Iowa ranks high on child well-being report, but sees declines in education outcomes

Iowa remains in the top tier of states in overall child well-being, but saw declines in indicators related to economic well-being and education outcomes, according to an Annie E. Casey Foundation report published Monday.

Iowa ranks 9th for overall child well-being, according to this year’s KIDS Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. That’s down from last year, where the state ranked 7th overall.

The annual report ranks states on 16 indicators of youths' economic well-being, health, educational achievement and family and community factors.

This year’s trends paint a mixed picture: steady progress and bright spots in some areas, setbacks in others and persistent opportunities to do better for kids and their families, said Anne Discher, executive director of Common Good Iowa and Iowa’s member of the Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT network.

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“It's a snapshot. It doesn't answer every question on everything, but I think it's helpful to put Iowa in some national context” and identify where progress is being made, where greater support is needed and which strategies are making a difference, Discher said.

Iowa’s highest ranking — sixth place — came in economic well-being. The state ranked 12th in family and community factors, 15th in health and 20th in education.

Positive trends include reductions in teen births, the percentage of teenagers between the ages 16 and 19 who are not enrolled in school and not employed, and the number of children and teens who are overweight or obese.

However, Iowa’s share of children in poverty rose 8 percent from 2019 to 2023, with 14 percent — 97,000 — of the state’s children living in families with annual incomes below $30,900. Iowa families, however, are less strained by housing costs than elsewhere in the nation, with 20 percent of Iowa children in families that spend more than 30 percent of income on housing, ranking Iowa third-best in this category.

State sees setbacks in educational achievement

Iowa saw its greatest setbacks when it comes to indicators of educational achievement. Preschool participation has not yet rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. Reading and math proficiency have declined and still are worse than before the COVID-19 pandemic — consistent with the well-documented toll on student learning and a rise in chronic absenteeism. At the same time, high school graduation rates have continued to rise.

Despite the state’s high percentage of students graduating school on time — 90 percent in 2024 — 71 percent of fourth-graders were not proficient in reading, ranking Iowa 32d in the country. And 73 percent of eighth-graders were not proficient in math, ranking 24th in the nation.

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Discher pointed out that over the last 15 years, Iowa has increased per-pupil public school funding by an average of about 2 percent, below most other states and less than the national rate of inflation.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds recently signed into law legislation aimed at improving math scores and education in the state as test scores decline in Iowa.

Reynolds’ proposal will establish a new math instruction model, including early screening and intervention for students who are struggling in class. It also will promote early identification, progress monitoring and evidence-based intervention; provide resources for families to advance children’s math development at home; and support teachers with additional training and professional development.

The legislation is modeled after legislation the governor signed into law last year intended to improve Iowa students’ literacy.

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“One of the greatest predictors of future success in the classroom and workplace, along with early literacy, is math proficiency,” Reynolds said in a statement. “This bill will ensure children who are struggling in math are identified and receive the personalized help that they need.”

Iowa math scores fell last year, from 7th to 30th in the nation in fourth grade and 15th to 23rd in the nation in eighth grade, according to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress.

The law — House File 784 — which goes into effect July 1, also directs the Iowa Department of Education to implement a statewide plan and approve math screeners for K-6 classrooms.

Teen birth rates and deaths among children and teenagers drop

In the area of health, 3 percent of Iowa children lacked health insurance in 2023, which remain unchanged from 2019. In 2023, teen birth rates declined and deaths among children and teenagers dropped — from 29 deaths in every 100,000 young people ages 1 to 19 in 2022 to 26 deaths per 100,000 in 2023.

The percentage of children living in families where the head of household lacked a high school diploma, and the percentage of children living in high-poverty areas remain unchanged.

“We know what kids need to grow up healthy and connected,” Discher said. “They need stable homes, strong schools, nutritious food, meaningful relationships and opportunities to learn, play and grow. They need our leaders to help them and their families forge a path forward.”

She emphasized the importance of family economic stability and suggested policies to help families make ends meet, including raising the minimum wage, increasing pay for low-paid child care and direct care workers working in nursing homes and as home health aides, and protecting health care and mental health services.

Raising the state’s minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, which has not changed since 2008, would boost low-wage workers' earnings, reduce poverty and stimulate the state's economy by putting more money in the hands of consumers, Discher said.

Opponents raise concerns about potential job losses, higher prices for consumers, and the possibility that businesses, particularly smaller ones, could struggle to absorb the increased costs.

“There's no one magic solution. But we know a lot of child well-being is linked to family economic stability,” Discher said. “Poverty is linked to a lot of instability that shows up in school performance. It shows up in a lot of ways. A focus on policies that help families, help more families make ends meet, that reduce that sort of family strain” can help ensure all Iowa children have the chance to thrive, grow the state’s future workforce, reduce long-term social and economic costs, and build a stronger Iowa.

Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com