Maine

Maine ranks 1st among the states when the Opportunity to Learn of the state’s historically disadvantaged students is combined with a measure of educational quality. Nonetheless, Maine’s very few Black, Latino and Native American students, taken together, have less than 70 percent of the opportunity to learn in the state’s best-supported, best-performing schools than the state’s White, non-Latino students. A low-income student has nearly 90 percent of the opportunity to learn of the average White, non-Latino student (3).

The key Opportunity to Learn resources used in this report are high quality early childhood education, highly effective teachers, well-funded instructional materials and a college preparatory curriculum. All students must have equitable access to key educational resources if they are to have equitable opportunities for success.

Key Research Findings: Maine is one of a group of states with comparatively high graduation rates, a comparatively low percentage of students from disadvantaged groups and comparatively high funding for instruction. Well-resourced, high-performing schools in states of this type have higher percentages of experienced teachers than others.

Opportunity for Success

Native American and low-income students are more likely than average White, non-Latino students in Maine to be disadvantaged by attending schools where they have little chance of becoming proficient in basic skills and graduating on time.

Dividing the percentages of Native American, Black and Latino students in these “drop-out factories” by the percentage of White, non-Latino students in those schools gives us the comparative disadvantage of each group: (Higher numbers are worse: more of a disadvantage)

Taking steps to improve access to key resources, improving the teacher-to-student ratio and increasing the percentage of highly effective teachers in the state’s less effective schools will improve the Opportunity to Learn of the state’s minority and low-income students.

Economic Consequences⁽⁸⁾

Total Annual Economic Burden to Taxpayers Because of Inequity: $3.3 million(9)

	Potential Return on School Improvement Investment: (Differences attributable to high school graduation per annual cohort)	250%
	State Annual Total Lifetime Health Loss	$644,000
	State Annual Crime-Related Loss	$423,000
	State Tax Losses (Lifetime)	$2.2 million
	Annual Lost Lifetime Earnings (Difference attributable to high school graduation per annual cohort)	$4.6 million
	Net Annual Potential Revenue Increase from Equity (After deducting estimated cost of improving schools)	$2 million

Social and Civic Consequences

Changes attributable to educational equalization with highest performing large group:

	College Graduation (25 years of age+)(10) Increase Expected Attributable to Equitable Access
	Black, Latino, Native American (total)	18%
	Employment (11) Increase Expected Attributable to Equitable Access
	With High School Diploma	6%
	Further Increase with Bachelor's Degree	3%
	Income(12) Increase Expected Attributable to Equitable Access
	With High School Diploma	19%
	Further Increase with Bachelor's Degree	51%
	Health(13) Increase Expected Attributable to Equitable Access
	Black, non-Latino	---
	Latino	---
	Civic Engagement(14) (National Election Participation)
	Increase Expected Attributable to Equitable Access	---
	Incarceration(15) Decrease Expected Attributable to Equitable Access to Education
	Black, non-Latino	-86%

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