Education in the United States

Abstract

This report documents changes over time in US educational status school enrollment income by educational attainment achievement test scores student to teacher ratios teacher salaries and expenditures per pupil. Chapter 2 traces the large increase in educational attainment between 1940 and 1982 and the accompanying reduction in inequality of attainment. The relationship between rising levels of education and economic growth is also detailed. Chapter 3 1st presents data on trends and differentials in achievement test scores of US high school students. It concludes that the statistical evidence appears to support the popular notion that the quality of schooling has declined especially during the 1970s. Chapter 4 surveys the trends in resource use and costs in both elementary and secondary schools and in colleges. A sharp uptrend in costs per student for public elementary and secondary schools that began in the early 1960s is observed. Chapter 5 analyzes the relationship between college education and the economy. Evidence on the change in the monetary gain from a college education from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s 1970s is discussed. A long swing in the pecuniary return appears to have occurred over this period as concerns about underinvestment in college education in the late 1950s and mid-1960s gave way to concerns about overinvestment in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Finally chapter 6 presents a summary of findings and discusses some implications of the findings.