Assessment Report Roundup

Children’s Odds of Success Ranked by State, ZIP Code

November 12, 2013 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

For children across the nation, the ability to live out the “American Dream” may depend more on their individual ZIP codes than their national identity, according to the latest Opportunity Index report.

The index was created by Opportunity Nation, a bipartisan national campaign made up of businesses, educational institutions, nonprofits, civic organizations, and individuals with the mission of improving economic mobility and closing the opportunity gap among young people.

Using data collected during the most recent U.S. Census and other surveys, the report examines—and grades states and ZIP-code areas on—a variety of economic, education, and community factors to measure the condition of opportunity and economic mobility in the United States, including Internet access, college-graduation rates, income inequality, and public safety.

It finds, for example, that even though the national unemployment rate has decreased by 20 percent since the first index was issued three years ago, the nation became poorer over the same period, with 49 states reporting an increase in the percentages of residents living in poverty and 45 experiencing a drop in median household income in 2013.

The report also notes that 5.8 million, or 15 percent, of young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 are “disconnected"—neither in school nor working. Overall, the nation’s Opportunity Index score has risen 2.6 percent in the past three years, from 49.59 to 50.9 out of a possible 100. But the number of disconnected youth has held fairly steady.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the November 13, 2013 edition of Education Week as Children’s Odds of Success Ranked by State, ZIP Code

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Assessment Cardona Says Standardized Tests Haven't Always Met the Mark, Offers New Flexibility
The U.S. Department of Education is seeking to reinvigorate a little-used pilot program to create new types of assessments.
7 min read
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in his office at the Department of Education on Sept. 20, 2023 in Washington.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in his office at the Department of Education on Sept. 20, 2023 in Washington.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Assessment Opinion The 4 Common Myths About Grading Reform, Debunked
Grading reformers and their critics all have the same goal: grades that truly reflect student learning. Here’s how we move forward.
Sarah Ruth Morris & Matt Townsley
5 min read
Venn diagram over a macro shot of A- on white results sheet. Extremely shallow focus. Letter grades are highlighted.
E+/Getty + Vanessa Solis/Education Week
Assessment If ChatGPT Can Write Virtually Anything, What Should a National Writing Exam Test?
That's a question the board that oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress is confronting amid AI's rapid ascendance.
6 min read
Image of a person using a computer, with glasses, papers, and pencil on the desk too.
iStock/Getty
Assessment From Our Research Center Few Educators Say A-F and Numeric Grades Offer 'Very Effective' Feedback for Students
Fewer than 1 in 6 educators—13 percent— say that A through F or numeric grades are a “very effective way” to give feedback to students.
3 min read
Cropped image of teacher standing in front of a blurred classroom of students with test results in hand showing the letter A in red.
E+