Educational Attainment and Economic Impacts in Central Appalachia

Central Appalachia is coming to terms with a changing economic environment. As we struggle to move from extraction industry economic dependence to reinvent our region with new economic drivers it is imperative that we increase the region’s educational attainment to meet new challenges. Ziliak states “A vast body of economic research demonstrates the positive link between educational attainment and economic status of individuals as well as regions…” (2007, p. 2). In a recent op-ed Courts (2013) suggests that education should be everyone’s business; this session exams that assertion. Much research has been done on the factors that help increase educational attainment. For example, we know that a mother’s education level is a significant predictor of a child’s educational success. This indicator has endured over time and across conditions. Our challenge is to understand the transformation of our economic base in our region to maintain our level of prosperity with a major economic driver, King Coal, in decline. What new conditions do we need to foster to increase the educational attainment of our region beyond those programs currently in-place? What does our economy look like 10, 15, or 20 years from now, and how do we prepare now for that future? What new ideas exist for industries suited to our region? What role does education play in the success of those industries? This session will facilitate a discussion on these issues while we listen for new ideas and previously unconsidered variables that may help us to better understand our future