Born to Win, Schooled to Lose

This research examines how socioeconomic status (SES), academic achievement, and race and ethnicity affect the economic mobility of young people in America. The American Dream promises that individual talent will be rewarded, regardless of where one comes from or who one’s parents are. But, the reality of what transpires along America’s K-12-to-career pipeline reveals a sorting of America’s most talented youth by affluence—not merit. Among the affluent, a kindergartener with test scores in the bottom half has a 7 in 10 chance of reaching high SES among his or her peers as a young adult, while a disadvantaged kindergartener with top-half test scores only has a 3 in 10 chance.