1. Education and opportunity
April 13, 2017

2. Schools and equal opportunity
Ideal of equal opportunity
High school grads: 80% (Texas) to 92% (Wyoming)
College grads: 17% (WV) to 38% (Mass.)
Grad degree: 6% (Ark.) to 16% (Mass.)

3. Connecticut vs Nation Connecticut United States
Spending per pupil: $13,659
4th Math: 45%
4th Reading: 41%
8th Math: 35%
8th Reading: 37%
HS graduation rate: 82%
$9,683
39%
33%
32%
31%
74%

4. What affects academic performance?
Spending on schools?
Attempts to equalize
Family
Other students
Teacher/Administrator “Quality”

5. Examples of variation (CT)
Spending (000s) “Proficient” Writing (8th)
Sharon %
Hartford %
New Haven %
Wilton %
Hamden %
Bridgeport %
Brooklyn %
Danbury %

6. Education and equal opportunity
Primary and secondary
Sorting into schools
Sorting within schools
Higher education
Trends in starting and completing
Differences by type of institution
Rise of for-profit higher education
Local autonomy vs. equal opportunity