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Goal: Quality Educational Opportunities

To ensure that all citizens have access to a quality education and lifelong learning opportunities that will sustain meaningful work, achievement of personal goals, and a high quality of life, by valuing educational achievement and building a strong educational syatem.

Children Downtown photo by K Wang

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What Is Happening?

King County residents are among the most educated in the country. In 2005, 90% of adults aged 25 years and older had at least a high school diploma or equivalent. However, the percent of adults living below the Federal Poverty Level with a high school education or greater was just 78% and the on-time high school graduation rates for school districts within King County varies widely with poorer regions in the county having much lower rates.

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Migration into the county for high-tech jobs may boost the overall percentage of adults with higher education levels. The disparities in educational opportunities by income level persist beyond formal education. The large majority of adults in King County report being active or somewhat active in at least three "life-enriching" activities but those making more than $25,000 a year are more active than those making less than that amount. Looking at younger children, school readiness is an important indicator of the quality of care and attention given during a child’s earliest years. Approximately one in four kindergarten children in three King County school districts were assessed as not being ready for school by their teachers.

Status Indicators
High School Graduation Rate --- Disparities in high school graduation rates indicate where we - as a community - might be failing particular segments of the student population. For a student who does not graduate from high school, the career outlook is bleak. High school dropouts earn significantly less on average than students finishing high school and going onto at least some college. And, according to the Seattle Foundation's A Healthy Community report, half the people without high-school diplomas lack health insurance and they run out of food money 10 times as often as college graduates. (view data graph) Participation in Life-Enriching Activities --- We need a balance between work and leisure. Taking time to participate in pursuits we enjoy helps to relieve the pressures of day-to-day life and develops our full potential as human beings. In the Central Puget Sound region, we are blessed with a variety of opportunities to explore our inner and outer worlds in depth. (view data graph) School Readiness --- Children are born learning. Children are ready to learn in school when they are able to adjust to the demands of a classroom, are comfortable exploring and asking questions, are able to listen to the teacher, and play and work well with other children. Research points to the importance of early learning opportunities in development and future success. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction reports that less than half of children in Washington State entering kindergarten are adequately prepared according to their teachers. (1) (view data graph)
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Why Is It Happening?

Research into brain development tells us that children are born learning. The years from birth to age eight are the “learning to learn” years when children build the foundations to become capable readers, writers, mathematicians, artists, musicians, creative thinkers, and caring citizens. With a strong foundation, children will be prepared to connect and apply their learning to new topics and personal interests in later years.

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Parent's nurturing of their children’s learning is potent. With guidance from parents, families and other caregivers, children develop bonds with others and learn to express compassion, work well in groups and live with rules. Reading to young children helps develop the language skills critical to later school success. While 84% of surveyed King County households with young children report that they read or tell stories to their young children on a daily basis, the percentage varies by education level and income of respondents. Along with nurturing caregivers, children also need a healthy environment. In this regard, parents’ own health is a critical factor in childhood development, as is family and community security. Unhealthy conditions may push youth towards risky decisions and behaviors and then harmful outcomes, such as violent acts and alcohol abuse. Economists and educators have found that investments in high-quality early learning, especially for at-risk children, yield significant benefits. The Perry Preschool Study found that eight dollars was saved for every dollar invested in early learning, as the costs of remedial education, special education, abuse and neglect, health care, school drop-out rates, teen pregnancy, crime and incarceration were all significantly reduced. (1) Likewise, increasing food security for children of all ages through such programs as free and reduced lunch programs, has a measurable effect on academic achievement.

