Post by phinehas on Mar 14, 2007 13:34:23 GMT -5
www.alabamapolicy.org/PDFs/Cultural.pdf
A lot of statistics that show Alabama isn't doing well.
Alabama’s teen birth rate is almost 36 percent higher than the national average.
Births to unwed mothers in Alabama are up 142 percent since 1960.
For every six births in Alabama in 2004, there was one abortion.
Since 1970, inflation-adjusted spending on public elementary and secondary education in Alabama has increased 194 percent, compared to a national increase of 146 percent. During
the same time, per-student spending in Alabama increased 226 percent, compared to a national increase of 131 percent.
In 2003, the average ACT composite score in Alabama was 20.1, the 42nd lowest rank in the
nation. Of the 25 states in which the ACT is taken by the majority of students, Alabama was in 21st place.
In 2003, fourth-grade math students in Alabama ranked 48th in the nation in their average
scores on the National Assessment of Academic Progress (NAEP). Only 19 percent were at or above proficiency, compared to a national average of 31 percent.
In 1960, married couples comprised almost three-fourths of all households in America. By 2000, that number had fallen to 51.5 percent.
In 2005, Alabama’s marriage rate was 26.7 percent above the national average, and has been above the national average for more than 40 years.
Minority marriage rates in Alabama have dropped 29 percent since 1999.
In 2005, Alabama had the eighth highest divorce rate in the nation. Alabama’s divorce rate has been above the national average for the past 65 years.
Since 1970, about 24,100 families have divorced in Alabama every year, splitting the homes of almost 20,200 children annually.
Since 1960, the national suicide rate has remained flat, but Alabama’s suicide rate has increased 57.3 percent.
In 1960, 1.7 percent of births to white women in Alabama were
out of wedlock. That amount increased to 21.7 percent in 2004,
a rise of 1,186 percent.23 The percent of births to unwed nonwhite women has leveled out after growing for more than 30
years.
In 2004, 67.7 percent of all children born to non-white
females were born out of wedlock, compared to 27.9 percent in
1960, a 142 percent increase.
Since 1960, out-of-wedlock births as a percentage of all births in
Alabama have increased by 219 percent. In 1960, only 11.6
percent of all births were out of wedlock, but by 1998, more
than 36.5 percent of all births were to unmarried mothers.
In 2004, there was approximately one abortion for every six live births in Alabama. Of the 10,144 abortions performed on residents in 2004, 18 percent were to teenagers.
About one half of all unintended pregnancies end in abortion. Nationwide, about 82 percent of all abortions are to unmarried women.
While the exact number of abortions performed in Alabama prior to their legalization in 1973 is unknown, more than 452,000 abortions have been performed in the state since the Roe. v. Wade decision. This total is greater than the combined populations of Decatur, Gadsden, and Tuscaloosa.
Nationally, an estimated 1.29 million abortions were performed in 2002, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Alabama, the abortion rate (10.6 per 1,000 women) is about one-half that of the national average (20.8).
A lot of statistics that show Alabama isn't doing well.
Alabama’s teen birth rate is almost 36 percent higher than the national average.
Births to unwed mothers in Alabama are up 142 percent since 1960.
For every six births in Alabama in 2004, there was one abortion.
Since 1970, inflation-adjusted spending on public elementary and secondary education in Alabama has increased 194 percent, compared to a national increase of 146 percent. During
the same time, per-student spending in Alabama increased 226 percent, compared to a national increase of 131 percent.
In 2003, the average ACT composite score in Alabama was 20.1, the 42nd lowest rank in the
nation. Of the 25 states in which the ACT is taken by the majority of students, Alabama was in 21st place.
In 2003, fourth-grade math students in Alabama ranked 48th in the nation in their average
scores on the National Assessment of Academic Progress (NAEP). Only 19 percent were at or above proficiency, compared to a national average of 31 percent.
In 1960, married couples comprised almost three-fourths of all households in America. By 2000, that number had fallen to 51.5 percent.
In 2005, Alabama’s marriage rate was 26.7 percent above the national average, and has been above the national average for more than 40 years.
Minority marriage rates in Alabama have dropped 29 percent since 1999.
In 2005, Alabama had the eighth highest divorce rate in the nation. Alabama’s divorce rate has been above the national average for the past 65 years.
Since 1970, about 24,100 families have divorced in Alabama every year, splitting the homes of almost 20,200 children annually.
Since 1960, the national suicide rate has remained flat, but Alabama’s suicide rate has increased 57.3 percent.
In 1960, 1.7 percent of births to white women in Alabama were
out of wedlock. That amount increased to 21.7 percent in 2004,
a rise of 1,186 percent.23 The percent of births to unwed nonwhite women has leveled out after growing for more than 30
years.
In 2004, 67.7 percent of all children born to non-white
females were born out of wedlock, compared to 27.9 percent in
1960, a 142 percent increase.
Since 1960, out-of-wedlock births as a percentage of all births in
Alabama have increased by 219 percent. In 1960, only 11.6
percent of all births were out of wedlock, but by 1998, more
than 36.5 percent of all births were to unmarried mothers.
In 2004, there was approximately one abortion for every six live births in Alabama. Of the 10,144 abortions performed on residents in 2004, 18 percent were to teenagers.
About one half of all unintended pregnancies end in abortion. Nationwide, about 82 percent of all abortions are to unmarried women.
While the exact number of abortions performed in Alabama prior to their legalization in 1973 is unknown, more than 452,000 abortions have been performed in the state since the Roe. v. Wade decision. This total is greater than the combined populations of Decatur, Gadsden, and Tuscaloosa.
Nationally, an estimated 1.29 million abortions were performed in 2002, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Alabama, the abortion rate (10.6 per 1,000 women) is about one-half that of the national average (20.8).