DATA HUB
The child population in Indiana contains many different characteristics. Recognizing the various demographics that make up the youth population in Indiana is a vital component of all work being done with youth throughout the state. While it is important to recognize the diverse populations and backgrounds that many of our youth come from, it is also important to establish a collective understanding of how youth-serving agencies and Indiana Youth Institute define these demographics.
Children and youth who live in nurturing families and safe, supportive communities generally have stronger personal connections, higher educational achievement, and better mental health. Parents also need adequate resources to help foster their children’s development. Similarly, children and youth are more likely to thrive in neighborhoods with strong schools, support services, and opportunities for community engagement.
Measure of social support in a community, social associations one piece of the whole picture, measuring the number of membership associations per 10,000 population. These include civic, political, religious, sports and professional organizations. Years included: 2020 | Source: County Health Rankings
Quality air is generally considered to be clean and safe, meaning that it has no harmful levels of chemicals, pollutants, or bacteria and represents no significant health risks over a lifetime of ingestion or breathing. The national average is 7.8 fine particulate matter in micrograms per cubic meter (PM2.5). Years included: 2019 | Source: County Health Rankings
Children’s good physical and mental health is fundamental to their development, and ensuring kids are born healthy is the first step. Children and youth of color and those who face disadvantages such as inadequate family or community resources, exposure to traumatic events, or other family stress tend to experience worse health outcomes. Leaders can address these disadvantages and ensure equitable access to quality health insurance and care.
Mental health services are any interventions—assessment, diagnosis, treatment, or counseling—offered in private, public, inpatient, or outpatient settings for the maintenance or enhancement of mental health or the treatment of mental or behavioral disorders in individual and group contexts. Mental health provider ratios are for total population, adults and children. Years included: 2022 | Source: County Health Rankings
Oral health refers to the health of the teeth, gums, and the entire oral-facial system that allows us to smile, speak, and chew. Oral health can often serve as an indicator for other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. It’s also associated with risk behaviors such as smoking, drinking, and consuming sugary foods and beverages in excess. Years included: 2021 | Source: County Health Rankings
Vaccination is the act of introducing a vaccine into the body to produce protection from a specific disease. A vaccine is a preparation that is used to stimulate the body’s immune response against diseases. Vaccines train your body to create antibodies, just as it would if it were exposed to a disease, by introducing dead or weakened forms of a virus or bacteria. Immunization is the process through which a person becomes protected against a disease through vaccination and is often used interchangeably with vaccination. Years included: 2022, 2023 | Source: Indiana Department of Health
Preventative care is routine health care that includes screenings, check-ups, and patient counseling to prevent or manage illness, disease, or other health problems. Years included: 2020 | Source: County Health Rankings
Family economic success provides a critical foundation for healthy child development, which in turn is related to more positive outcomes in adulthood. Ongoing exposure to economic stress and hardship can negatively affect children’s physical and mental health, academic achievement, and social-emotional well-being.
High housing burden is calculated by determining what percentage of a household’s income is spent on housing. High housing burden has been separated into two categories used in measurement: cost burden and severe cost burden. A cost burden is when a household spends 30% or more of their income on housing. A severe cost burden is present when a household spends more than 50% of their income on housing.
Years included: 2012-2017, 2018-2022
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates DP04
High housing burden is calculated by determining what percentage of a household’s income is spent on housing. High housing burden has been separated into two categories used in measurement: cost burden and severe cost burden. A cost burden is when a household spends 30% or more of their income on housing. A severe cost burden is present when a household spends more than 50% of their income on housing.
Years included: 2012-2017, 2018-2022
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates DP04
Students experiencing homelessness are any students who are enrolled in an Indiana school and do not have a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. Years included: 2023 | Source: Indiana Department of Education via IYI Data Request
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a program that helps people and families with low incomes buy the nutritious foods they need for good health. Eligibility is set by federal guidelines and is determined using three tests to evaluate a household’s gross monthly income, net income, and assets. Once verified as eligible, a household’s benefits are then determined using the number of persons living in the household.
