How Educated are We: Data Presentation

Percentage of High School Graduates, 1870-2000

	Public High School	Private High School	Graduates as % of 17-year Olds
1870	NA	NA	2.0
1880	NA	NA	2.5
1890	50.0	50.0	3.5
1900	65.3	34.7	6.4
1910	71.2	28.8	8.8
1920	74.3	25.7	16.8
1930	88.8	11.2	29.0
1940	93.6	6.4	50.8
1950	88.6	11.4	59.0
1960	87.6	12.4	69.5
1970	89.6	10.4	76.9
1980	90.3	9.7	71.4
1990	89.7	10.3	73.8
2000	89.6	10.4	70.6
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. U.S. Department of Education. Digest of Education Statistics: 2000. Retrieved March 19, 2002 from http://nces.ed.gov. Note: NA stands for data not available.

Higher Education: Enrollment and Degrees Conferred, 1870-1998

	Total Enrollment	Public Enrollment	Private Enrollment	Degrees Conferred
1870	52.0	NA	NA	9.4
1880	116.0	NA	NA	13.8
1890	157.0	NA	NA	16.7
1900	238.0	NA	NA	29.4
1910	355.0	NA	NA	39.8
1920	598.0	NA	NA	53.5
1930	1,101.0	NA	NA	139.8
1940	1,494.0	NA	NA	216.5
1950	2,281.3	1,139.7	1,141.6	496.9
1960	4,145.1	2,561.4	1,583.6	476.7

[Continued]

Higher Education: Enrollment and Degrees Conferred, 1870-1998 [Continued]

	Total Enrollment	Public Enrollment	Private Enrollment	Degrees Conferred
1970	8,580.9	6,428.1	2,152.7	1,271.0
1980	12,096.9	9,457.3	2,639.5	1,731.0
1990	13,818.6	10,844.7	2,973.9	1,940.0
1998	14,549.2	11,176.2	3,373.0	2,298.0
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Years to 1970. National Center for Education Statistics. U.S. Department of Education. Digest of Education Statistics: 1999. U.S. Census Bureau. Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2001. Enrollment data for 1960 is actually enrollment data for 1961. Source did not provide data for 1960. Enrollment data for 1950-1998 are from the Digest of Education Statistics. Degree-conferred data for 1870-1960 are from Historical Statistics. Data from 1970-1998 are from Statistical Abstract. Notes: NA stands for data not available.

Percentage of 25+ Year Olds Who Have Completed At Least 4 Years of High School, 1960-2000

	1960	1965	1970	1975	1980	1985	1990	1995	2000
Total	41.1	49.0	52.3	62.5	66.5	73.9	77.6	81.7	84.1
White	43.2	51.3	54.5	64.5	68.8	75.5	79.1	83.0	84.9
Black	20.1	27.2	31.4	42.5	51.2	59.8	66.2	73.8	78.5
Hispanic	NA	NA	32.1	37.9	44.0	47.9	50.8	53.4	57.0
Asian/Pacific Islander	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	80.4	NA	85.7
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1994 and 2001. Notes: NA stands for data not available.

Percentage of 25+ Year Olds Who Have Completed At Least 4 Years of College, 1960-2000

	1960	1965	1970	1975	1980	1985	1990	1995	2000
Total	7.7	9.4	10.7	13.9	16.2	19.4	21.3	23.0	25.6
White	8.1	9.9	11.3	14.5	17.1	20.0	22.0	24.0	26.1
Black	3.1	4.7	4.4	6.4	8.4	11.1	11.3	13.2	16.5
Hispanic	NA	NA	4.5	NA	7.6	8.5	9.2	9.3	10.6
Asian/Pacific Islander	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	39.9	NA	43.9
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1994 and 2001. Notes: NA stands for data not available.

