Chapter 12: Achievement

On the site

The government provides a wealth of information on educational achievement. Although statistics are usually thought of as dry, they provide a snapshot of who we are and things that make a difference in our lives. What kinds of questions do these data bring to your mind?

• The US Census Bureau summarizes trends in income for individuals by education. Note how ethnic differences change if you look at it by households. A large range of data has been tabulated summarizing historical changes in income distribution.
• Mean Earnings of Workers 18 Years Old and Over, by Educational Attainment, Race, Hispanic Origin, and Sex: 1975 to 1999
• This is a complicated table, but print it out and spend some time with it. Some things to think about:
• Look at the relationship between earnings and incomes within each group (gender, ethnicity, etc.). Then compare the income of people who have the same education but differ in other characteristics. Who does education make the biggest difference for?
• Think about historical trends. Does education make more of a difference now than it did in the past? For whom?
• What are some of the factors that might contribute to these differences other than discrimination?
• How Much We Earn: Factors that Make a Difference
• This report provides information and a discussion of some of the predictors of income, including education.

Additional information

• Educational attainment is a critical indicator of success and good predictor of marital satisfaction, long-term happiness, health, and mortality. A summary of changes in educational attainment broken down by ethnicity and year was compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics.