Overview
Improving Quality of Life
Quality of life can be improved when all North Dakota students graduate from high school college- and career-ready.
High-quality education is essential to prepare students for an increasingly competitive, complex, and global economy. Quality education is a multifaceted concept which includes quality learners (healthy, well-nourished children with positive early life experiences and interactions who live in supportive families and communities); quality environments (healthy and safe environments that provide adequate resources and facilities); quality educational content (relevant curricula and materials for the acquisition of basic skills, especially in the areas of literacy and numeracy); quality processes (meaningful learning experiences that facilitate learning and reduce disparities); quality outcomes (knowledge, skills and attitude outcomes linked to state and national goals for education and positive participation in society), and the interdependence among them. Academic achievement in reading and math represent key educational outcomes. It is important to monitor progress in narrowing the gaps and improving results of education. In addition to achievement indicators, high school graduation can be useful in predicting young adults’ preparation for higher education and/or the workforce.
What's happening
- After a decrease during the pandemic, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards in 3rd grade English Language Arts/Literacy slightly increased from 38.5 percent in 2021 to 40.3 percent in 2023.
- In Middle School, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards in 8th grade Math slightly increased from 33.7 percent in 2022 to 34/6 percent in 2023.
- On-time high school graduation in North Dakota decreased after the pandemic, reaching 82.7 percent in 2023.
Making connections
The Education topic presents only a part of the Cradle-to-Career continuum which is represented by key measures throughout the website.
Preschool enrollment (Early childhood)
Connections to adults (Children and Youth)
Postsecondary degree completion (Workforce)
Educational Attainment (Workforce)
Proportion of Adults Working (Workforce)
Building a pathway to success begins early in life, and must provide opportunities for all children and youth. Quality educational experiences and opportunities (e.g., mother and babies’ health, preschool enrollment, connection to caring adults) produce positive outcomes that compound throughout an individual’s life as they enter into the workforce and start contributing to the economy and community.
After high school, many young adults continue on with their education and achieve a postsecondary degree, which is one key to a vibrant and successful workforce.
Having well-educated residents in our state helps to strengthen the economy and workforce and increases civic engagement.
ASK A RESEARCHER
Amy Tichy: Student Veterans in the College Classroom.
“Bringing a civilian into the world of the armed forces involves a rigorous training process that reforms numerous individuals into a collectivistic society focused on the mission above the individual. There is no such training that turns a Veteran back into a civilian. The retransformation process of moving from the military structure to the civilian structure is overwhelming on its own. When the complications of navigating the higher education system are added, the mixture creates seemingly impossible educational barriers that effect the overall success of the student.”
FOR DISCUSSION
Scott Meyer: Why Entrepreneurship Should Be Taught in North Dakota.
“The core skill of an entrepreneur is empathy - the ability to understand the problem someone is having. Once the problem is understood, a solution can be created to help them. I’ve been told people here are “North Dakota Nice.” For us, this doesn’t mean saying hi on the street to a stranger. It means taking the time and energy to understand… When we encourage empathy, our students can look at the resources around them and craft a solution. I like to think about this skill as the difference between chefs and cooks.”
Luke Schaefer and Alissa Thiele: Coming Together to Help Students.
“Central Regional Education Association (CREA) is the largest regional education association (REA) in North Dakota. You may not have heard of an REA before, but North Dakota has seven of them. They provide services to schools, educators, students, and communities across the state…Some people may wonder why REAs exist. Each day, the REAs work tirelessly to support schools regardless of their geographic location so that students gain every opportunity possible. Staff at CREA work diligently to support educators in every way that they can to provide opportunities for students. CREA staff know that there is no problem too big or too small and work to provide community-based solutions. They have tremendous respect for educators and the work they do every day developing young learners and work tirelessly to help equalize the playing field for small and large districts alike.”
New in our Library
- Reviewing the Research Base from 1985-2020: Infant and Toddler Child Care and At-Risk Children’s School Readiness
- The State of America's Children
- Kids Count Data Book: State Trends in Child Well-Being
- America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being
- Toward Ending the Monolithic View of "Undererpresented Students:" Why Higher Education Must Account for Racial, Ethnic, and Economic Variations in Barriers to Equity
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