Dr. Joe Schaffer

December 12, 2012

Questioning EducationRotary Club of Cheyenne

My Objectives• Get you to think about questioning our

current system of education.• Ask you to consider our culture and

how that may be impacting how well our students succeed.

• Implore you to see the necessity of postsecondary education.

• Inform you about what needs to be done in education, and have you hold educators accountable for it.

Question #1:

Is our expectation of what we need from an education appropriate

for the world we live in?

High School

• In Wyoming, you can drop out of High school at age 16

• Graduation Rates– United States: 78%– Wyoming: 80%– LCSD#1: 72%– LCSD#2: 91%

*Source: US Dept. of Education, 2010-2011 Graduation Rates

High School

• College-Going Rates– United States: 63.3%– Wyoming: 59.4%

Ex. In WY, for every 100 freshmen, 80 will finish high school. Of these 80, only 48 will go onto college.

*Source: NCHEMS, 2008 College-Going Rates

College Completion

• College Completion Rates– United States 4-Year: 56% – Wyoming 4-Year: 53%– United States 2-Year: 20.4%– Wyoming 2-Year: 30.4%

Note: Graduation rates of First-time, Full-time students. Bachelors degree within 6 years, community college credential within 3 years.

*Source: National Center for Higher Education Statistics, 2010 Graduation Rates

A College Economy

Postsecondary education or training is becoming the requirement for occupational entry.• 1973 – 72% of all jobs required only High School education…• By 2020 – only 36% of the jobs will!

*Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2012

A College Economy

Over the last four decades, postsecondary education has become the gatekeeper to the middle- and upper-classes.

*Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (2010, June). Help wanted: Projections of jobs and education requirements through 2018.

1970 TodayPercent of middle-class that are high school drop outs: 28% 8%

Percent of the middle-class with some type of college: 26% 61%

Percent of upper-class with postsecondary education: 44% 81%

If you drop out of high school, you have a 98% chance of living a life of the working poor!

Recession Exacerbation

*Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2012

Question #2:

What will the life-sustaining jobs of the future require in an education?

Jobs of the Future

• 46.8 million US job openings through 2018 (new & retirements)– 16M require a Bachelor’s or higher– 12M require an Associate’s degree

or some postsecondary education

62% of all jobs in WY through 2018 will require some education beyond high school!

*Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (2010, June). Help wanted: Projections of jobs and education requirements through 2018.

Workforce Mismatch

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

37%40%

55%60%

Young Adult Education LevelAges 25‐34 with Associate's Degree or Higher

Wyoming US Leading Nations 2020 Goal

28% Skills Gap

*Source: NCHEMS/US Census American Community Survey, OECD Education at a Glance.

62% - Jobs requiring postsecondary education

Food for Thought

• Once #1 in college attainment for 25-34 year-olds, the US now ranks #15 among 34 OECD countries.

• For the first time in our history, the current generation of college-age Americans will likely be less educated than their parents’ generation.

*Source: NCHEMS/US Census American Community Survey, OECD Education at a Glance.

Question #3:

Do we know where the life-sustaining careers of the future will

be located?

Bachelor’s is Best

• Bachelor’s degrees still provide the best prospect for a rewarding, and good-paying career– 16 million jobs (34%) through 2018– Most are science or professional

based occupations• Technology, Engineering, Medical, etc.

*Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (2010, June). Help wanted: Projections of jobs and education requirements through 2018.

“Middle Jobs”

• Jobs paying more than $35K not requiring a Bachelor’s degree

• 29 Million of these in the US– 11M pay more than $50K– 4M pay more than $75K

That’s ½ of all jobs in America that pay middle-class wages!

*Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (2012). Career and Technical Education: Five Ways That Pay Along the Way to the B.A..

“Middle Jobs”

• Many of these jobs are and will be available here in Wyoming– WY will rank #2 for jobs created

through 2018 requiring an associate degree

– WY will rank #4 for jobs accessed through some postsecondary

*Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (2010, June). Help wanted: Projections of jobs and education requirements through 2018.

