Definitions and rankings

Trends are gauged as positive in 20 of the 26 indicators if the data shows a consistent decrease over time. Trends are considered to be negative when the data consistently increases. For these indicators, a ranking of 1 indicates the high end of the data with 87 representing the desired low end.

Trends are rated just the opposite for six indicators -- on-time immunizations, third grade assessment (math and reading), basic standards (8^th grade math and reading; 10^th grade writing), high school graduation, exercise and volunteer work. For these six, trends are ranked positive when the data increases, and negative when it decreases. In this case, a ranking of 1 represents the low end of the data with 87 indicating the desired high end.

1. Children in poverty

The U.S. Bureau of the Census collected this data in the 1990 Decennial Census. In 1989 the average poverty threshold for a family of four people was $12, 674. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, in 1998, the poverty level for a family of four was $16,530. Beginning in 2001, annual statewide and regional data is expected from the bureau's American Community Survey.

2. Children receiving welfare

This data is collected by the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Once 1998 population estimates become available in fall 1999, state and county rates will be calculated for children on the Minnesota Family Investment Program. This data will be available through LMIC's online 1999 Children's Report Card (www.lmic.state.mn.us/datanetweb/chi.html). Data for children on Aid to Families with Dependent Children is available from past report cards, but direct comparisons between children on AFDC and children on MFIP are not recommended since the programs are significantly different.

3. Low-income children

The Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning collects this data October 1 every year and publishes it in the K-12 Economic Indicator Report. The data shows the percentage of kindergartners through 12th-graders who are eligible for free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch programs, not those who actually use the service.

4. School transfers

The Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning, Data Management Unit publishes this information in annual Mobility Index reports based on Minnesota Automated Reporting Student System of individual student records. The indicator is the ratio of all public school transfers during the school year to the total enrollment on October 1 of each year. Transfers include each instance of a student moving into a district, out of a district, or between schools within a district after the start of the school year. Student transfers in the summer between school years are not counted. A student who transfers several times is counted each time. Reliable data is not available before 1993.

School transfer data for 1997-1998 has been revised, click here.

5. Births by teens

From the Minnesota Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics, this indicator measures live births by teen mothers younger than age 18 as a percentage of all live births. Data on teen pregnancy also is available online from the Minnesota Department of Health's County Health Profiles at www.lmic.state.mn.us/datanetweb/health.html.

6. Children placed out of home

Minnesota Department of Human Services, Community Services Division and the Family and Children's Services Division collects this data. Additional information on foster care and out-of-home placement is available on the Internet from the Department of Human Service's Information Center at www.dhs.state.mn.us/childint/Fostercare/default.htm.

7. Child abuse and neglect

The Minnesota Department of Human Services publishes child maltreatment reports every year. This indicator measures the number and rate (per 1,000 children in the total population) that were physically, sexually or emotionally abused or neglected, as reported to police or welfare authorities. Only substantiated reports of abuse and neglect are included. Rates are based on U.S. Bureau of the Census estimates released in September 1998 and may differ from other published rates using other population figures.

8. Physical abuse

The Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning through the 1998 Minnesota Student Survey collects this data every three years. The physical abuse indicator represents the percentage of students who answered "yes" to survey questions 61 or 62: "Has any adult in your household ever hit you so hard or so often that you had marks or were afraid of that person? Has anyone in your family ever hit anyone else in the family so hard or so often that they had marks or were afraid of that person?" Students answering "yes" to both questions were counted only once in the final tally.

9. Sexual abuse

This indicator represents the percentage of students who answered "yes" to survey questions 63 or 64 in the 1998 Minnesota Student Survey: "Has any adult or older person outside the family ever touched you sexually against your wishes or forced you to touch them sexually? Has any older or stronger member of your family ever touched you sexually or had you touch them sexually?" Students answering "yes" to both questions were counted only once in the final tally.

10. Family alcohol abuse

Taken from the 1998 Student Survey, this data measures the percentage of students who answered "yes" to question 59: "Has alcohol use by any family member repeatedly caused family, health, job, or legal problems?"

11. Prenatal care

The Minnesota Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics collects data about the number and percentage of newborns whose mother had not seen a doctor before her seventh month or at any time during her pregnancy. The calculation for this indicator changed, so that the new data is not comparable with previous written report cards, although the online report card is being revised to include the new data. In the past, annual summaries used physician estimates of the length of pregnancies, which were based on birth certificates. Revised statistical methods are now used to determine the length of pregnancy. In some instances this change has lead to a reclassification of when prenatal care began. National comparison data taken from the 1997 Reliastar State Health Rankings.

12. Low birth-weight babies

Minnesota Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics collects information about low birth weight, defined as less than 2,500 grams, or about 5.5 pounds. Babies whose birth weight is unknown are omitted from the percentage, although they are included in the total number of live births used as a basis for the percentage.

13. On-time immunization

The Minnesota Department of Health, Acute Disease Prevention Services periodically collects on-time immunization data through the Retrospective Kindergarten Survey. Results reflect the percentage of kindergartners who were up to date with immunizations at 24 months of age. Data includes all children enrolled in a public or private kindergarten program in Minnesota. Preschool screening data, available in fall 1999 on Datanet, is an additional source of annual immunization data.

