Mississippi’s children score low on new report
Mississippi children trail their peers across the country on important indicators of education, health and economic security, according to a new national report released today.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s “Race for Results” looks at 12 factors that influence a child’s success – including babies born at normal birthweight, scores of fourth- and eighth-graders on national tests, young adults with higher education degrees and children living in two-parent families, among others.
Data is aggregated by five racial subgroups, allowing for comparisons across groups at the national and state level.
In Mississippi, the data showed a large gap between children who are Asian or white and those who are black or Latino. All four groups trailed the national average.
“It matters because future prosperity in the United States and in Mississippi depends on the success of all children, regardless of where they live or what ethnic or racial group they belong to,” said Linda Southward, director of Mississippi KIDS COUNT.
The composite index uses a scale between one and 1,000, which is the highest score. At the national level, Asian and Pacific Island children had the highest score at 776, followed by scores for white (704), Latino (404), American-Indian (387) and black (345) children.
In Mississippi, Asian children scored 687, followed by white (559), Latino (384) and black (243) children.
Mississippi’s score for its black children was second lowest in the nation, as was its score for its white children.
Daily Journal
4/1/14
