"Today, of the 4 million babies born each year [in the United States], nearly 1 out of 8 is born to a teenage mother, 1 out of 4 to a mother with less than a high school education, almost 1 out of 3 to a mother who lives in poverty, and 1 out of 4 to an unmarried mother."

These statistics and others can be found in "The Social Context of Education," one of four essays based on The Condition of Education (1997) published over the summer by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The Condition of Education is an annual, Congressionally mandated report that presents key data analyses measuring the health of education, monitoring important developments in the education system, and showing trends in major aspects of education. The other three essays are described below:

"Women in Mathematics and Science" reviews data on women's progress in mathematics and science achievement, as well as attitudes, course-taking patterns, and college majors. It also looks at earnings differences between women and men who majored in math and science in college. (URL: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs97/97982.html)

"Public and Private Schools: How Do They Differ?" examines two fundamental differences between public and private schools: their sources of support and the role of choice in determining where students go to school. It also describes differences in academic programs and support services. (URL: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs97/97983.html [NPIN Editor's note (7-16-02): this url is no longer active.])

"Postsecondary Persistence and Attainment" addresses how students' enrollment choices are related to their postsecondary persistence and attainment. It takes into account such factors as degree objective, type of institution attended, timing of enrollment, enrollment intensity and continuity, transfer, financial aid receipt, and student employment. (URL: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs97/97984.html)

Statistics from "The Social Context of Education" are provided below. (URL: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs97/97981.html)

Examples from "The Social Context of Education"

Poverty and Preschool

In 1995, 3- and 4-year-olds from families who were classified as poor (a measure of a family's composition and income) were less likely to be enrolled in preprimary education than 3- and 4-year-olds from families who were classified as nonpoor (24 and 52% compared to 42 and 64%, respectively).

Single-Parent Families

In 1995, 3- to 5-year-olds living with two biological or adoptive parents were more likely to have been read to three or more times a week, to have been told a story once a week, or to have visited the library in the previous month than 3- to 5-year-olds living with one biological or adoptive parent. Moreover, first- and second-graders aged 6-8 living with one biological or adoptive parent were more likely to experience academic problems and to have their parents report that they were academically below the middle of their class than those students living with two biological or adoptive parents.

Income and College

High school graduates from low-income families were more likely to go directly to college in 1995 than in 1972. Still, in 1995, 34% of high school graduates from low-income families went directly to college, compared to 83% of those from high-income families.

Examples from Changes in the Social Background of Children

Racial and Ethnic Diversity

Racial and ethnic diversity has increased substantially in the United States in the last two decades and is projected to increase even more in the decades to come. In 1995, 67% of U.S. children aged 5-17 were white, 15% were black, 13% were Hispanic, and 5% were Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian, and Alaskan Native. Between 2000 and 2020, the number of minority children aged 5-17 is projected to grow much faster than the number of white children. Between 2000 and 2020, it is projected that there will be 61% more Hispanic children aged 14-17 and 47% more Hispanic children aged 5-13. The numbers of Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian, and Alaskan Native children aged 14-17 is projected to increase by 73%, while the number of those children aged 5-13 is projected to grow by 67%. In contrast, between 2000 and 2020, the number of white children aged 5-13 is projected to decrease by 11%, and the number of white children aged 14-17 is projected to decrease by 10%.

Difficulty Speaking English

Between 1979 and 1989, the percentage of children aged 5-17 in the United States who spoke a non-English language at home and who had difficulty speaking English increased from 3 to 5% and remained at 5% between 1989 and 1995. Hispanic children were more likely to have difficulty speaking English than their white or black peers. In 1995, 31% of Hispanic children spoke a non-English language at home and had difficulty speaking English, compared to 1% each of black and white children. The percentage of Hispanic children who spoke a non-English language at home and who had difficulty speaking English increased slightly between 1979 and 1995.

