Colorado Academic Performance Above Average at K-12, Fails in High School Completion Rates; State Increases Engineering Graduates by Four Percent

Business Wire, Jan 15, 2002

Business Editors/High-Tech & Education Writers

BROOMFIELD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 15, 2002

Colorado graduated nearly 3,200 engineering and engineering technology students in 2000, according to CyberEducation 2002, a new report released today by AeA and The Nasdaq Stock Market. This makes it the 11th leading state by engineering and engineering technology degrees conferred in 2000. The report also shows that its elementary and secondary school students score above average on academic achievement tests. One persistent problem facing Colorado is its low high school graduation rate.

AeA and Nasdaq's CyberEducation 2002 report found that Colorado's higher education system is a well-oiled machine that continues to produce engineers. The state's colleges and universities graduated 3,163 engineers, ranked 11th nationwide in 2000. This represented an increase of 4 percent, or 125 degrees, from the 3,038 degrees granted in 1995. On a per capita basis, Colorado ranked third with 74 engineering degrees granted for every 100,000 persons. Further, Colorado's higher education system is largely responsible for the high concentration of bachelor degrees in the state; 34 percent of the adult population has a bachelor's degree, the second highest concentration in the nation.

The report shows that student performance in Colorado's primary and secondary schools is above average. While Colorado did not participate in the 2000 math and science National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests, data in the report show that its 8th graders ranked 15th nationwide on the 1998 reading NAEP and sixth on the 1998 writing NAEP. Colorado ranked eighth on the ACT college entrance exam of the 25 states with a majority of seniors participating.

"Colorado's schools have done well at exposing our students to the technology necessary to succeed in today's high-tech economy," said Tom Edman, President and CEO, Applied Films and Chairman of AeA's Mountain States Council. "Over 97 percent of Colorado's schools are wired, and there are seven students per Internet connected computer. Knowing how to use a computer is an indispensable skill for a qualified workforce," he added.

The report shows that one of the biggest problems confronting the state is its very low high school completion rate among young adults. Despite above average academic achievement scores, Colorado ranked 47th nationwide in high school graduation rates. Only 81.6 percent of 18- through 24- year olds received high school degrees between 1998 and 2000.

CyberEducation also examines the quality of teachers. More than a quarter of Colorado's high school math teachers did not hold a major or minor in math in 1997. With 18 students per teacher, Colorado ranked 42nd nationwide by this metric.

AeA will brief Colorado legislators and technology executives on the findings of CyberEducation 2002 in Denver on February 5. For more information, please call 303-438-0571.

CyberEducation 2002 provides a statistical overview of key K-12 and postsecondary indicators at the national and state level. Factors analyzed include computer and Internet access in schools, achievement scores in basic subjects like mathematics and science, and performance standards for students and teachers in the nation's primary and secondary schools. At the postsecondary level, trends in engineering degrees are examined nationally and in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

AeA members can purchase the CyberEducation 2002 report for $95; non-members for $190. Call AeA at 800.284.4232 or 408.987.4200. CyberEducation 2002 is part of AeA's cyber report series, which includes Cyberstates 2001, Cybernation 2.0, and Cybercities.

Advancing the business of technology, AeA is the nation's largest high-tech trade association. AeA represents more than 3,500 member companies that span the high-technology spectrum, from software, semiconductors and computers to Internet technology, advanced electronics and telecommunications systems and services. With 18 regional U.S. councils and offices in Brussels and Beijing, AeA offers a unique global policy grassroots capability and a wide portfolio of valuable business services and products for the high-tech industry. AeA has been the accepted voice of the U.S. technology community since 1943.

      Quick Facts from CyberEducation 2002 for Colorado

      K-12 Indicators

      --  27th in students per Internet computer, with 6.7 students
        sharing one Internet enabled computer in 2001, compared to 15
        students per Internet computer in 1998

      --  13th by percentage of schools with Internet access - 97.4% of
        schools had Internet access in 2000, compared to 80% in 1997

      --  Colorado did not participate in the 2000 math and science
        National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests, so
        we cannot compare them with other states

      --  6th of 36 states on the 1998 writing NAEP test, with 27% of
        8th graders at or above proficient

      --  15th of 37 states on the 1998 reading NAEP test, with 30% of
        8th graders at or above proficient

      --  8th in the 2001 ACT college entrance exam of the 25 states
        with at least 50% of seniors participating

      --  Basic high school graduation requirements are determined at
        the local level

      --  26% of the state's high school math teachers did not have a
        major or minor in math in 1997

      --  42nd in student/teacher ratio, with 17.7 students for every
        teacher in 1998

      --  47th in high school completion rates, with 81.6% of 18 through
        24-year olds receiving a high school degree between 1998 and
        2000


      Higher Education Indicators

      --  3,163 engineering and engineering technology degrees (11th
        ranked) in 2000

      --  Engineering and engineering technology degrees granted have
        increased by 4%, or by 125, between 1995 and 2000

      --  3rd by engineering and engineering technology degrees per
        capita, 74 per 100,000 persons in 2000


      Leading Universities by Engineering and Engineering Technology
    Degrees Granted in 2000:

      1.  University of Colorado at Boulder - 996 degrees

      2.  Colorado Schools of Mines - 697 degrees

      3.  Colorado State University - 388 degrees


Source: CyberEducation 2002

Note: Engineering and engineering technology degrees represent degrees
conferred at all levels of education (associate, bachelor, master's,
and doctor) and for all disciplines.

Published by AeA, Advancing the Business of Technology