How Educated are Nova Scotians?Education Indicators for the

Nova Scotia Genuine Progress Index

Prepared by GPI Atlantic

February 2008

ME ASU R ING S U STA I NAB L E DE VEL O P M E N T

A P PLI C ATI O N O F T H E G E N UIN E P R OGR E SS I N DE X T O N O VA

S C OTI A

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Most used measures tell us more about labour market conditions than about educational attainment + send conflicting messages.

• E.g. Alberta has the lowest high school graduation rate and the second highest drop out rate among provinces (because lucrative jobs are available), but the highest standardized test results (partly because higher performers remain in school).

• At the same time, Atlantic Canada has the lowest drop out rates, the highest graduation rates, yet scores the lowest on standardized test results.

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Explaining the Difference

• 2003 CMEC data: Alberta graduation rate = 10% below Nova Scotia. Difference between Nova Scotia and Alberta PISA scores = just under 10%.

• According to Dr. Michael Corbett (Acadia Educ.): “By having a more exclusive high school system Alberta adjusts underperforming students out of the school door and into the workforce. As it happens Alberta has an economy that can absorb a considerable amount of educational underachievement. Here in Nova Scotia we don't have that luxury.”

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Standardized tests -- what do they measure?

• Also reflect labour market conditions – i.e. who remains in school to be tested

• Scores often reflect and reinforce socio-economic inequalities

• Tests focus on a few academic subject areas -- math, science, reading/writing. Are these more important than art, history, or social studies?

• Standardized testing pressures teachers to “teach to the test,” at expense of other non-test subjects

• Standardized test results can be misused and manipulated to support calls for questionable reform

Average scores in the PISA math assessment by quartile of family socioeconomic status, 15-year-olds, Canada and provinces, 2003

571

585

556

559

571

584

555

559

541

565

563

546

552

524

538

540

556

523

529

517

532

532

525

539

521

524

526

531

508

510

496

516

510

507

506

477

504

503

502

483

479

469

485

486

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

British Columbia

Alberta

Saskatchewan

Manitoba

Ontario

Quebec

New Brunswick

Nova Scotia

Prince Edward Island

Newfoundland &Labrador

Canada

Average PISA math scores

First quartile

Second quartile

Third quartile

Fourth quartile

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What these quantitative “output” measures don’t tell us – esp. “outcomes”:

• How educated the populace is, and whether we are getting wiser and more knowledgeable

• Whether we’re learning what we need to know to live well and sustainably, & improve our wellbeing

• What and how we learn from non-school sources (media, family, community etc.)

• Anything about the quality of education, and the quality of information in the learning environment…. Etc.

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So What is an “Educated Populace”?

• An “Educated Populace” has the knowledge and skills required to foster wellbeing in individuals and in the population as a whole

—that is to live full and healthy lives, have decent jobs, participate actively in their communities as citizens, and understand the interdependence of the world in which they live, without imperiling these prospects for future generations.

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Framework for indicators of an educated populace

POPULACEWisdom and

Values

CONTEXT (determinants)

LEARNING OUTCOMES

ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY &

SUSTAINABILITY (UNDESD)SOCIAL OUTCOMES

(GPI Domains)

Pop

ula

tion

H

ealt

h

Time Use LivingStandards

Hu

man

Imp

act on

the

En

vironm

ent

Social Capital Natural Capital

To live togetherTo do

To be To know

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YET…Literacy flat, despite more schooling

• “More analytical work is required to explore the factors around the lack of overall change in the literacy performance of Canadians.” (Statistics Canada)

• “We urgently need to understand why our current literacy and learning programs are not succeeding in order to develop more effective approaches.” (Canadian Council on Learning)

Average prose literacy scores across selected regions and provinces, Canadian population aged 16 and over, 1994 and 2003

281

270

266

269

272

280

275

255

264

270

240 245 250 255 260 265 270 275 280 285

Western region

Ontario

Quebec

Atlantic region

Canada

Average prose literacy score19942003

Average document literacy scores across selected regions and provinces, Canadian population aged 16 and over, 1994 and 2003

281

270

263

267

271

277

277

254

259

270

240 245 250 255 260 265 270 275 280 285

Western region

Ontario

Quebec

Atlantic region

Canada

Average document literacy score1994

2003

12

Percentile scores of correct answers to general political knowledge questions, by

age group, 1984, 1993, 1997, and 2000

Age Group

Year 18–23 24–29 30–34 35–39 40–49 50–59 60 +

1984 39.3 43.7 51.9 51.4 54.4 57.9 52.4 1993 36.7 46.7 47.1 50.3 55.5 53.1 56.0 1997 37.8 41.0 46.1 47.7 53.2 58.4 57.0 2000 31.4 36.2 47.6 49.5 51.4 59.7 58.3

Ecological Literacy? Footprint by Educational Attainment, Canada, 2005 (1st time)

6.76

6.96

8.67

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

some secondaryeducation

completed secondaryeducation

university degree

global hectares per capita

Average debt from government student loans at graduation, by

province, classes of 1995 and 2000 ($2000)

