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Van Hollen introduces federal 'climate superfund' legislation; Trump campaigns in Western states as Harris focuses on critical Pennsylvania; Stalled Child Tax Credit leaves Ohio families in limbo; Federal funding drives PA's increase in electric school buses.

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Marjorie Taylor-Greene condemns remarks by a right-wing activist, immigrants to Ohio spark conspiracy theories and heated campaign controversies, and the Children's Defense Fund pushes for more attention to child poverty.

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Rural voters weigh competing visions about agriculture's future ahead of the Presidential election, counties where economic growth has lagged in rural America are booming post-pandemic, and farmers get financial help to protect their land's natural habitat.

Report: MD near top in number of adults with post-high school credentials

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Tuesday, February 6, 2024   

A new report assessing post-high school educational attainment shows Maryland doing better than most states, but says work remains to be done.

In 2009, Lumina Foundation set a goal for 60% of working age adults in the nation to hold a college degree, industry-recognized certification or other credential of value by 2025. When the goal was established, only 38% of adults held a certificate beyond high school.

Courtney Brown, vice president for impact and planning for Lumina Foundation, said the new "A Stronger Nation" report has documented impressive gains.

"We've moved from 38.1%, when we began, to 54.3%," she said. "That represents a 16 percentage-point increase in just 14 years. And that's a collective commitment and dedication to education from partners all across the country."

In Maryland, more than 58% of adults have a certificate beyond high school, with 44% holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

The study found working-age adult credential attainment in the nation ranged from a low of 42% in Nevada to a high of 75% in Washington, D.C. Year-over-year degree growth was highest in Kentucky and Rhode Island, with both states seeing an increase over 3%.

Brown said over the past year, most states saw increases.

"Impressively this past year, 42 states, along with D.C. and Puerto Rico, witnessed an uptake in degree attainment, with 19 states and D.C. seeing an increase of over one percentage point, " Brown said.

In Maryland, the year-over-year increase was just over 1%.

Over the full term of the survey, the foundation has twice expanded the post-high school educational attainment criteria, adding workforce-relevant certificates in 2014 and industry-recognized certifications in 2018. Brown said despite that expansion, degree attainment has also increased over that time frame.

"Some of the increase over the last 14 years, that 16 percentage points, some of that is attributed to finding a way to measure and then add high-quality short-term credentials," Brown explained. "A substantial portion, about eight-and-a-half percentage points, is a rise in the attainment of bachelor's and associate degrees."

Disclosure: Lumina Foundation for Education contributes to our fund for reporting on Education. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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