What are the benefits of having a strong education system? Education can have a profound effect on health and life outcomes. Do children and adults have a fair and equitable chance to participate in lifelong learning? Are they achieving key milestones that help them succeed in life? When people are able to think critically and engage in the civic life of a community, they not only live longer, but they serve as a critical foundation for democracy and a thriving community.
Other Interesting Measures
PARTICIPATION AND ACHIEVEMENT
- Percent of kindergarteners who meet the criteria for readiness. Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
- Percent of 8th graders who are proficient in math. Source: NAEP.
- Percent of children who matriculate into 9th grade. Source: NCES, state/local data.
- Percent and relative disparity in population with Bachelor’s Degree+, Index ranges 0-1, with 1 being more disparity, includes white vs. Hispanic & black. Source: Census.
- Percent of adults age 25 and older with a college education beyond high school. Source: Census.
- Percent of people not proficient in English: percent of the population that reports speaking English less than “well” in a given geography (e.g., county, Census Tract). Source: Census.
- Attendance rates (%). Source: NCES, state/local data.
INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAPACITY
- Continuing education tax credits: percent tax returns claiming adult education tax credits as a share of total filed tax returns. Source: Brookings Institute.
- Average child care costs relative to average or median income. Source: Census.
- Child care availability (in development). Source: To be developed.