11,300

10,800

11,000

10,400

15,200

7,400

12,300

12,900

15,400

11,300

12,029

10,511

12,194

8,964

11,318

8,681

11,267

7,372

12,670

11,542

20,100

17,900

22,100

17,800

21,600

13,500

21,400

18,500

26,900

22,600

16,656

16,293

19,387

13,040

14,660

13,129

16,297

13,245

16,783

16,562

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000

British Columbia

Alberta

Saskatchewan

Manitoba

Ontario

Quebec

New Brunswick

Prince Edward Island

Newfoundland

Nova Scotia

Average government loan debt at time of graduation

1995 University

2000 University

1995 College

2000 College

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Average amount borrowed (all sources) for the 2003 degree, post-2003 degree education or both, by Maritime province of graduation, 2005

($2005)

$32,390

$27,148 $26,199 $27,104

$0

$5,000

$10,000

$15,000

$20,000

$25,000

$30,000

$35,000

PEI NS NB Maritimes

aver

age

stude

nt d

ebt (

all s

ourc

es)

Average borrowed

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Average undergraduate university tuition fees, Canada and provinces, 1990/1991, 2005/2006, 2007/2008 (in 2005 constant dollars)

4,703

4,809

4,625

3,278

5,213

1,962

5,554

4,301

2,551

5,694

4,382

4,874

5,125

5,062

3,272

4,881

1,900

5,037

4,645

2,606

6,281

4,214

2,346

1,669

2,005

1,962

2,180

1,173

2,498

2,432

1,744

2,519

1,900

0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000

British Columbia

Alberta

Saskatchewan

Manitoba

Ontario

Quebec

New Brunswick

Prince Edward Island

Newfoundland

Nova Scotia

Canada

Average tuition fees

1990/1991

2005/2006

2007/2008

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Employment rate of full-time students, 20–24 years of age, Canada, 1976–2006

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

%

percentage 26.6 25.5 28.5 28.5 32.1 36.2 37.9 40.4 40.1 41 40.7 40.4 43.7 44.2 46.7 46.9

1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006

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Average work hours per week during the school year for full-time students, aged 18–24 years, Canada, 1976–2006

15.8

15 14.8

13.9 14

14.6 14.715.2

14.114.6

15

15.616.1 16

16.416.7

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006

usua

l wor

k ho

urs/

wee

k

19

Average work hours per week during the school year for full-time students, aged 18–24 years, provinces, 1976, 1986, 1996, 2006

17.3

18.7

17.3

16.6

16.1

16.7

15.6

17.2

16.8

16.2

16.7

14.5

16.4

15.9

15.8

14.4

15.7

14.9

13.9

14.6

15.0

15.0

14.1

15.2

14.7

15.2

14.5

14.7

13.9

15.6

15.7

15.9

14.6

16.1

18.8

17.3

16.0

14.5

16.5

16.5

19.8

24.7

16.9

15.8

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0

British Columbia

Alberta

Saskatchewan

Manitoba

Ontario

Quebec

New Brunswick

Prince Edward Island

Newfoundland

Nova Scotia

Canada

Average work hours per week

1976

1986

1996

2006

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Incidence of advertising in Canada’s public elementary and secondary schools, by percentage, 2003/2004

HALLWAYS, CAFETERIA

UNIFORMS BUSES SUPPLIES WEBSITE OTHER ANY OF

ABOVE

North - 11.4 0.0 15.9 0.0 15.9 38.6 BC 19.3 1.9 1.4 12.2 1.1 14.2 37.0 Prairies 18.5 3.4 1.9 10.3 1.5 15.1 37.9 Ontario 13.9 2.6 1.0 12.2 0.8 10.1 31.0 Quebec 8.1 1.0 0.8 7.9 1.2 8.3 21.4 Atlantic 16.6 8.9 2.2 11.1 2.2 11.1 34.6 Elementary 11.2 2.1 1.4 11.6 1.2 9.5 28.1 Secondary 32.3 8.3 1.4 12.5 1.8 23.6 54.8 French 9.5 2.4 - 8.8 1.2 8.8 23.5 English 16.2 3.4 1.5 11.6 1.2 12.3 34.3 Canada 14.9 3.2 1.3 11.1 1.2 11.6 32.3

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Public versus private share of sponsored research at Canadian universities, 1972–2005

83.3 83.781.8

79.777.2

80.4 81.479.8

77.5 76.4

71.969.4 69.1

64.267.8

69.873.6 72.4

16.7 16.218.1

20.322.8

19.6 18.620.2

22.5 23.6

28.130.6 30.9

35.832.2

30.226.4 27.6

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Survey year

Perc

en

tag

e o

f sp

on

sore

d r

esearc

h

Total public share Total private share

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Where to from Here? What’s Next?Key Messages:

1. We have not answered the question: How educated are Nova Scotians?

2. Conventional output indicators can’t do so3. Development of new indicators, data

sources, measurement methods is needed – a ‘paradigm shift’ (NS Education Dept.)

4. See Report Appendix: Comprehensive list of “ideal” indicators (yet this summary necessary for 2008 completion of NS GPI)

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The Good News

• 3 years GPI research uncovered good models, measures of arts literacy, media literacy, health literacy, food and nutrition literacy, civic literacy, multicultural literacy, Indigenous knowledge literacy, statistics literacy, ecological literacy, and science literacy.

• + Wisdom scales, informal and non-formal learning, ETC. – Available in other places, not yet Canada

Recommendation: Create required data

• -> Canadian Knowledge Survey (11+ literacies) (or Maritime KS? - MPHEC - available to NS Ed)

• Good education indicators = glue, binding factor, connective tissue between all GPI components – link learning outcomes to social outcomes – e.g. health, civic, ecological literacy, etc.

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