“Middle Jobs”

39% of all available jobs in Wyoming through 2018 will be accessed through a community

college education!

*Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (2010, June). Help wanted: Projections of jobs and education requirements through 2018.

“Middle Jobs” Education

5 Pathways to these “Middle Jobs”1. Associate Degrees

2. Postsecondary Certificates

3. Industry-Based Certifications

4. Apprenticeships

5. Employer-Based Training

LCCC does it all!

*Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (2012). Career and Technical Education: Five Ways That Pay Along the Way to the B.A..

Where are they?

*Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (2012). Career and Technical Education: Five Ways That Pay Along the Way to the B.A..

Question #4:

Is the rising cost of higher education too high and unsustainable?

Does higher investment in education necessarily result in better outcomes

and/or performance?

Question #5:

Chasing Affordability

• Higher education is more important now than ever.

• But it is also becoming more expensive.– Tuition and fees are the highest in

USA of the 34 OECD Countries!

*Source: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Education at a Glance, 2011

Chasing Affordability

• Higher education is more important now than ever.

• But it is also becoming more expensive.– Tuition and fees are the highest in

USA of the 34 OECD Countries!– Fortunately, wages for college grads

are also higher in the US.*Source: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Education at a Glance, 2011

Chasing Affordability

• The cost of higher education may be outpacing our earnings.

2011-12 2010-11 2006-07 2001-020.0%

1.0%

2.0%

3.0%

4.0%

5.0%

6.0%

7.0%

4.3% 4.1% 3.9% 3.8%

6.0%5.5%

4.6%

3.6%

CC Tuition & Fees to Median Household Income

Wyoming WICHE Average

*Source: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, Tuition and Fees in Public Higher Education in the West. U.S. Census Bureau, Table H-8: Median household income by state: 1984 to 2010.

Chasing Affordability

• The cost of higher education may be outpacing our earnings.

*Source: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, Tuition and Fees in Public Higher Education in the West. U.S. Census Bureau, Table H-8: Median household income by state: 1984 to 2010.

2011-12 2010-11 2006-07 2001-020.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

16.0%

7.9% 7.5% 7.5% 7.1%

14.4%13.1%

9.9%

7.7%

University Tuition & Fees to Median Household Income

Wyoming WICHE Average

More $$ ≠ Better Results

• Up and into the recession, states and students have been spending more on higher education.

• But spending more doesn’t necessarily result in better outcomes or productivity.

Silver Lining

• We know we cannot necessarily sustain the increase in state investment and tuition.– Estimated to cost $33 Billion to reach

the goal of 60% attainment by 2025 under the current model.

• Fortunately productivity can and should be improved even with major fiscal constraints.

*Source: Lumina Foundation, Navigating the New Normal, 2010

Question #6:

Is our current system of education designed to create a sense of

entitlement, or worse, disdain for the very enterprise we want it to be?

Concluding Rambles• As a society, are we expecting miracles

from our schools?– Teachers continue to be one of the lowest

paid professions - 14% less than other professions requiring the same educational preparation.

– Does the current system of education, matched with the rise of working families, suggest our schools are responsible for raising our children?

– When our children struggle in school, who do we blame?*Source: Economic Policy Institute, The Teaching Penalty, 2011

Concluding Rambles

• And what about the family? – Has the family lost its role in

educating our children?– Do we stress the importance of

education in our actions, not just in our words?

• 53% of 3 & 4 year olds do not participate in preschool – so who’s educating them?

• Do I need to point back to college-going rates? Yet family is the greatest influence on college attendance.*Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation, Kids Count , 2012

Conclusion

• We must create a culture that values education, and encourages requires postsecondary attainment

• A bachelor’s degree is still a great option, but don’t overlook the emergence of the “Middle Jobs”

• We need to re-think our educational delivery system, and hold our educators responsible for designing the change – but then we have to support them in their efforts.

• America must re-establish the family as the primary catalyst in developing our youth into contributing members of society.