What does this measure?

This is the percentage of mothers who did not receive a high school or equivalent degree at the time of their infant’s birth.

Data Source

Estimates of maternal education are calculated based on information entered on the infant birth certificate collected by Vital Records of the Department of Public Health. Data are managed by the Office of Health Information and Policy.

Why is this important?

These data provide an estimate of the number of mothers who hadn’t received a high school or equivalent degree at the time of their infant’s birth. The lack of maternal education is known to increase a child’s risk of academic failure, poor attendance, and disciplinary issues.