A new project is measuring the educational needs of states and regions by combining and comparing existing census data, such as degree completions, poverty rates, and population growth.
Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, and Georgia are the states where the education system faces the greatest challenges in meeting the economic needs of a fast-growing population, according to data from the Educational Needs Index.
The states with the least challenges in that area are North Dakota, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Minnesota, the project found.
The project is being financed by the Lumina Foundation for Education, an Indianapolis-based private foundation that seeks to improve access to higher education.
Comments
1. strausba - August 05, 2009 at 04:00 pm
An article and a map confirming our need for a regional rep in the south. Bill
2. morgahl - August 05, 2009 at 04:49 pm
These are some of the same "sweet spots" of this country that have been attracting business and industry because these states offer them lucrative tax breaks. Corporations get a free ride at the expense of education. Corporate executives and managers send their children to private schools and then complain about those who want to spend their way to better education using tax dollars. If domestic and foreign corporations paid their fair share of taxes, public education in these states would fare better. But as long as businessmen, the Chambers of Commerce, and politicians in these states fight to keep taxes loaded on the backs of the poor and middle class, their institutions of higher education will suffer.
3. mcds0920 - August 05, 2009 at 05:25 pm
It is not always about a state's lack of money but sometimes about its choices of where to direct revenues. Public higher education in texas is among the best, because they put oil revenues into education. Louisiana on the other hand, because its priority is feeding a rampant culture of entitlement, instead of education, has higher education systems which continue to be outranked in quality. Divert a portion of the welfare dollars into higher education and I can assure you there will be outcomes of which we can all be proud. No one seems to care that more often than not, the best and brightest students leave the state to go to college. There is a reason for that.
4. countinplaces - August 05, 2009 at 06:30 pm
It is important to note that Georgia provides the Hope Scholarship where any resident student with a 'B' or above average gets their matriculation for free. Of course, there are other issues around this topic that people like to analyze and criticize.
5. tridaddy - August 06, 2009 at 09:08 am
It is so easy to point fingers and blame, but I suspect in the final analysis there is reason for everyone, i.e., corporations, government, chambers of commerce, and citizens, to receive some of the blame for the state of education in these states. Having been a resident of two of these states (Mississippi and Louisiana)there are palpable differences in the way citizens regard education. In Mississippi it seemed as though parents want their children to get a college education and in Louisiana it seemed that parents were afraid if their children got an education they might move away from mom and dad. A really strange situation.
6. btuberville - August 06, 2009 at 11:24 am
Dear mcds0920: Having taught in higher education in Texas, let me assure you -- oil revenues MAY be cyphoned into higher education, but it's not an across-the-board scenario. Certain departments, certain programs get money; not all do. Certain colleges/universities get money; not all do. In fact, in the last two years, the college where I taught faced DECREASING state funds, not more. What's needed is a system by which everyone in the higher education enterprise gets a piece - an equal piece -- of the revenue pie.