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Education 2023

Education 2023

Education is the surest way to build a pathway to lifelong success, and the early years of a child’s life are imperative to laying a solid foundation for success. Establishing the conditions that promote educational achievement for children is critical. With a strong and healthy early beginning, children can more easily stay on track to remain in school, graduate on time, pursue postsecondary education and training and enjoy a successful transition into adulthood. Closing gaps in educational access and quality is key to ensuring the future workforce can compete and build or continue the cycle of success and independence.

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Child care

Child Care and Barriers to Work

110,997 children under 6 needed child care in 2022.

6.0% (9,102) of Nebraska parents of children 0-5 quit, did not take, or greatly
changed their job because of child care problems in 2020-21.3

Child care subsidies (SFY 2022)1

  • There were 21,284 children in Nebraska who received child care subsidies in SFY 2022. 680 children were in the care of a license-exempt providers.
  • An average of 13,091 children received a subsidy each month for an average of 8 months. 9,094 were below school age, and 4,852 were school age.
  • 11,242 children receiving a subsidy were from a family living below 100% FPL, 7,388 were from families between 100%-130% FPL and 979 were from families between 130%-185% FPL.
  • $66,816,701 in state and $133,085,322 in federal funds were spent on the child care subsidy program.
1. Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
2. U.S. Census 2022 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates, Table B23008.
3. 2020/21 National Survey of Children’s Health..

Step Up to Quality

Nebraska Step Up to Quality is an Early Childhood Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), passed by the Nebraska Legislature in 2013. The primary goal of Nebraska Step Up to Quality is to improve early care and education quality and increase positive outcomes for young children. This is done through informing parents about quality early care and education programs in understandable and measurable ways. In addition, it improves teacher and director effectiveness through training and professional development, formal education, and coaching. It also emphasizes strengthening the understanding and use of standards, assessment processes, and using data to improve quality.

As of 2022 Nebraska had
743 Step Up to Quality programs

289 Providers – Step 1: The program has completed the application to participate in Step Up to Quality, staff members have submitted a professional record, and the program’s director has completed orientation.

280 Providers – Step 2: The program director completed several trainings related to safety, child health, early learning, and management, as well as several self assessments related to child development knowledge.

174 Providers – Steps 3-5: Once programs achieve Step 2 they are eligible for coaching services. Early childhood coaches help guide programs as they set goals to make program improvements. During the rating process, programs earn points in the following standard areas, curriculum, learning environments & interactions, child outcomes, professional development and training, family engagement & partnerships, and program administration. Step 3-5 ratings are determined by the number of points achieved.

Public school preschool enrollment (2000/01 - 2021/22)¹

School-based preschool (2021/22)¹

18,841

children were enrolled in public school-based preschool.

Early Development Network (2021/22)

The Early Development Network (EDN) serves families with children born with disabilities.

2,222¹

infants and toddlers had an Individualized Family Service Plan through EDN.

  • 2,140 with a developmental delay
  • 94 with a speech language impairment
  • 54 with a hearing impairment
  • 55 with autism
  • 115 with some other disability

Head Start Programs

5,800

children were served in 19 Early Head Start and 17 Head Start Programs in the 2021/22 program year.²

143

pregnant women were served in Early Head Start in the 2021/22 program year.²

8.8%

of the children served by Early Head Start/Head Start in 2021/22 were unhoused.²

Sixpence (2021/22)³
Sixpence serves children birth to age three who are at risk of failure in school and is funded through public and private dollars. There were 42 Sixpence programs in the state of Nebraska:

  • 979 families
  • 78 pregnant moms
  • 1,132 children

1. Nebraska Department of Education.
2. Office of Head Start, Program Information Report.
3. Sixpence Early Learning Fund 2021-22 Evaluation Report, UNMC.

K-12 Student Characteristics

327,055 children were enrolled in public school in 2021/22.¹

School membership by grade (2021/22)

4.2%

of Nebraska school students were highly mobile, meaning they enrolled in two or more public schools during the 2021/22 school year. Higher school mobility is correlated with lower achievement.

Rate of home schooled students per 1,000 students (2010/11 - 2021/22))

Source: Nebraska Department of Education.

Percent of students who were English language learners (2010/11 - 2021/22))

Free/reduced cost school meals

Percent students eligible for free or reduced price school meals (2010/11 - 2021/22)

There were 130 Summer Food Participation sites in 2021, serving a combined average of 33,985 meals daily.

Source: Nebraska Department of Education.

English Language Arts Proficiency

Reading is a fundamental skill that affects learning experiences and school performance of children and teens. The ability to read proficiently translates to a greater likelihood of performing well in other subjects. Children with lower reading achievement are less likely to be engaged in the classroom, graduate high school, and attend college.

Source: Child Trends, Reading Proficiency.

1. Nebraska Department of Education.

Math Proficiency

Math skills are essential for functioning in everyday life, as well as for future success in our increasingly technical workplace. Students who take higher courses in mathematics are more likely to attend and complete college. Those with limited math skills are more likely to find it difficult to function in everyday society and have lower levels of employability.
Source: Child Trends, Mathematics Proficiency.

1. Nebraska Department of Education.

Science Proficiency

Proficiency in science helps prepare students to go on to highly skilled professions. Having a strong foundation in the sciences allows students to work in today’s high demand fields. Students with a greater understanding of sciences learn how to better protect the environment and increase the health and security of people throughout the world.

Source: Child Trends, Science Proficiency.

1. Nebraska Department of Education.

Absences & career readiness

1. National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
2. Nebraska Department of Education.
3. The Annie E Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Center.

677 (<1%)
students in public and nonpublic
schools were expelled during the
2021/22 school year.

 22,581 (6.9%)
students in public and nonpublic
schools were suspended during
the 2021/22 school year.

1,901 students in public and nonpublic
schools dropped out in 2021/22.

Source: Nebraska Department of Education.

Graduation & educational savings

21,274 students

completed high school in four years in 2021/22.

268

16-21 year olds took the GED in 2021/22 with 88% completing successfully.

89.7% 2021 extended 5-year*
graduation rate, a decrease from 91.3% from the 2019 cohort 5-year graduation rate.

*Extended 5th year graduation rate is the percent of students who graduated within five years rather than the standard four. Source: Nebraska Department of Education.