Upstream Indicators
Participation in Free/Reduced-Price School Lunch Programs --- In 1946, President Truman signed the National School Lunch Program into law to reduce malnutrition, provide an outlet for agricultural commodity surpluses, and improve learning. Today, this program is a crucial element in states' efforts to mitigate the impacts of hunger on children. Participation has been shown to increase students' test scores, cognitive abilities, and memory. In Washington, recent investments in the program have been highly effective, helping to lift Washington's rank in food insecurity from second highest in the country to 30th. At the same time, the program is heavily dependent on subsidized food inputs leading to an overabundance of processed over fresh foods in school cafeterias. (view data graph) Parent/Guardian Involvement in Child's Learning --- Reading to young children promotes language development and, later on, reading comprehension and overall success in school. Reading stories and/or telling stories in any language assists young children to be prepared for school. Washington State ranks 12th in the percentage of families reading to their young children daily according to a 2007 survey. (1) A significantly higher percentage of King County families (84%) read to their young children daily than is the case for Washington State families as a whole (54%). (view data graph) Physical and Mental Health Restrictions --- Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Poor physical health may be caused by poor diet, lack of exercise, substance abuse and stress. Poor mental health is linked with social isolation, poor quality of life, and increased mortality. A survey of King County residents asking how many days did poor physical or mental health keep them from doing their usual activities found substantial differences by income and race. (view data graph) Quality Affordable Child Care --- During the first five years of life, crucial brain development takes place that will affect later learning. Due to the rise in two-income families and single-parent households, increasing numbers of our communities' preschool age children are spending time in the care of a child care provider other than their parents. Yet, the U.S remains behind most developed countries in offering free or subsidized childcare to its workforce. (view data graph) Risk and Protective Factors in Youth --- As they grow up, youth are exposed to conditions in their homes, schools, and communities which may either increase their risk for, or protect them from, problems such as abusing drugs or engaging in reckless behavior. The most effective approach to supporting young people in their healthy development is to reduce risk factors while increasing protective factors in all of the areas that touch their lives. (view data graph)
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Why Is It Important?

People have healthier, more fulfilling lives when they have a quality education. In today’s economy, that means a high school diploma and at least one year of post high school education. Research shows that as educational attainment increases, so does median income and lifetime earnings. Moreover, the earnings advantage for those with advanced education is growing. Before 1985, the earnings of a person with a graduate degree were 60 percent higher than the earnings of a high school graduate. Since then, the difference has grown to 100 percent.

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In turn, communities that fail to support quality education opportunities are undermining their economies. Strong economies call for workers who are willing to lead, sometimes referred to as the “creative class”. Education also opens doors to creative expression, meaningful work and individual empowerment. A strong sense of agency, grounded in quality learning experiences, increases our life satisfaction as well as contributes to our community’s growth. What’s more, educational attainment is found to be a powerful predictor of civic engagement.

Downstream Indicators
Creative Class --- As the economy shifts towards technology, research and development, the internet and related fields, more knowledge workers are needed to fill these jobs. Such workers have been dubbed the “creative class”. Social scientists conjecture that places with cultural, social, and technological amenities, such as the Seattle metropolitan area, attract creative class workers and that, in turn, these workers promote a tolerant culture where people can "be themselves". (view data graph) Involvement in Community Organizations --- One measure of a community’s strength is citizen involvement in community activities. Working together for the common good of neighborhoods, faith communities, schools or a political cause creates civic responsibility and a sense of reciprocity. Social cohesiveness is increased through shared activities such as team sports and support of the arts. In King County, a high percentage of folks are involved in community organizations. (view data graph) Living Wage --- A living wage guarantees that a person working a 40-hour week makes enough to pay for essentials: housing, food, utilities, transport, health care, and some recreation. A living wage differs from the minimum wage in that the latter is set by law and may fail to cover basics. Workers making less than living wages in the communities where they work are often forced to live at a distance at a cost. Nearly one-fourth of all low-wage earners are immigrants or refugees. (view data graph) Happiness --- People tend to be happy when they have good health, close and supportive relationships, meaningful work, and a sense of personal worth which comes from having important goals that derive from one's values and making progress toward those goals. Research also shows that getting richer does not necessarily make us happier, especially if we judge our worth by comparing what we have to what others have. (1) In short, happiness can not be explained by economic factors alone. This goes against the standard economics belief that equates higher consumption levels with greater happiness. (view data graph)
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