Building a Better Economy, Together: The Role of Public Structures and Systems in Ensuring a Future of Shared Prosperity in North Carolina Edwin McLenaghan,

Building a Better Economy, Together:The Role of Public Structures and Systems in Ensuring a Future of Shared Prosperity in North Carolina

Edwin McLenaghan, Public Policy Analyst, NC Budget and Tax CenterNorth Carolina Justice CenterP.O. Box 28068 * Raleigh, NC 27611Ph: (919) 856-3192, [email protected]

NC Justice Center

Overview of Presentation

1. Meeting the Needs of North Carolina’s Changing Economy

2. How Do We Get There?

3. Challenges to A Completion Agenda

4. Public Structures and Systems Squeezed by Declining Resources & Growing Demand

Meeting the Needs of North Carolina’s Changing Economy

Meeting the Needs of North Carolina’s Changing Economy

College Completion Rates Inadequate to Meet Future Needs

• Over half (58%) of North Carolina students seeking a bachelors degree graduate within six years

• Only one-fifth (21%) of two-year students complete a degree within three years

How do we get there?

Early Childhood Programs

K-12 Education

Post-Secondary Education & Training

Productive Workers & Entrepreneurs

Strengthen Entire Birth-to-Career Pipeline

“Large bodies of research have shown how poor health and nutrition inhibit child development and learning and, conversely, how high-quality early childhood and preschool education programs can enhance them.”

- Dr. Helen Ladd & Edward Fiske, NY Times Op-Ed

“The notion of synergies lies behind such initiatives as the Harlem Children’s Zone, which seeks to intervene in children’s lives from birth through college. The promise of such comprehensive programs is that they can achieve higher returns than each separate program can do alone.”

- Dr. Timothy Bartik, author of Investing in Kids

How do we get there?

What Works?

• Holistic Birth-to-Five Interventions• Smart Start & NC Pre-K• Nurse-Family Partnerships

• K-12• Small class sizes for at-risk students• Access to adequate nutrition and health services• Extended learning time with high-quality teachers and mentors

• Post-Secondary• Early College High Schools• Career Pathways• Preserve affordability and enhance student support services

How do we get there?

Challenges to a Completion Agenda

• Rapid Growth in Tuition & Fees

• Inadequate Financial Aid

Higher Costs

• Long Work Hours• Part-Time

Enrollment

Less Time Devoted to Studies • Fewer

Employment Opportunities

• Reduced Overall Competitiveness

Lower Completion

1 in 4 North Carolina Children lived in Poverty in 2010

Challenges to a Completion Agenda

Challenges to a Completion Agenda

What is North Carolina achieving?

State investments support public structures, economic opportunity

Community Colleges5%

Universities13%

Health & Human Services

23%

Justice & Public Safety12%

Gen Gov & Nat/Econ4%

Other5%

Public Schools

38%

Total FY2011-12 State Appropriations:$19.7 billion

Source: General Assembly Money Report

Fewer Resources to Support Public Structures

Additional Demands on Support Public Structures

Additional Demands on Support Public Structures

Additional Demands on Support Public Structures

Questions or Comments?

Contact Information:Edwin McLenaghan, Public Policy Analyst

North Carolina Justice CenterP.O. Box 28068 * Raleigh, NC 27611

Ph: (919) 856-3192, [email protected]