SBOE President Don Soltman presented to JFAC today at 8 a.m. Soltman said Idaho education may be at a tough place now, but with further funding will improve. |
- Idaho's high school graduation rate is currently within the top 10 in the country at 84%
- The state's rate of high school grads next entering into post-secondary education is one of the nation's lowest at 46%, having just fallen from 49% in 2012
- Here's Idaho breakdown of higher-ed student demographics:
- Academic Undergraduate: 82,716 students
- Graduate/Professional: 12,700
- Professional/Technical: More than 4,000
The SBOE is pushing for reform in what Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter coined "K-through-Career" education to achieve what could be a touch feat - 60% of all Idahoans between the ages of 25-34 to earn a professional or technical certificate by year 2020. The state is currently sitting at 35%, (5% lower than the national average) but Soltman didn't have data on whether that number was influenced by or included students whom have left the state for higher-ed opportunities.
SBOE is aiming for 60% following a survey taken on 450 Idaho business leaders. Following the survey, they found that business leaders project 67.4% of all Idaho jobs will require a professional/technical certificate or diploma.
"Education makes a difference for our economy and our individuals - it's an investment," Soltman said. "I know we have a challenge convincing our population to invest in education."
The SBOE will present again Friday, Jan. 24. More information to come.
Twitter: @crchloerambo | Instagram: @crchloerambo | The Argonaut
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