The Condition of Education – in Charts

The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) recently released the “Condition of Education 2014.” This comprehensive report presents trends in American education using 42 different indicators. While much of what it reported is old hat, we pulled together a few PreK-12 figures that deserve attention.

Growing Poverty Rates

More than one in five children is now living in poverty. And that percentage has grown over time, from 15 percent in 2000 to approximately 21 percent in 2012. Child poverty is most alarming in the American south, where 23 percent of children ages 5 to 17 are in families living in poverty. Of the 16 jurisdictions (15 states and the District of Columbia) that have poverty rates above the national average, 12 are located in the south. Mississippi has the highest child poverty rates, with roughly one in three children in families living in poverty.

This trend also shows up in the percentage of public school students that attend either a low- or high-poverty public school. During the 1999-00 school year, 45 percent of public school students attended a low-poverty school (defined as a school with less than 25 percent of its students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch). By the 2011-12 school year, only 24 percent of public school students attended a low-poverty school. Meanwhile, the percentage of public school students that attend high poverty schools (with than 75 percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch) jumped from 12 percent in 2000 to 19 percent by 2012. It’s a concerning shift, especially given plenty of research that suggests children living in poverty face certain emotional stress that may impede their educational development.

Expanded Pre-K Access

There’s better news on the early education front. The percentage of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children enrolled in full-day pre-K programs has steadily increased over the last two decades. In 2012, overall full-day enrollment of 3- to 5-year-olds in pre-K programs (60 percent) was 21 percentage points higher than in 1990 (39 percent).

But although overall pre-K enrollment is increasing, there are enrollment differences across subgroups. For example, only 53 percent of students whose parents’ highest level of education was less than high school degree were enrolled in at least a half-day pre-K program. Meanwhile, 69 percent of students whose parents’ have a least a bachelor’s degree were enrolled in either a half- or full-day pre-K program. That suggests that those who could benefit the most from a pre-K education are still the ones least likely to receive it. In fact, between 2005 and 2011, the percentage of children enrolled in pre-K programs that lived in families 200% below the poverty line actually decreased.

Changing Demographics 

It’s old news that the racial composition of the United States is changing. The NCES estimates that by the 2014-2015 school year, the percentage of students in public schools who are white will drop below 50 percent as Hispanic enrollment continues to rise. These numbers are supported by recent findings in a separate paper from the Migration Policy Center that shows that in 2012, 25 percent of all U.S. children from birth to age 8 belonged to families with immigrant parents

Academic Improvements

In discussions about education it is easy to point out the many challenges facing families and schools alike. But when we take a step back and look at things on larger scale, it becomes clear that students in United States are, at least, making progress. Across all reported races and ethnicities, scores on the reading and math sections of the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) have increased since 1990. While there is still much room to improve, these small gains warrant some congratulations—and they give hope for what else is possible.

Narrowing the Achievement Gap

Still, one of the most stubborn problems in American education is the achievement gap between white, black, and Hispanic students. Efforts to close this gap have been at the center of a host of national and state education policies. And it may be starting to pay off. The figure above shows that, since 1973, the gap in test scores on the high school math section of the NAEP has slowly begun to narrow. As of 2012, whites (on average) scored 26 points higher than their black peers on the math portion of the NAEP. That’s down from a 40 point differential in 1973. Again, we’re a long way away from where we want to be, but the data suggest that our efforts are moving us in the right direction.

Graduation Rates on the Rise

The Average Freshman Graduation Rate has crept up since 1990-91, from less three in four students completing high school back in 1991, to 81 percent in 2012. Meanwhile, the dropout rate for 16-24 year olds has gradually declined from a high of 12 percent in 1990 to 7 percent in 2011. If nothing else, we’ve gotten better at passing students through our public education system.

Transitioning to College

But merely passing students through our education system doesn’t tell us much about how well our schools are preparing their students for life after high school (Especially given research that demonstrates that students with some kind of college credential fare far better over their lifetimes). It’s key to look at post-secondary education statistics to fully understand the big picture.

Though progress has been slow, there has been a slight increase in college enrollment over the last two decades. In 1990, 60 percent of high school completers enrolled in a two- or four-year college immediately following completion of high school. As of 2012, that number is up to 66 percent. Interestingly, the 2012 data showed an uptick in two-year college enrollments, and a slight decline in four-year college enrollment. That could be a good thing since we know that the unemployment rate for those that finish a two-year degree is lower than the unemployment rate for those that eventually drop out of a four-year college.

Poverty and Graduation Rates

And lastly, it’s not much a surprise, but it’s glaring how closely these two maps are mirror opposites of each other. The first depicts the graduation rate for public high school students, by state, and the other shows the percentage of 5- to 17-year-olds in families living in poverty. Often, the states with the lowest percentage of students in families that live in poverty are the same states as those with the highest graduation rates (Tennessee being the sole exception).

These are the kinds of figures that make it seem a lot less crazy to believe that we can help kids by helping their families financial circumstances.