55 by 25 2023 Report
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THE DATA<br />
THE DASHBOARD<br />
STARTING FROM BEHIND AS A REGION<br />
In terms of the percent of adults (age <strong>25</strong>+) with an associate degree or higher:<br />
• Louisiana ranks 48th as a state<br />
• Within Louisiana, Acadiana ranks in the bottom half (5th out of 8) as a region<br />
The good news is, Lumina Foundation estimates Louisiana ranks 4th in the nation for attainment of<br />
postsecondary certificates and industry-recognized certifications. Evaluating postsecondary attainment<br />
including both degrees and these short-term credentials, Louisiana ranks 44th as a state.<br />
Understanding current educational attainment levels and tracking progress over time is critical to achieving<br />
collective success in improving regional education outcomes. For that reason, 1A developed an interactive<br />
data dashboard to collect and report on the latest educational attainment data for our region. The<br />
dashboard uses data from publicly available sources like the Louisiana Department of Education and the<br />
U.S. Census Bureau.<br />
The dashboard answers five guiding questions with data on nine key performance indicators.<br />
GUIDING QUESTIONS<br />
KEY INDICATORS<br />
PERCENT OF ACADIANA ADULTS AGE <strong>25</strong>+ WITH A POSTSECONDARY DEGREE*<br />
1<br />
What is the big<br />
picture of educational<br />
attainment in Acadiana?<br />
• % of adults with an associate degree or higher<br />
2<br />
Are Acadiana<br />
students mastering<br />
grade-level content?<br />
• Mastery of 3rd grade English Language Arts<br />
• Mastery of 8th grade math<br />
• Average grade-level mastery <strong>by</strong> subgroup<br />
3<br />
Are Acadiana students<br />
graduating high school<br />
and ready for college?<br />
• High school graduation rates<br />
• ACT scores<br />
4<br />
Are Acadiana students<br />
transitioning to college?<br />
• College-going rates<br />
• College enrollment<br />
5<br />
Are Acadiana students<br />
completing college?<br />
• College retention rates<br />
• College graduation rates<br />
KEY TAKEAWAYS<br />
As of the latest Census data (for 2021), 28.1% of Acadiana adults have an associate degree or higher<br />
level of education (up 0.6% pts from 2020). Adding in Lumina Foundation’s statewide estimate for<br />
attainment of certificates and industry-recognized certifications (12.8%), our overall attainment rate<br />
is 40.9%. If the current trendline continues, our overall attainment rate would reach 44.5% in 20<strong>25</strong>,<br />
leaving us short of the <strong>55</strong>% goal.<br />
Additionally concerning, college enrollment numbers across the country have been trending downward<br />
not upward, due in part to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent Public Affairs Research<br />
Council of Louisiana (PAR) report also notes the likelihood of another drop in enrollment beginning in<br />
20<strong>25</strong> due to a decline in U.S. birthrates that started during the Great Recession.<br />
To get ahead of the curve, we must innovate and foster stronger partnerships between industry<br />
and education.<br />
Visit the <strong>55</strong> <strong>by</strong> <strong>25</strong> dashboard at<br />
<strong>55</strong><strong>by</strong><strong>25</strong>Acadiana.org/TheDashboard<br />
Select data also available via the<br />
Vibrant Acadiana dashboard at<br />
VibrantAcadiana.com<br />
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