Literacy Rates in the United States, by Race, 1870-1979

	Total	White	Black & Other
1870	80.0	88.5	20.1
1880	83.0	90.6	30.0
1890	86.7	92.3	43.2
1900	89.3	93.8	55.5
1910	92.3	95.0	69.5
1920	94.0	96.0	77.0
1930	95.7	97.0	83.6
1940	97.1	98.0	88.5
1952	97.5	98.2	89.8
1959	97.8	98.4	92.5
1969	99.0	99.3	96.4
1979	99.3	99.6	98.4
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970. National Center for Education Statistics. U.S. Department of Education. "Literacy from 1870 to 1979: Illiteracy." National Assessment of Adult Literacy. Retrieved March 21, 2002 from http://nces.ed.gov/naal/historicaldata/illiteracy.asp. Notes: Data for 1969 and 1979 "Black & Other" include only the rate for Blacks.

Adult Functional Literacy in the United States, by Educational Attainment, 1992

Data are in percentages.
	Total	Still in School	Less Than High School	Some High School	GED or High School Diploma	Some College (no Degree)	College Degree
Level 1	21.0	16.0	75.0	42.0	16.0	8.0	3.0
Level 2	27.0	36.0	20.0	38.0	36.0	23.0	11.0
Level 3	32.0	37.0	4.0	17.0	37.0	45.0	33.0
Level 4	17.0	11.0	0.0	2.0	10.0	22.0	41.0
Level 5	3.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	3.0	12.0
% of literacy tasks performed correctly	54.4	54.2	35.4	46.2	54.0	58.8	65.0
Source: Kaestle, Carl F., et. al. "Adult Literacy and Education in America." Education Statistics Quarterly, Winter 2001. Retrieved March 21, 2002 from http://nces.ed.gov.

Adult Functional Literacy in the United States, by Employment Status, 1992

Data are in percentages.
	Total	Full-Time	Part-Time	Unemployed	Out of Workforce	Retired
Level 1	21.0	13.0	14.0	24.0	29.0	41.0
Level 2	27.0	24.0	26.0	36.0	20.0	32.0
Level 3	32.0	36.0	36.0	29.0	29.0	21.0
Level 4	17.0	23.0	20.0	11.0	13.0	5.0

[Continued]

Adult Functional Literacy in the United States, by Employment Status, 1992 [Continued]

	Total	Full-Time	Part-Time	Unemployed	Out of Workforce	Retired
Level 5	3.0	5.0	4.0	1.0	2.0	1.0
% of literacy tasks performed correctly	54.4	57.6	56.8	52.0	51.2	47.0
Source: Kaestle, Carl F., et. al. "Adult Literacy and Education in America." Education Statistics Quarterly, Winter 2001. Retrieved March 21, 2002 from http://nces.ed.gov.

Average 17-Year Old Reading Proficiency Scores, by Race, 1971-1999

	1971	1975	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	1999
Average score, overall	285.2	285.6	285.5	288.8	290.1	290.2	289.7	288.1
White, non-Hispanic	291.4	293.0	292.8	295.2	294.7	297.4	295.1	294.6
Black, non-Hispanic	238.7	240.6	243.1	264.3	274.4	260.6	266.1	263.9
Hispanic	NA	252.4	261.4	268.1	270.8	271.2	265.4	270.7
Minimum score for "proficient" reading ability	302.0	302.0	302.0	302.0	302.0	302.0	302.0	302.0
Minimum score for "basic" reading ability	265.0	265.0	265.0	265.0	265.0	265.0	265.0	265.0
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. U.S. Department of Education. Digest of Education Statistics, 2001. Notes: NA stands for data not available.

Average Student Reading Proficiency Scores for 13 Year Olds, 1971-1999

	1971	1975	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	1999
Average score, overall	255.2	255.9	258.5	257.1	257.5	259.8	257.9	259.4
White, non-Hispanic	260.9	262.1	264.4	262.6	261.3	266.4	265.9	266.7
Black, non-Hispanic	222.4	225.7	232.8	236.3	242.9	237.6	234.0	238.2
Hispanic	NA	232.5	237.2	239.6	240.1	239.2	238.3	243.8
Minimum score for "proficient" reading ability	281.0	281.0	281.0	281.0	281.0	281.0	281.0	281.0
Minimum score for "basic" reading ability	243.0	243.0	243.0	243.0	243.0	243.0	243.0	243.0
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. U.S. Department of Education. Digest of Education Statistics, 2001. Notes: NA stands for data not available.

