Suburban Residency Shows Little Tie To School, Work Success, Study Finds

By Peter West

CHICAGO--A longitudinal study of student achievement in science and mathematics in both urban and nonurban schools indicates that enrollment in a suburban school system does not, in itself, appear to be a good indicator of academic or future career success.

"Urban location, per se, makes little difference in the levels of student achievement and career interest," according to the study, released here at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. "Public urban education does not have to be inherently second-rate."

The study was one of three related reports, including separate studies on the effects of curriculum and tracking and the influence of television on student achievement, produced by the staff of the Social Science Research Institute at Northern Illinois University as part of the Longitudinal Study of American Youth, a project funded by...