State Reports: (Montana, 2006)

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STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Montana’s underperformance in educating its young population could limit the state’s access to a competitive workforce and weaken its economy over time. Since the early 1990s, Montana has seen a double-digit drop in the proportion of 9th graders graduating from high school within four years. Moreover, relatively few graduates enroll in college directly after high school compared with leading states. Montana is the lowest-performing state in enrolling working-age adults in education or training beyond high school. Since the early 1990s, colleges and universities in the state have become less affordable for students and their families. If these trends are not addressed, they could undermine the state’s ability to compete successfully in a global economy.

2006 REPORT CARD

Preparation
Participation
Affordability
Completion
Benefits
Learning

CHANGE IN MONTANA SINCE 1992


Preparation	Participation	Affordability	Completion	Benefits	Learning

What do the arrows mean?

	The state has improved on more than half of the indicators in the category.
	The state has improved on some, but no more than half, of the indicators in the category.
	The state has declined on most or all indicators.

STRENGTHS

Preparation

Montana’s 8th graders are well prepared to succeed in challenging high school courses. They perform very well on national assessments in math, science, and reading. The state is a top performer in science and has consistently performed very well on national assessments in science and reading.
Low-income 8th graders score very well on national assessments in math. Montana is among the top-performing states on this measure.
Large proportions of Montana’s 11th and 12th graders take and score well on college entrance exams.

Participation

Compared with other states, few 9th graders in Montana are likely to enroll in college within four years. However, the proportion of students completing high school on time has decreased dramatically over the past decade.

Completion

A large percentage of first-year students at community colleges return for their second year.
A large proportion of students complete certificates and degrees relative to the number enrolled. This proportion has increased, with the greatest growth in the number of certificates and associate’s degrees awarded.

Benefits

A gap remains between whites and non-whites in the percentage who have a bachelor’s degree, even though Montana has narrowed this gap over the past 12 years.

WEAKNESSES

Preparation

Very small proportions of 11th and 12th graders take and score well on Advanced Placement tests.

Participation

A very small percentage of working-age adults are enrolled part-time in college-level education or training. Montana is the lowest-performing state on this measure.

Affordability

Net college costs for low- and middle-income students to attend public four-year colleges and universities represent 48% of their annual family income. (Net college costs equal tuition, room, and board after financial aid.) Low- and middle-income families earn on average $16,554 annually. Public four-year institutions enroll about 69% of students in the state.
The state makes a very low investment in need-based financial aid compared with top-performing states, even though Montana has increased its commitment to financially needy students since 1992.

Completion

Over the past decade, the gap has widened between whites and Native Americans in the proportion of students completing certificates and degrees relative to the number enrolled.