Research in Social Stratification and Mobility 28 (2010) 5–21 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com When studying schooling is not enough: Incorporating employment in models of educational transitions Josipa Roksa a,∗ , Melissa Velez b,∗ a Department of Sociology, University of Virginia, 555 New Cabell Hall, P.O. Box 400766, Charlottesville, VA 22904, United States b Department of Sociology, New York University, 295 Lafayette St., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10012, United States Received 11 January 2008; received in revised form 11 March 2008; accepted 2 March 2009 Abstract Several recent studies have demonstrated the importance of incorporating qualitative differentiation within educational systems in the study of class inequality in student transitions. We extend these endeavors by broadening the definition of differentiation to include participation in the labor market. As increasing proportions of students continue their educational journeys beyond compulsory schooling, they are considering not only whether to stay in school but also whether to simultaneously enter the world of work. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth of 1997 (NLSY97), we show that family background influences not only whether students make specific educational transitions but also whether they combine those educational transitions with work. Student trajectories are also path dependent, with employment during one educational transition being related to specific transition patterns at a later point in time. Considering how students combine school and work reveals another dimension of differentiation which can be exploited by socioeconomically advantaged families to “effectively maintain” inequality in educational outcomes. © 2009 International Sociological Association Research Committee 28 on Social Stratification and Mobility. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Social stratification; Differentiation; Higher education The study of social class inequality in educational transitions has flourished since Mare’s (1980, 1981) research demonstrated the advantages of conceptual- izing educational attainment as a series of sequential transitions through the educational system. According to the Mare model, students decide between two options at each transition point: whether to continue to the next grade or level in their schooling or to leave the edu- cational system. However, the educational transition process is rarely that simple, as students often need to choose between more nuanced alternatives, such as different tracks and institutional types. Indeed, several ∗ Corresponding authors. E-mail addresses: jroksa@virginia.edu (J. Roksa), mjv236@nyu.edu (M. Velez). recent studies have shown that qualitative differentiation within educational systems shapes student choices and class inequality in educational transitions (e.g., Ayalon & Shavit, 2004; Ayalon & Yogev, 2005; Breen & Jonsson, 2000; Lucas, 2001). We extend these endeavors by considering another dimension of differentiation: participation in the labor market. As much as students decide whether to pur- sue academic or vocational tracks, or whether to enter higher education through 2-year or 4-year institutions, they also make decisions about whether and how to com- bine schooling with work. In the U.S., the majority of high school and college students are employed while pur- suing their studies. Consequently, differentiation occurs not only within the structure of the educational system, but also in the distinct ways in which students partici- pate in the worlds of school and work. Specific patterns 0276-5624/$ – see front matter © 2009 International Sociological Association Research Committee 28 on Social Stratification and Mobility. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.rssm.2009.03.001