14. Third-grade assessment

This data is from the Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning, Office of Graduation Standards, "Statewide Testing Results Set Stage for High Standards," June 1998, and "Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment Test Results." School and school district results are available on the Internet (cfl.state.mn.us/). Mandated by the 1997 Minnesota Legislature, all public schools must participate; 84 private schools voluntarily participated in 1999. This indicator reports third-grade test results, which measures those students on track to meet the High Standards requirements for graduation from high school. The third-grade test includes interpretation of reading material and real-world application of math problems.

The 1999 Children's Report Card and 1998 Minnesota Milestones report use different third-grade reading data. After the publication of the 1998 Milestones report, more detailed data became available that showed 35.3 percent of third graders, not 36 percent, scored at level three or four on reading tests during the 1997-1998 school year.

15. Basic standards

The Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning, Office of Graduation Standards collects this information through its annual Minnesota Basic Standards Tests. The website (cfl.state.mn.us/) contains school and school district data. One of two components of the state's new graduation standards is the Basic Standards test, which must be passed between eighth grade and graduation. To pass, students must receive a score of 75 percent or better on the math and reading tests. Beginning in the 1998-1999 school year, 10th-graders must complete the basic standard writing component. Tenth-graders must write an essay following specific instructions and receive a score of adequate or more than adequate to pass the state writing standard.

16. High school graduation

The Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning, Data Management Unit collects student transfer data. Students known to have transferred out of Minnesota public schools are not counted in the graduation rate. Previous Minnesota Planning publications reported data for the class of 1996. This data is not included in the report card because it does not include school consolidations, which resulted in questionable data for some counties. 

17. Infant mortality

From the Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Center for Health Statistics, infant mortality data includes all deaths that occur from birth to the first birthday. Over three years, the rate is determined by dividing all infant deaths by the number of live births and multiplying by 1,000 to calculate the rate per 1,000 live births.

The Minnesota Department of Health, Vital Records Division changed the data for the number of infant deaths in 1991-1993 and 1992-1994, which was published in previous report cards. The 1999 report uses the newly revised data. The rates have also been revised from previous report cards.

18. Exercise and physical activity

The data comes from the 1998 Minnesota Student Survey, questions 32 and 33 about students who reported exercising for 20 minutes or being physically active for at least 30 minutes a day, four or more days in the previous week.

19. Suicide attempts

Collected in the 1998 Minnesota Student Survey, this data is the percentage of students who answered "yes" to question 56: "Have you ever tried to kill yourself?"

20. Smoking and tobacco use

Past report cards have examined weekly cigarette use. The definition for the 1999 Children's Report Card has been changed to include daily or weekly use of cigarettes, chewing tobacco or snuff in response to question 76 of the 1998 Minnesota Student Survey. The count does not include students reporting monthly use, or less, of tobacco products.

21. Alcohol use

Past report cards have reported students' daily, weekly or monthly alcohol use, but that data is not collected any more by the Minnesota Student Survey. The 1999 Children's Report Card identifies the percentage of students who answered "yes" to question 79: "During the last 12 months, have you had any alcoholic beverages?"

22. Sexual activity

From the 1998 Minnesota Student Survey, this data represents the percentage of students who answered "yes, once or twice" or "yes, three times or more" to question 111: "Have you ever had sexual intercourse ("gone all the way")?" 

23. Volunteering

This indicator measures the percentage of students who reported completing one or more hours per week of volunteer work or community service. The data is from the 1998 Minnesota Student Survey, question 25: During the school year, how many hours in a typical week do you spend volunteering? National comparison data was taken from Trends in the Well-Being of America's Children and Youth: 1998, a publication of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (aspe.os.dhhs.gov/hsp/98trends/trends98.htm).

24. Fighting

Also from the 1998 Minnesota Student Survey, this indicator represents the percentage of students who reported one or more instances in response to question 72: "During the last 12 months, how often have you hit or beat up another person?" National comparison data was taken from Trends in the Well-Being of America's Children and Youth: 1998, a publication of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (aspe.os.dhhs.gov/hsp/98trends/trends98.htm).

25. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs

Past report cards have tracked the percentage of students who answered "yes, often" or "yes, rarely," to a student survey question: "Do you drive after you've been drinking or using drugs?" The 1999 Children's Report Card now uses the percentage of students who reported one or more instances in response to question 105: "During the last 12 months, how many times have you driven a motor vehicle after using alcohol or other drugs?" Data is from the 1998 Minnesota Student Survey.

26. Juvenile apprehensions

Data includes all juvenile apprehensions for those crimes considered Part I, Part II or juvenile offenses. Part I offenses are the crimes of murder, negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson. Part II offenses include other assaults, forgery and counterfeiting, fraud, embezzlement, stolen property, vandalism, weapons offenses, prostitution, other sex offenses, narcotics offenses, gambling offenses, offenses against family or children, driving under the influence, liquor laws, disorderly conduct, vagrancy and other offenses (except traffic). Juvenile offenses include curfew or loitering and runaways. For more detailed information on juvenile apprehension data visit Minnesota Planning's Criminal Justice Center website at www.mnplan.state.mn.us/cj.

See Technical notes page for information about the Minneosta Student Survey.