, non-Hispanic ......|  15.7 |  13.9 |  13.1 | 14.8 (0.8)| 14.8 (1.0)|  13.4 (0.3)|  14.8 (0.8)| 15.5 (1.3)|  13.6  (0.3)
  Hispanic .................|  41.6 |  13.2 |  10.7 | 42.5 (1.2)| 12.7 (1.0)|  10.5 (0.3)|  43.0 (1.2)| 12.3 (1.2)|  10.9  (0.3)
  Other ....................|   2.7 |   5.5 |   5.6 |  3.5 (0.4)|  4.8 (0.7)|   5.9 (0.2)|   3.5 (0.4)|  4.7 (0.8)|   6.0  (0.2)
                            |       |       |       |           |           |            |            |           |
Educational attainment .....| 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |100.0  --- |100.0  --- | 100.0  --- | 100.0  --- |100.0  --- | 100.0   ---
  Less than high school ....| 100.0 |   0.0 |   0.0 |100.0  --- |  0.0  --- |   0.0  --- | 100.0  --- |  0.0  --- |   0.0   ---
  Completed high school ....|   0.0 |  47.1 |  38.3 |  0.0  --- | 45.8 (1.3)|  37.2 (0.4)|   0.0  --- | 68.9 (1.5)|  36.1  (0.4)
  Some college .............|   0.0 |  36.1 |  33.8 |  0.0  --- | 36.3 (1.3)|  33.8 (0.4)|   0.0  --- | 20.2 (1.3)|  35.0  (0.4)
  Associate degree .........|   0.0 |   6.9 |   7.2 |  0.0  --- |  6.7 (0.7)|   7.5 (0.2)|   0.0  --- |  5.5 (0.8)|   7.6  (0.2)
  Bachelor's degree ....... |   0.0 |   8.0 |  17.1 |  0.0  --- |  9.0 (0.8)|  18.1 (0.3)|   0.0  --- |  4.5 (0.7)|  17.7  (0.3)
  Master's or higher degree |   0.0 |   1.9 |   3.5 |  0.0  --- |  2.1 (0.4)|   3.4 (0.2)|   0.0  --- |  0.8 (0.3)|   3.5  (0.2)
                            |       |       |       |           |           |            |            |           |
Family income quartile .....| 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |100.0  --- |100.0  --- | 100.0  --- | 100.0  --- |100.0  --- | 100.0   ---
  Lowest quartile ..........|  46.3 |  27.8 |  18.5 | 42.4 (1.0)| 24.6 (1.2)|  18.7 (0.3)|  44.8 (1.0)| 29.7 (1.5)|  18.7  (0.3)
  Low-middle quartile ......|  30.6 |  29.7 |  24.6 | 33.0 (1.0)| 29.0 (1.2)|  24.4 (0.4)|  29.5 (0.9)| 29.7 (1.5)|  24.8  (0.4)
  High-middle quartile .....|  16.6 |  23.1 |  28.4 | 17.0 (0.8)| 28.0 (1.2)|  27.9 (0.4)|  18.2 (0.8)| 26.4 (1.5)|  28.2  (0.4)
  Highest quartile .........|   6.5 |  19.3 |  28.5 |  7.7 (0.5)| 18.3 (1.0)|  29.0 (0.4)|   7.5 (0.5)| 14.2 (1.2)|  28.3  (0.4)
                            |       |       |       |           |           |            |            |           |
Employment status ..........| 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |100.0  --- |100.0  --- | 100.0  --- | 100.0  --- |100.0  --- | 100.0   ---
  Employed .................|  61.6 |  71.8 |  76.0 | 60.6 (1.0)| 72.2 (1.2)|  75.6 (0.4)|  61.1 (1.0)| 71.0 (1.5)|  76.5  (0.3)
  Unemployed ...............|   8.4 |   7.6 |   4.3 |  9.1 (0.6)|  7.2 (0.7)|   4.2 (0.2)|   9.8 (0.6)|  7.7 (0.9)|   3.6  (0.2)
  Not in labor force .......|  30.0 |  20.6 |  19.7 | 30.3 (0.9)| 20.6 (1.1)|  20.2 (0.3)|  29.1 (0.9)| 21.3 (1.4)|  19.8  (0.3)
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