Education as a Determinant of Health

Education is a predictor of lifetime earnings, social standing, social and economic resources, working conditions, health behaviors, and life expectancy. Poor educational attainment is a burden consistently borne by certain groups in the US population such as low income, tribal and other racial/ethnic minority population groups. With racial and ethnic minorities become the majority population groups in a few decades, the potential consequences of these inequities on the country’s economic outlook and overall well-being are likely to increase in scale and impact. The purpose of this presentation is to share key ongoing initiatives by the US Department of Education to close achievement gaps and wrap services around individuals to ensure their educational success.