When the Annie E. Casey Foundation released its 2014 Kids Count report, which measures the quality of life for children, Indiana made notable gains in both health and education, but continues to lag behind its counterparts in both family life and poverty.
The state climbed three spots on the overall quality of life for children from 30th in the nation in 2013 to 27th this year, driven mostly by the state’s education scores. Indiana’s education score — which is based in part on reading and math proficiency — jumped from 34th last year to 26th in the nation this year.
Glenn Augustine, vice president for advancement at the Indiana Youth Institute, which worked with the Casey Foundation in gathering data, said it’s hard to find a blanket reason for the improvement in scores. But he noted that state leaders have focused more on reading and literacy recently.
“There is a concerted effort in the state to look at reading levels and where children are. The state is trying to improve the level at which children read, those effort may be a contributing factor to this,” he said.
The improvement in reading scores comes after former Republican Schools Superintendent Tony Bennett and the Indiana State Board of Education established the IREAD-3 test in 2012. Supporters say it helps combat “social promotion” of students that are not ready to advance to the next grade.
Although the state’s scores in education are good news, Indiana must do more to combat its child poverty levels.
That’s because 22 percent, or 350,000 children, in Indiana live in poverty. A number that continues to get progressively worse. And 30 percent of Hoosier children have parents who lack secure employment.
Team those numbers with the report’s conclusion that 34 percent of children in Indiana live in single-parent households, and it’s likely the scores aren’t going to improve anytime soon. The report also notes 11 percent of Hoosier children live in high-poverty areas, up from just 3 percent 14 years ago.
But amid those family statistics lies a bit of good news.
Teen births in the state have dropped significantly. In the most recent survey, teen births were at 33 per 1,000, a noticeable drop from the 43 per 1,000 births recorded in 2005.
We must have a productive conversation about how we can best address the problems that face the youth in our Hoosier state. Taking note of the statistics is fine, but more importantly, we must use those numbers as a springboard toward creating meaningful solutions that will best benefit young Hoosiers.
We cannot continue to lag behind other states when it comes to assisting, preparing and mentoring our young people as they are the future of our state, paramount in its continued prosperity.