Final Draft IJWC Fall 2022 copy 121 International Journal of the Whole Child 2022, VOL. 7, NO. 2 Education by the Numbers Donald Sneada aMiddle Tennessee State University Donald Snead (B.S.in Natural Science, M.A. Teaching in Curriculum & Instruction, Ed.D. Curriculum & Instruction in Science Education) is the Department Chair and Professor in the Educational Leadership Department at Middle Tennessee State University. Committed to a social constructivist philosophy, he teaches courses in curriculum, leadership, and research methods. Dr. Snead is an inductee into the Kentucky Distinguished Educators Cadre. His research interests focus on improving learning for all students. Education Attainment Education is one of the dominant factors in determining how developed a country is. Education is essential in ending poverty, fighting inequality and injustice, and protecting the planet (Schmidt, 2018). Approximately 90% of Americans over the age of 25 have a high school diploma, 34% have a bachelor’s degree, and 13% have an advanced degree [ (master’s professional, doctorate or combination), NCES, 2021]. In the United States, education attainment is strongly correlated with income. Moreover, income is often directly correlated with education attainment (World Population Review, 2022). Those with a high school diploma and without a high school diploma had an average median income of $32,250. Those with a Bachelor’s ($67,300) or advanced degree ($95,200) had an average median income of $81,250. This equates to a 40% greater income than those without a post- secondary education experience (NCES, 2022). Higher education is struggling to enroll and retain students to graduate within five years of enrollment (NCES, 2022). There are multiple factors and obstacles that determine a student’s successful completion of a higher education degree within six years of enrollment. However, parental characteristics is a strong indicator for students who enroll (transition) and remain (persistence) in a higher education institution beyond the end of their first-year enrollment. These factors or obstacles may include socio-economic status, student location, tuition cost, lack of access to affordable options, family, personal difficulties, lack of time and poor higher education experience. Parental characteristics is a strong indicator of the number of students entering college and remaining in college beyond the end of their first college enrollment (Fabina, 2022). 122 Figure 1: Transition Rate to College and Parental Education T ra ns iti on R at e L es s T ha n a ba ch el or ’ s de gr ee B ac he lo r’ s D eg re e or H ig he r L es s T ha n a ba ch el or ’ s de gr ee B ac he lo r’ s D eg re e or H ig he r L es s T ha n a ba ch el or ’ s D eg re e B ac he lo r’ s de gr ee o r h ig he r L es s T ha n a ba ch el or ’ s de gr ee B ac he lo r’ s de gr ee o r H ig he r L es s T ha n a ba ch el or ’ s de gr ee B ac he lo r’ s de gr ee o r H ig he r L es s T ha n a ba ch el or ’ s de gr ee B ac he lo r’ s de gr ee o r h ig he r 50% 70% 61% 80% 50% 78% 60% 80% 50% 70% 60% 80% >$50,000 < $50,000 >$20,000 < $20,000 >$6000 <$6000 Parental Net Worth Parental Housing Equity Parental Monthly Income Transition rate (rate at which students start college enrollment) Figure 2: Persistence in College and Parental Education Pe rs is te nc e R at e L es s T ha n a ba ch el or ’ s de gr ee B ac he lo r’ s D eg re e or H ig he r L es s T ha n a ba ch el or ’ s de gr ee B ac he lo r’ s D eg re e or H ig he r L es s T ha n a ba ch el or ’ s D eg re e B ac he lo r’ s de gr ee o r h ig he r L es s T ha n a ba ch el or ’ s de gr ee B ac he lo r’ s de gr e e o r H ig he r L es s T ha n a ba ch el or ’ s de gr ee B ac he lo r’ s de gr ee o r H ig he r L es s T ha n a ba ch el or ’ s de gr ee B ac he lo r’ s de gr ee o r h ig he r 78% 75% 79% 93% 77% 77% 80% 93% 80% 79% 77% 91% >$50,000 < $50,000 >$20,000 < $20,000 >$6000 <$6000 Parental Net Worth Parental Housing Equity Parental Monthly Income Persistence (Rate at which students report college enrollment beyond first year enrollment) 123 References Fabina, J. (2022). Who goes and who stays? College attendance and persistence by parental characteristics. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/newsroom/press- kits/2022/paa/Who%20Goes%20and%20Who%20Stays%20College%20Attendance%20 and%20Persistence%20by%20Parental%20Characteristics.pdf on November 21, 2022. U.S. Census Bureau. Schmidt, E. (2018). Postsecondary enrollment before, during, and since the Great Depression. Retrieved from http://www.education.org on November 21, 2022. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2021). Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/fast facts on November 21, 2022. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2022) Quick stats. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/datalab/quickstats. World Population Review. Educational attainment by state 2022. Retrieved from https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/educational-attainment-by-state on November 21, 2022.