Link: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/studies/2011462.pdf

Transcripts were collected from about 610 public schools and 130 private schools for the 2009 High School Transcript Study (HSTS). These transcripts constituted a nationally representative sample of 37,700 high school graduates, representing approximately 3 million 2009 high school graduates. The 2009 results are compared to the results of earlier transcript studies dating back to 1990, and differences among graduates by race/ethnicity, gender, and parent education are examined. Because the study is restricted to high school graduates, it contains no information about dropouts, who may differ from graduates. Graduates who receive a special education diploma or certificate of completion are also excluded from analyses in this report unless noted otherwise.