Years included: 2012-2017, 2018-2022
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates S2201
Measure of the food environment accounts for both proximity to healthy foods and income. Access to healthy foods, locations for health food purchases, and the lack of access to healthy food due to cost barriers are included. Years included: 2020 | Source: County Health Rankings
The annual food budget shortfall is calculated by taking the average of the total annualized additional dollar amount that food-insecure populations report needing to cover just enough food to meet their needs. Years included: 2020, 2021 | Source: Feeding America, Map the Meal Gap
Food insecurity is defined as a lack of consistent or dependable access to enough food or a disruption in routine nutrition so that every person in a household can live an active and healthy lifestyle. Food insecurity can be caused by long-term circumstances such as lack of income and resources or by external and sudden financial changes. Hunger is a feeling when an individual does not have food, whereas chronic hunger is a direct result of food insecurity and is a state of long-term undernourishment. Years included: 2020, 2021 | Source: Feeding America
Household employment is a measure of how many members of a household had employment within the past 12 months.
Years included: 2018-2022
Source: Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates S2302
Household employment is a measure of how many members of a household had employment within the past 12 months.
Years included: 2018-2022
Source: Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates S2302
A CollegeChoice 529 plan is a tax-advantaged savings plan designed to help pay for education costs related to post-secondary education, K-12 education, and apprenticeships. They can also be used to pay off student loans. The rate per 1,000 represents the number of active accounts per every 1,000 youth under 18.
Years included: 2023
Source: Indiana Education Savings Authority
Poverty is a state in which an individual or group of individuals does not have sufficient resources to purchase basic necessities such as food, clothing, or housing. Poverty is most commonly calculated by using poverty thresholds, which vary based on family size and composition. If a family’s or individual’s total income is less than the family’s poverty threshold, then every member of that family, including children, is in poverty. The Census Bureau relies on two measure of poverty designed to work in tandem with, not replace, each other – the Official Poverty Measure (OPM) and the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM).
Years included: 2018-2022
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates B17001
Debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is a ratio of a household’s aggregate, or total, debt (excluding student loans) divided by aggregate annual income. Debt is money owed in exchange for loans or for goods or services purchased with credit.
Years included: 2021, 2022
Source: Federal Reserve System
Deep poverty, sometimes referred to as extreme poverty, occurs when an individual(s) is living in a household with a total cash income below 50% of its poverty threshold.
Years included: 2018-2022
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates B17024
Free and reduced-price lunches at school are provided to income-eligible families through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Years included: 2023 | Source: Indiana Department of Education via IYI Data Request
Opportunity Youth are young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are disconnected from both school and work. Sometimes referred to as “disconnected youth,” the term “Opportunity Youth” is preferred because it suggests that engaging this population in the workforce and educational system presents opportunities and benefits.
Years included: 2020, 2021
Source: Measure of America, Youth Disconnection
Establishing conditions to promote children’s educational achievements begins before birth and continues into the elementary school years. With a strong beginning – followed by ongoing quality education, learning environments, and support – children are more likely to stay on track in school and graduate, pursue post-secondary education and training, and successfully transition to adulthood.
Remedial education is an educational pathway designed to bring up a student’s academic competencies to match those of their peers. Most institutions have differing versions of what remediation looks like and varying determinations for who qualifies for remediation, but generally, remedial education consists of noncredit courses in reading, writing, and math, that the student should have learned in high school.
Years included: 2021
Source: Indiana Commission for Higher Education
College enrollment, also called the college-going rate, is the number of students registered to attend a college or university in Indiana. Enrollment is generally calculated as a snapshot in time, usually in the fall, but can also be determined using the percentage of high school graduates in a given year who are registered to attend a postsecondary program. College enrollment can be measured by degree type, demographics, full-time enrollment vs part-time enrollment, and institution type. Years included: 2021 cohort | Source: Indiana Commission for Higher Education
The Early Learning Access Index is a methodology developed by Early Learning Indiana to both quantify and qualify childcare access throughout Indiana. The index captures four factors that have influence on childcare access in Indiana; capacity, quality, affordability, and choice. Each of the four factors are weighted and result in an index score that ranges from the lowest of 0 (lowest access) to 100 (highest access). The index score is calculated both on a state level and on an individual county level.
Years included: 2022, 2023
Source: Early Learning Indiana
Graduation rate is the percentage of students within a cohort who graduate within their expected graduation year.
Years included: 2023
Source: Indiana Department of Education
Graduation rate is the percentage of students within a cohort who graduate within their expected graduation year.
