Lost Talent

Abstract

Logistic regression analyses were used to determine the extent to which demographic variables, students’personal resources, and family resources were predictive of stable or lowered educational expectations across the time period from eighth grade to 2 years post-high school. The sample was limited to U.S. students who (a) indicated in the eighth grade that they later expected at least a bachelor’s degree, and (b) achieved above the median score on eighth-grade reading and math tests. Therefore, students had high early expectations and showed early signs of academic talent. Lowered educational expectations across time have been described in the research literature as lost talent. For male and female adolescents, low socioeconomic status was most strongly related to lost talent. Racial group membership was also predictive of lost talent. For females, external locus of control was predictive of lost talent; whereas for males, family resources were protective factors.