____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________    
                                   | 3- to 5-year-olds, |Enrolled in nursery |Enrolled in kinder- |  Enrolled in 1st   |  Enrolled in 2nd
             Maternal              |    not enrolled    |school or prekinder-|       garten       |       grade        |      grade
          characteristics          |     in school\1\   |      garten        |____________________|____________________|____________________
       and household income        |____________________|____________________|      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
                                   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
                                   | 1991 | 1993 | 1995 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995
___________________________________|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______
                 1                 |  2   |  3   |  4   |  5   |  6   |  7   |  8   |  9   |  10  |  11  |  12  |  13  |  14  |  15  |  16
___________________________________|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______
  Total children, in thousands ....|4,853 |4,670 |4,595 |3,571 |3,938 |4,655 |4,022 |4,027 |4,149 |4,001 |3,988 |4,025 |3,724 |3,436 |3,777
                                   |______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______
                                   |                              Percentage distribution
                                   |________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mother's highest education\2\ .....|  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100
  Less than high school ...........|   18 |   19 |   22 |    8 |   11 |   10 |   16 |   14 |   17 |   16 |   14 |   16 |   16 |   16 |   20
  High school diploma\3\ ..........|   43 |   42 |   35 |   32 |   29 |   28 |   40 |   38 |   33 |   38 |   38 |   31 |   38 |   35 |   31
  Some postsecondary ..............|   23 |   24 |   21 |   29 |   31 |   23 |   24 |   27 |   22 |   24 |   26 |   24 |   26 |   27 |   21
  Associate degree ................|    4 |    3 |    7 |    5 |    5 |    9 |    4 |    5 |    7 |    4 |    5 |    7 |    4 |    4 |    8
  Bachelor's degree ...............|    9 |    8 |   10 |   17 |   14 |   19 |   11 |   10 |   14 |   12 |   11 |   14 |   10 |   10 |   13
  Graduate/professional school ....|    4 |    4 |    5 |   10 |   11 |   12 |    5 |    6 |    8 |    7 |    7 |    8 |    6 |    8 |    8
                                   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
Mother's employment status\2\ .....|  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100
  Working 35 hours/week or more ...|   34 |   30 |   33 |   34 |   35 |   38 |   35 |   38 |   36 |   38 |   38 |   39 |   39 |   37 |   41
  Working less than 35 hours/week .|   21 |   19 |   18 |   27 |   23 |   24 |   22 |   20 |   21 |   24 |   22 |   21 |   22 |   22 |   21
  Looking for work ................|    7 |    8 |    7 |    5 |    6 |    6 |    6 |    6 |    6 |    6 |    7 |    5 |    7 |    6 |    5
  Not in labor force ..............|   39 |   43 |   42 |   34 |   35 |   32 |   37 |   36 |   38 |   32 |   34 |   36 |   32 |   34 |   33
                                   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
Household income  .................|  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100 |  100
  $10,000 or less .................|   20 |   19 |   23 |   15 |   17 |   16 |   18 |   19 |   19 |   19 |   18 |   17 |   18 |   17 |   19
  $10,001 to $20,000 ..............|   19 |   22 |   16 |   14 |   14 |   10 |   17 |   18 |   13 |   17 |   18 |   13 |   17 |   17 |   12
  $20,001 to $30,000 ..............|   23 |   21 |   19 |   17 |   14 |   13 |   21 |   17 |   16 |   20 |   17 |   17 |   19 |   18 |   16
  $30,001 to $40,000 ..............|   16 |   17 |   16 |   16 |   15 |   12 |   15 |   15 |   15 |   15 |   15 |   14 |   15 |   15 |   16
  $40,001 to $50,000 ..............|   10 |    9 |   11 |   12 |   11 |   12 |   11 |   10 |   12 |   11 |   11 |   11 |   12 |   11 |   11
  $50,000 to $75,000 ..............|    8 |    8 |   11 |   16 |   16 |   19 |   12 |   13 |   14 |   11 |   12 |   16 |   12 |   14 |   15
  More than $75,000 ...............|    3 |    4 |    5 |   11 |   13 |   17 |    7 |    8 |   11 |    7 |    8 |   12 |    7 |    8 |   10
___________________________________|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______|______

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Household Survey (NHES), 1991, 1993, and 1995. (This table was prepared October 1997.)