Study ranks Louisiana as 3rd least educated state
22nd March 2021 · 0 Comments
By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer
A new WalletHub study has ranked Louisiana as the 48th most educated state in America.
Louisiana’s low rankings within the study included the following: 49th in percentage of adults with associate degrees or college experience and 47th in percentage of high school degree holders, percentage of bachelor’s degree holders and percentage of graduate or professional degree holders.
Louisiana also ranked 30th in racial gap in educational attainment and 34th in average university quality.
The study compared the 50 states across two dimensions: educational attainment and quality of education. Eighteen metrics were used to help make these judgments, collecting data from places like the National Center for Education Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health, among others. The most educated states according to the study were Massachusetts, Maryland, Connecticut, Vermont and Colorado.
In the report, Ashley Rogers Berner, director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy, said a state’s education system is often best judged by what students do once they’ve graduated high school.
“High school graduation rates often tell us very little about the quality of K-12 schools. Graduation criteria vary widely across the country – and states can, unfortunately, boost graduation rates by lowering academic standards,” wrote Berner. “Post-secondary completion rates, on the other hand, do tell us a lot about K-12 quality. The mark of quality is the percentage of high school graduates who can take credit-bearing courses in post-secondary institutions without remediation.”
David I. Backer, assistant professor at West Chester University, noted in the report that funding education at all levels is crucial for a state’s intellectual and economic health.
“You have to spend on higher education, but not because you want to remain competitive according to some fantasy of economic modeling over time. Rather, states should fund higher education because people need training, knowledge, community and nourishing intellectual life. They need employment too, and universities employ tons of people,” Backer wrote. “Want to be competitive? Forget about competition and focus on taking care of your people first and foremost. That means funding higher education.”
Danielle Wright, associate director of The Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis, pointed to racial and economic barriers as having a negative impact on education in the United States.
“Unfortunately, differences in the ability to access and attend quality schools are steeped along racial and economic lines that make navigating the road to and through higher education, more difficult for some while a basic ‘right’ for others,” wrote Wright.
Wright also added that it is important that universities look at the financial aid packages they offer, especially towards underrepresented groups on campus. Affordability is a key issue for many students, as the specter of student debt can be intimidating.
“With a trend of 9.1 percent unemployment among recent college graduates, many no longer view student loan debt as a temporary necessity on their way towards employment. Rather, they wonder whether they will obtain gainful employment upon graduation and therefore, their means for loan repayment,” wrote Wright.
Elizabeth Gil, assistant professor in educational leadership, administration and policy at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education, said in the report that students’ experiences in school from K-12 are foundational. Good or bad, the effects can snowball over time.
“When students have negative experiences in school, and especially when these experiences accumulate over time, students can be pushed out of school, ultimately resulting in less high school completion, college attendance, or pursuit of education or training beyond high school,” wrote Gil.
When asked to comment about the study’s findings, Ted Beasley, director of communications of the Louisiana Department of Education said the state’s goals to improve its educational standing are outlined in its “Believe to Achieve” priorities plan.
The Louisiana Department of Education announced the plan in January (www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/louisiana-believes/be-lieve-to-achieve-educational-priorities.pdf).
The priorities are as follows: ensure every student is on track to a professional career, college degree or service; remove barriers and create equitable, inclusive learning experiences for all children; provide the highest quality teaching and learning environment; develop and retain a diverse, highly effective educator workforce and cultivate high-impact systems, structures and partnerships.
The plan lists numerous ways in which the state hopes to achieve those goals. Some of the targeted actions include 1:1 device-to-student ratio, healthy child development and play, individualized graduation plans, school choice for students and families, supports and services for English learners, improving educator compensation, early childhood Ready Start Networks, and communication for family engagement and support.
The full study can be read online at https://wallethub.com/edu/e/most-educated-states/31075.
This article originally published in the March 22, 2021 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
