Student Success, Culture of Evidence: Adult Oregonians Without a High School Diploma

286,553 Oregonians have not completed high school or its equivalent Lifetime earnings for Oregonians who complete at least high school will be approximately $400,000 more than those who do not finish high school

Working age Oregonians who complete high school are 7.5% more likely to participate in the workforce than those with less than a high school diploma

State-administered adult education programs serve adults without a high school diploma at a lower rate (78.1 adults served per 1000 adults age 18-64) than the U.S. average (101.7 per 1000) and much less than the top performing states (207.3 per 1000)

ESL programs serve the adult population lacking English proficiency at a lower rate (99.1 per 1000) than the U.S. average (113.8 per 1000) and at a much lower rate than the top performing states (319.4 per 1000)

Adult education providers award GEDs to young adults without a high school diploma at a higher rate (55.4 per 1000) than the national average (43.1 per 1000) but at a lower rate than the top performing states (80.8 per 1000).

Compared to the younger age group, GEDs are awarded to older adults without a high school diploma at a much lower rate (12.3 GEDs awarded per 1000 adults) That rate is higher than the U.S. average (8.7 per 1000) but not as high as the top performing states (19.4 per 1000).

1,561,189 have not completed college (defined as associate’s degree or higher)—66% of all working-age adults in Oregon. Of this population: 286,553 have not completed high school or its equivalent; 619,779 have completed just a high school diploma but have not entered college; 654,857 have completed some college but not a degree; 89,803 speak little or no English; 366,795 are living in families whose combined incomes are less than a living wage (defined as twice the poverty level).

Promising Practices Career Readiness Certificate Oregon Pathways for Adult Basic Skills Transition to Education and Employment

Policy Implications How will Oregon enhance the educational attainment of those citizens who have less than a high school diploma to achieve the goal of and help these Oregonians become greater contributors to the economy and society?