Average Student Mathematics Proficiency Scores for 17 Year Olds, 1973-2000

	1973	1978	1982	1986	1990	1992	1994	1996	1999	2000
Average score, overall	304.0	300.4	298.5	302.0	304.6	306.7	306.2	307.2	308.2	301.0
White, non-Hispanic	310.0	305.9	303.7	307.5	309.5	311.9	312.3	313.4	314.8	308.0
Black, non-Hispanic	270.0	268.4	271.8	278.6	288.5	285.8	285.5	286.4	283.3	274.0
Hispanic	277.0	276.3	276.7	283.1	283.5	292.2	290.8	292.0	292.7	283.0
Minimum score for "proficient" reading ability	336.0	336.0	336.0	336.0	336.0	336.0	336.0	336.0	336.0	336.0
Minimum score for "basic" reading ability	288.0	288.0	288.0	288.0	288.0	288.0	288.0	288.0	288.0	288.0
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. U.S. Department of Education. Digest of Education Statistics, 2001. National Center for Education Statistics. U.S. Department of Education. The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2000.

Average Student Mathematics Proficiency Scores for 13 Year Olds, 1973-2000

	1973	1978	1982	1986	1990	1992	1994	1996	1999	2000
Average score, overall	266.0	264.1	268.6	269.0	270.4	273.1	274.3	274.3	275.8	275.0
White, non-Hispanic	274.0	271.6	274.4	273.6	276.3	278.9	280.8	281.2	283.1	286.0
Black, non-Hispanic	228.0	229.6	240.4	249.2	249.1	250.2	251.5	252.1	251.0	247.0
Hispanic	239.0	238.0	252.4	254.3	254.6	259.3	256.0	255.7	259.2	253.0
Minimum score for "proficient" reading ability	299.0	299.0	299.0	299.0	299.0	299.0	299.0	299.0	299.0	299.0
Minimum score for "basic" reading ability	262.0	262.0	262.0	262.0	262.0	262.0	262.0	262.0	262.0	262.0
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. U.S. Department of Education. Digest of Education Statistics, 2001. National Center for Education Statistics. U.S. Department of Education. The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2000.

Expenditures per Pupil at the Elementary and Secondary Levels and Student Test Scores, 1970-2000

Expenditures in constant 2000-01 dollars. Expenditures per pupil based on average daily attendance. Expenditures per pupil, 2000 data are estimated.
	1970	1975	1980	1985	1990	1995	2000
Expenditure per pupil	4,427	5,222	5,617	6,161	7,653	7,829	8,787
Federal on-budget support (mil.)	25,106	32,133	32,778	25,773	28,790	38,070	44,959
Average composite SAT scores	1,049	1,010	994	1,009	1,001	1,010	1,019
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. U.S. Department of Education. Digest of Education Statistics, 2001.

Parents' Opinions on Higher Academic Standards and Standardized Tests, 2000

	% Agreeing With Statement
Support higher academic standards with consequences for students and teachers	81
Their school district is careful and reasonable in implementing higher standards	82
Standardized tests are a good way to spot struggling students	76
Students pay more attention and study harder if they must pass a test to graduate	75
It's OK for teachers to spend a significant amount of time to prepare students for standardized tests	55
Schools place too much emphasis on standardized test scores	59
Source: "Survey Finds Little Sign of Backlash against Academic Standards or Standardized Tests." Retrieved April 24, 2002 from http://www.publicagenda.org.

