February 22, 2005

Expert: Jobs, higher education should top state's 'to do' list

Brigitte Waldorf, a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics who wrote the report "No County Left Behind?" said the growing managerial and professional employment sector requires a highly educated work force — something that is lacking in most of the state's 92 counties.

"There are 87 Indiana counties that have persistently lagged behind the nation in the number of residents with college degrees and that seem to be trapped in a state of education deprivation," she said. "And tracking the educational status of Indiana counties since the 1970s shows that only four counties have a well-educated work force able to compete in the emerging knowledge economy."

The report also shows that about 22 percent of Indiana high school graduates do not intend to continue their education.

"We need students to think that going to college is the norm, rather than something that's unattainable," Waldorf said.

Victor L. Lechtenberg, Purdue's vice provost for engagement, said the report was commissioned to help the new Purdue Center for Regional Development determine where to focus its efforts.

"While the report shows that Indiana's education levels are lagging, it also suggests ways for the state to rectify the situation," Lechtenberg said. "Purdue is leading the way with unprecedented efforts in educational enhancement and job creation around the state, which are two of the report's suggested solutions."

Programs such as Purdue's Science Bound, 4-H Round Up, Project Lead the Way, and science and engineering camps bring high school students to campus to experience college life. Many of these programs also offer after-school enrichment activities to provide students with the educational base to further their education. Academic competitions at Purdue, such as the FIRST robotics competition, the Indiana Association of School Principals Academic Decathlon and Math Counts, also promote an interest in higher-level learning.

University efforts to foster job creation in the state include programs like the Technical Assistance Program and the Purdue Extension New Ventures Team. Supporting business incubators, like the Purdue Research Park and Indiana's Certified Technology Parks, remain a top priority, Lechtenberg said.

Even with these efforts, Indiana faces an uphill climb, Waldorf said.

In 1970, only 8.3 percent of Hoosiers had a four-year college degree, compared to the national average of 10.7 percent. As of 2000, Indiana still hadn't caught up with the nation. That year, 19.4 percent of the state's population was college educated, compared to 24.4 percent nationally.

"Most recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau suggest that the widening of the gap continued during the beginning of the 21st century," Waldorf said. "For 2004 it's estimated that the percentage of Indiana adults with at least a four-year college degree is 5.5 percentage points below the national percentage."

Not only does Indiana lag behind the national percentage, it's one of the lowest ranked states, she said. Indiana has consistently ranked in the bottom 10th percentile, with only Louisiana, Nevada, Kentucky, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama and West Virginia ranking lower.

Efforts to improve schools have met with some success in the state. Waldorf said the percentage of adults with a high school degree is higher in Indiana than in the nation. However, many of today's jobs require more than a high school education.

To keep students interested in education, Purdue also is taking its expertise directly to classrooms. One such program, the Indiana Council for Economic Education, trains teachers who want to fold basic economic concepts into their class curricula. The College of Science's K-12 outreach program also has reached more than 6,000 teachers and 550,000 students since 1989 by traveling to Indiana schools with workshops, demonstrations, laboratory equipment and other activities.

In addition to programs in the field, research to investigate the most effective teaching methods is ongoing at Purdue. The Discovery Learning Center in Discovery Park focuses on linking interdisciplinary teams of teachers, students and researchers to explore new technologies and teaching strategies. The College of Education's Gifted Education Resource Institute conducts research into the psychology of gifted and talented people and effective educational practices for high-ability youth. The College of Education and the College of Science also recently launched the Center for Research Engagement in Science and Math Education. Its mission is to discover and support the most effective teaching processes for science, math and technology.

Another factor contributing to the slow growth of the college-educated population within the state is the migration of graduates out of state.

"For every five young, single, college-educated people migrating to Indiana, Indiana loses seven to other states," Waldorf said.

Programs like Purdue's Opportunity for Indiana Program specialize in fighting the so-called "brain drain" by supporting the creation of high-tech businesses and student internships, but Waldorf said it's also important to change students' thinking about higher education.

"If you go to the more remote counties in the state, few people have attended college," Waldorf said. "And if they have, they seldom return."

"No County Left Behind?" also cited the national lack of affordable higher education as a cause for Indiana's lagging education level.

Colleges like Purdue and Indiana University have invested in satellite campuses around the state, and Purdue has furthered that effort through learning centers that offer lower-cost college-level courses at other locations.

"Indiana is making strides," Waldorf said. "The thing is that other states are making strides, too. For economic development to succeed, we have to highlight the positives and build upon our momentum."

Writers: Kay Hagen, (765) 494-6682, kjh@purdue.edu

Marydell Forbes (765) 496-7704, mforbes@purdue.edu

Sources: Brigitte Waldorf, (765) 496-6262,bwaldorf@purdue.edu

Victor L. Lechtenberg (765) 494-9095, vll@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: The "No County Left Behind?" report is available online.

Related Web sites:
Purdue Office of Engagement

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