What’s measured This indicator tracks the higher-education plans of high school seniors for the year after they graduate from public high schools. Percentages are calculated for students planning on attending two-year, four-year or community colleges, and for those with no plans for higher education (this may include military service). Data are from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the South Carolina Department of Education. Why it’s measured The decision to seek education or training after high school is critical for students in today’s economy. It is a measure of the variation in opportunities that high school students have, and a key factor in future earnings and job options. Indicator results For the region, 82 percent of graduating high school seniors from public schools in the school year 2004-05 planned on attending a two-year, four-year or community college. This is an increase from 81 percent in 2000-01. Of seniors graduating throughout North Carolina in 2004-05, 85 percent were planning to pursue some form of higher education. Some 69 percent of South Carolina seniors fell into that category for 2004-05. Students from different districts show different patterns in college and technical school attendance, reflecting an uneven level of educational outcomes and opportunities across the region. For example, while more than 90 percent of students from York 4 (Fort Mill) go on to further education, less than 60 percent of students from York 2 (Clover) do so, despite both districts’ having high school graduation rates that are among the highest in the region. Similarly, the two low-growth districts with high graduation rates also are widely divergent, with Catawba County at more than 80 percent seeking further education and York 1 (S.C. area) just above 50 percent, the lowest post high school education rate in the region. Evaluation In Mecklenburg County, the rate of students planning to pursue higher education is over 90 percent. Mecklenburg represents nearly 30 percent of public high school graduates in the region. The other North Carolina counties in the region fall below the state average with the exception of Gaston. The gap between the regional district average and the North Carolina average grew slightly larger after 2000-01 (when it was about one percentage point) but then narrowed again in 2004-05 (to about a two percentage point gap). This constitutes an important trend that should be monitored. Though South Carolina has a higher percentage of students graduating from high school than do many of the North Carolina districts in the region, a substantially smaller percentage of the South Carolina students are continuing their education after high school. Connections Of the students who make it through high school, those not planning to pursue higher education have a severely limited set of career options in the modern economy. This affects the future income, health and social well-being of the region. |