Average Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) Scores For College-Bound High School Seniors, 1967-2001

All scores are recentered.
	Total		Male		Female
	Verbal	Math	Verbal	Math	Verbal	Math
1967	543	516	540	535	545	495
1968	543	516	541	533	543	497
1969	540	517	536	534	543	498
1970	537	512	536	531	538	493
1971	532	513	531	529	534	494
1972	530	509	531	527	529	489
1973	523	506	523	525	521	489
1974	521	505	524	524	520	488
1975	512	498	515	518	509	479
1976	509	497	511	520	508	475
1977	507	496	509	520	505	474
1978	507	494	511	517	503	474
1979	505	493	509	516	501	473
1980	502	492	506	515	498	473
1981	502	492	508	516	496	473
1982	504	493	509	516	499	473
1983	503	494	508	516	498	474
1984	504	497	511	518	498	478
1985	509	500	514	522	503	480
1986	509	500	515	523	504	479
1987	507	501	512	523	502	481
1988	505	501	512	521	499	483
1989	504	502	510	523	498	482
1990	500	501	505	521	496	483
1991	499	500	503	520	495	482
1992	500	501	504	521	496	484
1993	500	501	504	524	497	484
1994	499	504	501	523	497	487
1995	504	506	505	525	502	490
1996	505	508	507	527	503	492
1997	505	511	507	530	503	494
1998	505	512	509	531	502	496
1999	505	512	509	531	502	495
2000	505	514	507	533	504	498
2001	506	514	509	533	502	498
Source: Gams, Janice, et. al. The College Board. "2001 College Bound Seniors Are The Largest, Most Diverse Group in History." Retrieved April 11, 2002 from http://www.collegeboard.com/sat/cbsenior/yr2001/pdf/CompleteCBSReport.pdf.

American College Testing (ACT) Average Scores, 1967-2001

	English	Math
1967	18.5	20.0
1970	17.7	17.6
1975	17.9	17.4
1980	17.8	17.3
1982	17.9	17.2
1983	17.8	16.9
1984	18.1	17.3
1985	18.1	17.2
1986	18.5	17.3
1987	18.4	17.2
1988	18.5	17.2
1989	18.4	17.1
1990	20.5	19.9
1991	20.3	20.0
1992	20.2	20.0
1993	20.3	20.1
1994	20.3	20.2
1995	20.2	20.2
1996	20.3	20.2
1997	20.3	20.6
1998	20.4	20.8
1999	20.5	20.7
2000	20.5	20.7
2001	20.5	20.7
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. U.S. Department of Education. Digest of Education Statistics, 1992 and 2001 editions.

Scholastic Achievement vs. College Performance

	%
Student test results:
% of ACT test takers ready for college level courses, 2001	82.0
% of 17 year olds proficient in reading, 1999	40.0
% of 17 year olds proficient in math, 1999	60.7
Professors' opinions in 2000:
% of high school graduates who write clearly	18.0
% of high school graduates who use proper grammar and spelling	21.0
% of high school graduates who have basic math skills	39.0
Source: "Reality Check 2000." Education Week, February 16, 2000. National Center for Education Statistics. U.S. Department of Education. Digest of Education Statistics, 2001.

Median Income and Poverty Level in 2000 Constant Dollars, 1965 to 2000

	1965	1970	1975	1980	1985	1990	1995	2000
No high school diploma	17,160	18,782	17,217	15,707	14,241	14,235	13,389	14,474
High school diploma	20,991	23,515	23,248	22,001	20,821	20,779	19,880	21,395
Bachelor's degree	30,409	33,842	32,805	31,284	34,495	35,658	35,428	39,835
Poverty threshold, four person family with two children	17,619	17,611	17,604	17,452	17,449	17,462	17,463	17,463
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. "Table P-16. Educational Attainment—People 25 Years Old and Over by Median Income and Sex: 1991 to 2000", "Table P-17. Years of School Completed—People 25 Years Old and Over by Median Income and Sex: 1958 to 1990.", and "Table 1. Weighted Average Poverty Thresholds for Families of Specified Size 1959 to 2000." Retrieved April 8, 2002 from http://www.census.gov.