Double the Numbers
[[Image:2XLogo button final.png|thumb|Kentucky's Double the Numbers logo|right]]
== ''Double the Numbers: Kentucky's Plan to Increase College Graduates'' ==
<br/>
On October 17, 2007, the [http://cpe.ky.gov [[Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education]]] launched "[http://www.cpe.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/76889317-86C5-4AFF-9046-AD95E4137602/0/DoubletheNumbersPlanFINALNov15.pdf Double the Numbers: Kentucky's Plan to Increase College Graduates]". The plan states that to raise Kentucky’s standard of living to the national average by 2020, Kentucky must Double the Number of its citizens with at least a bachelor's degree, and outlines five key strategies to reach this goal.
The state's Double the Numbers effort is supported by [[KnowHow2GOKy]] a comprehensive outreach campaign.
== Why Bachelor's Degrees? ==
Demographers predict that in 2020, about 1 of every 3 Americans will have a bachelor’s degree. In 2000, about 1 in 5 Kentuckians had a bachelor’s degree. If current trends continue, Kentucky will fall short of our goal by about 211,000 college graduates. Simply put, this plan is [http://www.cpe.ky.gov/doublethenumbers/goal/ one of the most substantial contributions our postsecondary education programs can make to Kentucky’s quality of life in the shortest period of time.]
The plan focuses on bachelor’s degree production because: <blockquote>
1. The link between economic prosperity and educational attainment is most dramatic at the bachelor’s degree level, both for states and for individuals. <br />
2. At the current rate of improvement, Kentucky is on track to meet or exceed the national average in associate degree production, but will fall far short in bachelor’s degrees.<br />
3. Master’s and advanced degrees, which are vital to the new economy, cannot be obtained without a bachelor’s degree.<br />
</blockquote>
== The Benefits ==
There is a strong correlation between education level and personal income, productivity, civic participation, life expectancy, employment status and community strength.
'''States with more college graduates have stronger, more diverse economies. ''' <blockquote>
*Unemployment rates are much lower for college graduates than for high school graduates.<ref>Baum, Sandy and Jennifer Ma. Education Pays: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society. The College Board,2007</ref>
*The top states in educational attainment also rank highest on the New Economy Index, which measures innovation, entrepreneurship, and competitiveness in the global economy. Kentucky ranks 45th on this index. <ref>Atkinson, Robert D. and Daniel K. Correa. The 2007 State New Economy Index: Benchmarking Economic Transformation in the States. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, 2007.</ref></blockquote>
'''College graduates earn more. ''' <blockquote>
*Kentuckians with bachelor’s degrees typically earn over $16,000 more per year than high school graduates. <ref>Education Pays: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society. The College Board, 2007.</ref>
*The average U.S. bachelor’s degree recipient can expect to earn 62 percent more over a 40-year working life than the average high school graduate.<ref>Baum, Sandy and Jennifer Ma. Education Pays: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society. The College Board,2007.</ref><br /></blockquote>
'''College graduates are healthier.''' <blockquote>
*In 2005, 61 percent of U.S. college graduates exercised vigorously at least once a week as compared to 31 percent of high school graduates.
*College graduates in the U.S. are less likely to smoke. <ref>Baum, Sandy and Jennifer Ma. Education Pays: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society. The College Board,2007</ref>
*U.S. adults with a bachelor's degree are more likely to have health insurance.<ref>Baum, Sandy and Jennifer Ma. Education Pays: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society. The College Board,2007</ref>
</blockquote>
'''College graduates tend to be more engaged citizens.'''<blockquote>
*In 2006, about 27 percent of U.S. adults volunteered for community organizations. Among college graduates, the volunteer rate was 43 percent, over twice the 19 percent rate for high school graduates. <ref>Baum, Sandy and Jennifer Ma. Education Pays: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society. The College Board,2007</ref>
*In the 2004 presidential election, 76 percent of U.S. college graduates reported voting, compared to 49 percent of high school graduates.<ref>Baum, Sandy and Jennifer Ma. Education Pays: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society. The College Board,2007</ref></blockquote>
'''States with more college graduates generally enjoy a higher quality of life. ''' <blockquote>
*Incarceration rates for U.S. adults with some postsecondary education are significantly lower--about a quarter of that for individuals with only a
high school diploma.<ref>Baum, Sandy and Jennifer Ma. Education Pays: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society. The College Board, 2004.</ref>
*Government spending for public assistance programs tends to decrease as levels of education increase.<ref>Baum, Sandy and Jennifer Ma. Education Pays: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society. The College Board,2007</ref>
*Kentuckians with higher education levels have lower rates of poverty. <ref>U.S. Censurs Bureau, American Community Survey, 2006.</ref></blockquote>
== The Five Strategies ==
With help from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems and Kentucky’s nine public postsecondary institutions, the Double the Numbers Plan outlines five strategies which, if implemented concurrently over the next 13 years, will produce the additional degree holders needed to Double the Numbers.
<blockquote>
Strategy 1: [http://www.cpe.ky.gov/doublethenumbers/strategies/strategy1.htm Raise high school graduation rates]. <br />
Strategy 2: [http://www.cpe.ky.gov/doublethenumbers/strategies/strategy2.htm Increase the number of GED graduates and transition more to college]. <br />
Strategy 3: [http://www.cpe.ky.gov/doublethenumbers/strategies/strategy3.htm Enroll more first-time students in community/technical colleges and transfer them to 4-year programs]. <br />
Strategy 4: [http://www.cpe.ky.gov/doublethenumbers/strategies/strategy4.htm Increase the number of Kentuckians going to and completing college]. <br />
Strategy 5: [http://www.cpe.ky.gov/doublethenumbers/strategies/strategy5.htm Attract college-educated workers to the state and create new jobs for them].<br />
</blockquote>
== The Regional Approach ==
To give the statewide targets more meaning, the Double the Numbers Plan sets 2020 targets for [http://www.cpe.ky.gov/doublethenumbers/regions/ each of eight university service regions] in each of the five strategies. The plan also identifies the potential benefit to the region in terms of increased average household income and encourages each region to pursue a coordinated effort engaging all postsecondary institutions and education and business partners in its region.
==Notes==
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[[Category:Education in Kentucky]]