Children and Poverty

The proportion of children under 18 who lived in families with incomes below the poverty level decreased substantially during the 1960s and then rose from 1970 to 1983. Between 1983 and 1995, the poverty rate for children fluctuated between 19 and 22%. Throughout the period, minority children were more likely to live in poverty than white children. In 1995, both black and Hispanic children (42 and 39%, respectively) were more than twice as likely as white children (16%) to live in poverty. Children living with two married parents were also much less likely to live below the poverty level than children living only with their mother (6% of children compared to 32%).

Poverty in United States

The percentage of children living below the poverty line, adjusted for the impact of taxes and governmental transfers on income, suggests how effective government fiscal policies are at reducing income inequalities and poverty in a society. Among countries with data available, the United States was the only wealthy industrialized country to have double-digit child poverty rates (20.4% in 1986) after adjusting for taxes and governmental transfers. The post-transfer poverty rates for children in the United States were between 2 and 7 times higher than comparable rates in Canada, France, former West Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Children in Single-Parent Families

In 1994, 25% of children under age 18 lived in single-parent families, while 11% did so in 1970. Between 1970 and 1994, the percentage of black children living in a single-parent family nearly doubled. In 1994, 60% of black children lived in single-parent families compared to 19% of white children and 29% of Hispanic children.

Minority Students and High-Poverty Students

In the 1993-94 school year, 27% of white students were in schools with a high-poverty rate compared to 65% of black and Hispanic students, 37% of Asian/Pacific Islander students, and 57% of American Indian/Alaskan Native students.

Examples from Learning Environment in High- and Low-Poverty Schools

Misbehavior

Teachers in high-poverty schools were more likely than their counterparts in low-poverty schools to report that student misbehavior (e.g., noise, horseplay, or fighting in the halls, cafeteria, or student lounge) in their school interfered with their teaching (18 and 8%, respectively).

Absenteeism and Tardiness

In the 1990-91 school year, the reported percentage of secondary students absent on a typical day was higher in high-poverty public schools (10%) than in low-poverty public schools (7%). Secondary teachers in high-poverty schools were more than twice as likely as secondary teachers in low-poverty public schools to report that student absenteeism and tardiness were serious problems in their schools.

Parent Involvement

In the 1993-94 school year, public school teachers from high-poverty schools were three times more likely than their counterparts in low-poverty schools to report that lack of parental involvement was a serious problem in their schools (38 compared to 12%).

Verbal Abuse and Disrespect for Teachers
In the 1993-94 school year, public school teachers in high-poverty schools were more than twice as likely to report that verbal abuse and student disrespect for teachers were serious problems at their school than their counterparts in low-poverty schools.

Physical Conflicts and Weapons

There has been an increase in the percentage of public school teachers who, between the 1987-88 and 1993-94 school years, felt that physical conflicts and weapons possession were moderate or serious problems in their schools. This concern is reflected in the views of students as well as teachers. In 1993, 50% of students reported using some sort of strategy to avoid harm at schools. Black and Hispanic students were more likely to have reported using such a strategy than were white students.

In the 1993-94 school year, 43% of public school teachers in high-poverty schools reported that physical conflicts among students were a moderate or serious problem in their schools; this was more than twice the percentage of their counterparts in low-poverty schools who reported that physical conflicts were a moderate or serious problem (19%). Of public school teachers in high-poverty schools, 13% reported that weapons possession was a moderate or serious problem in their school, compared to 7% of teachers in low-poverty schools.

Internet Access

In 1996, Internet access was available in about half (53%) of the schools in which 71% or more students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch programs and in 58% of schools in which 31 to 70% of students were eligible. In comparison, 72% of schools with 11 to 30% of students eligible for the lunch program had Internet access, and 78% of those with less than 11% of students with free or reduced-price lunch eligibility were connected to the Internet.

Teacher Salaries

In the 1993-94 school year, public school teachers in low-poverty schools earned 28% more in total school earnings than did public school teachers in high-poverty schools ($45,547 versus $35,496, respectively). Teachers in high-poverty schools were also less likely to be satisfied with their salaries than teachers in low-poverty schools.

For more information:

Cindy Balmuth, Peter Kickbush, and Kirk Winters
U.S. Department of Education
Email: kirk_winters@ed.gov

Source

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