School Ethnic Composition, Social Contexts, and Educational Plans of Mexican-American and Anglo High School Students

College plans of Mexican-American and Anglo high school students are related by a model to the following variables: family socioeconomic status, school ethnic composition, measured intelligence, parents' aspirations, and peers'aspirations. Data have been obtained from seniors in five urban secondary schools, and path analyses are developed separately for Mexican-American and Anglo boys and girls. Family socioeconomic status is shown to be a weak direct predictor of college plans for all groups but serves as an indirect predictor for Anglos. Both ethnic groups are found to be more apt to develop college plans in schools dominated by their own ethnic group. The other variables also directly affect college plans: peer's aspirations is the most predictive variable for Mexican-American boys, and parents'aspirations the most predictive for the other three groups.