Education makes a difference in key primary states

Tomorrow is a big day in Indiana and North Carolina, and many voters will head to the polls with the state of the economy on their minds. With the economy in peril, it's no wonder why voters in both states are worried about the increasing costs to consumers coupled declining wages and outsourcing of their jobs.

We cannot fix the economy without focusing preparing our next generation of workers with adequate skills and knowledge to succeed in the global marketplace. Recent data in both Indiana and North Carolina has shown that our traditional public schools need reform. Below is overview of education statistics in these two states:

Indiana

Student Performance:                
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (2007):
% 4th graders proficient in reading: 33
% 4th graders proficient in math: 46

% 8th graders proficient in reading: 31
% 8th graders proficient in math: 35

High School and Beyond:
% 9th graders who graduate from high school on time: 74
% high school graduates who go right on to college: 59
% college freshmen who earn a diploma within six years: 56
(Sources: Education Week; The NCHEMS Information Center)

Cost to the State:
Over 24,500 students did not graduate from Indiana’s high schools in 2007; that cohort of Indiana students forfeited $6.4 billion in lifetime earnings by dropping out.

If Indiana’s high schools graduated all students ready for college, the state would save almost $40.3 million a year in community college remediation costs and lost earnings.
(Source: Alliance for Excellent Education)

North Carolina

Student Performance:
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (2007),
% 4th graders proficient in reading: 29
% 4th graders proficient in math: 41

% 8th graders proficient in reading: 28
% 8th graders proficient in math: 34

High School and Beyond:
% 9th graders who graduate from high school on time: 71
% high school graduates who go right on to college: 64
% college freshmen who earn a diploma within six years: 58
(Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education; The NCHEMS Information Center)

Cost to the State:
Over 41,000 students did not graduate from North Carolina’s high schools in 2007; that cohort of North Carolina students forfeited $10.8 billion in lifetime earnings by dropping out.

If North Carolina’s high schools graduated all students ready for college, the state would save almost $97.4 million a year in community college remediation costs and lost earnings.
(Source: Alliance for Excellent Education)

Education and the economy go hand in hand. Due to a mediocre education system, states are incurring billions of dollars of costs.

We cannot continue to fail to prepare our nation's children for college, work, and life.  We need to reform and improve traditional public schools; however, another helpful pathway to reform is non-traditional public schools, such as charter schools.  Many charter schools have been experimenting with innovative techniques that hold tremendous promise for American students.  Yesterday kicked off National Charter School Week and I’ll be taking some time throughout the week to highlight some of the top performing charter schools from around the country -- so stay tuned.