Capstone Project Data Analysis

Educational Achievement, Poverty, and Unemployment. To better understand the need for
services, consider Table 1 below: “Tri-County vs. State Indicators of Educational and Economic
Achievement.” The brightest spot on Table 1 is Worcester County’s high school graduation rate,
which exceeds the Maryland average by 8 percentage points. Other measures, far less favorable,
demonstrate the need for services. Table 1 shows that the high school graduation rates (except in
Worcester county), and the vision high school graduates have for attending college, and the
actual enrollment rates in college for high school graduates in Somerset, Wicomico and
Worcester counties all lag behind the Maryland averages. Of equal importance, poverty levels
and unemployment rates for the three counties are higher than the Maryland averages. And
finally, the percentage of the workforce in the three counties with college degrees is lower than
the Maryland average.

Graduation rates. As mentioned above, Worcester County boasts a high school graduation rate
that exceeds the statewide average by 8 percentage points. But both Somerset and Wicomico
counties, with high school graduation rates at 78 and 80%, respectively, are well below the
Maryland average of 86%. In all other measures of quality of life in Table 1, all three counties
fall below state average.

Higher Education Intentions. While 2008-2012 high school graduates in all three counties
indicated in their senior exit interviews that they planned to attend a 2 or 4-year college
following graduation, the number with such plans was 4-13 percentage points below Maryland’s
statewide average. Compare 76% statewide to Somerset at 63%; Wicomico at 69%; and
Worcester, at 72%.

Higher Education Enrollment. Historically, it has been difficult to track high school students
after graduation, but Maryland has begun to develop the Maryland Longitudinal Data System to
do just that. The data system center has made available data showing that 67% of high school
graduates in Maryland were enrolled in college 16 months after graduation. So far the board has
made available only interval level data by LEA (Local Educational Agency). This interval level
data shows that 46-55% of Somerset County high school graduates and 56-65% of Wicomico
and Worcester County graduates were enrolled in college 16 months after graduation. This means
that students in the service area are graduating from high school at a lower rate, are planning to
go on to college at a lower rate and are actually enrolling in college at a lower rate than other
Maryland high school students. In today’s global economy those who do not hold a college
degree have limited earning ability and, consequently limited opportunity to improve their
socioeconomic status. Indeed, according to the Pew Research Center, data from 2011 shows that
high school graduates are expected to earn $770,000 during their lifetime while college graduates
are expected to earn almost double that amount, $1.4 million, during their lifetime.
 Table 1: Tri-County vs. State Indicators of Educational and Economic Achievement
High school Plan to Enrolled 16 Percentage 25
Unemployment Poverty
graduation attend mos. after 4 4 and older with
rate level
rate1 college2 graduation3 college degree4
Somerset 78% 63% 46-55% 10% 17% 19%
County
Wicomico
80% 69% 56-65% 9% 16% 34%
County
Worcester
94% 72% 56-65% 11% 12% 36%
County
Maryland 86% 76% 67% 7% 10% 43%
1. The percentage of students who received a Maryland high school diploma during the reported school year. This is
an estimated cohort rate. It is calculated by dividing the number of high school graduates by the sum of the
dropouts for grades 9 through 12, respectively, in consecutive years, plus the number of high school graduates.
2. The Maryland State Department of Education collects pre-graduation plans data using the High School Graduate
Follow-up Questionnaire. All graduating seniors indicate their post-graduation decisions within 30 days of
anticipated graduation. Those planning to attend a two or four year college are shown. Source: (2012 Maryland
3. Percentage of Maryland Public High School Graduates Attending College 16 Months after Graduation by LEA
Civilian Labor Force, Employment and Unemployment by Place of Residence. MD Department of Labor,
Licensing and Regulation. (http://www.dllr.state.md.us/lmi/laus/maryland.shtml)