Years included: 2023
Source: Indiana Department of Education
School counselors are certified/licenses educators that promote educational success for all students by developing and
managing school counseling programming related to academic, career, social, and emotional growth. School counselors
use facilitative, consultative, and collaborative leadership skills to provide educational opportunities for students. School
counselors must meet certain qualifications including:
1. holding a master’s degree in school counseling;
2. meet state certification/licensure standards;
3. fulfill continuing education requirements.
Years included: 2023
Source: Indiana Department of Education
School Social Workers are trained professionals who can assist with mental health concerns, behavioral concerns, positive behavioral support, academic, and classroom support, consultation with teachers, parents, and administrators as well as provide individual and group counseling/therapy. To be a licensed school social worker in Indiana, an individual must hold a Master’s degree from an approved school social worker program and must also obtain a School Social Worker license.
Years included: 2023
Source: Indiana Department of Education
School psychologists have specialized and advanced graduate degrees relevant to both psychology and education to support students’ ability to learn and teachers’ ability to teach. They apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior to help the student succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. To be a school psychologist, an individual must hold a Master’s degree, or higher, from an approved school psychologist program and must also be credentialed in the state in which they work.
Years included: 2023
Source: Indiana Department of Education
School nurses are defined by the Indiana Code and refers to an individual who:
- Is employed by a school;
- Is licensed as a registered nurse under IC 25-23; and
- Meets the requirements set forth in 515 IAC 8-1-47
Years included: 2023
Source: Indiana Department of Education
The IREAD-3 assessment was developed and implemented to measure student reading skills based on Indiana Academic Standards, through the third grade. Assessment data is used to ensure that every student receives appropriate reading instruction based on their individual needs. Years included: 2023 | Source: Indiana Department of Education, IYI Data Request
Indiana educators retained the previous school year. Years included: 2023 | Source: Indiana Department of Education via IYI Data Request
Chronic absence occurs when a student is absent from school for 10 percent (10%) or more of a school year for any reason. Chronic absence is different from habitual truancy. Habitual truancy is an absence from school for 10 days or more without being excused or without being absent under a parental request.
Years included: 2023
Source: Indiana Department of Education
Dropout rate is the cumulative number of individuals between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not in school and have not earned a high school diploma or diploma equivalent. This cumulative measure is also known as the “status” dropout rate because it captures a snapshot of the current status of the age group, regardless of the reason for dropping out.
Years included: 2023
Source: Indiana Department of Education
Bullying, defined by statute IC 20-33-8-.2, is overt, unwanted, repeated acts or gestures, including verbal or written communications or images transmitted in any manner (including digitally or electronically), physical acts committed, aggression, or any other behaviors, that are committed by a student or group of students against another student with the intent to harass, ridicule, humiliate, intimidate, or harm the other targeted student and create for the targeted student an objectively hostile school environment that:
1. places the targeted student in reasonable fear of harm to the targeted student’s person or property;
2. has a substantially detrimental effect on the targeted student’s physical or mental health;
3. has the effect of substantially interfering with the targeted student’s academic performance; or
4. has the effect of substantially interfering with the targeted student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, and privileges provided by the school.
In order to reduce bullying events and mitigate its impacts, school corporations are also required to provide training concerning the school’s bullying prevention and reporting polices, to employees and volunteers who have direct, ongoing contact with students. This requirement is outlined in IC 20-26-5-34.2.
Years included: 2023
Source: Indiana Department of Education
School discipline is any incident classified as a suspension, expulsion, or bullying incident as reported by schools on their discipline report. Every school has a unique handbook and disciplinary conduct policy, but disciplinary incidents often include alcohol, drugs, weapons on campus, vandalism, attendance, fighting, bullying, and destruction of property.
Years included: 2023
Source: Indiana Department of Education
Student arrests occur when a student42 (any child enrolled in a public or nonpublic school at any grade between kindergarten and grade 12) is taken into police custody, on or off campus, after allegedly committing an act that would be classified as a crime.
Years included: 2023
Source: Indiana Department of Education
Indiana’s Learning Evaluation and Assessment Readiness Network (ILEARN) is a measure of student achievement and growth according to Indiana Academic Standards for students grades three through eight. One of the included measures for all students in grades three through eight is English Language Arts (ELA).
Years included: 2023
Source: Indiana Department of Education
Indiana’s Learning Evaluation and Assessment Readiness Network (ILEARN) is a measure of student achievement and growth according to Indiana Academic Standards for students grades 3 through 8. One of the included measures for all students grades 3 through 8 is math proficiency.
Years included: 2023
Source: Indiana Department of Education
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