INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana children are doing better in school, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, but the high rate of child poverty remains a big concern.
Indiana ranked 27th nationally in overall child well-being, up three spots from 2013, according to the 2014 KIDS COUNT data book released today.
In education, Indiana ranked 26th, up from 34th among all 50 states in 2013.
While children have made gains in reading and math test scores, 62 percent of fourth-grade students scored below proficient in reading and a similar percentage of eighth-grade students scored below proficient in math, said Bill Stanczykiewicz, president and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute.
"Any and all academic progress for Hoosier students is a cause for celebration," he said. "However, the fact that so many students still lack proficiency in reading and math reveals that Indiana's educational outcomes still have room for significant improvement."
Nancy Vaughan, president of Madison County United Way, said she's pleased the hard work of many people throughout the state and county to improve educational achievement is showing results.
In Madison County, for example, Vaughan said "Born Learning," an early childhood initiative the United Way began in 2007 with buy-in from the county's public schools, is helping improve outcomes.
But progress is fragile, particularly because of the continuing economic challenges that exist in central Indiana with high rates of child poverty and unemployment numbers that for the past several years have consistently exceeded the statewide average.
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