The Common Good Forecaster: Exploring the Impact of Education in Your Community

The American Human Development Project, in collaboration with United Way, has created the Common Good Forecaster, a new tool that projects the impact of educational attainment on numerous outcomes, including civic participation, health, financial stability, and academic achievement.. The user can manipulate variables related to education(i.e. percentage of high school dropouts)and view the projected influence on another outcome, such as murder rates or obesity rates. The tool provides both current data and projections by county and state, allowing the user to differentiate between outcomes for urban, suburban, and rural counties. Additionally, for each specific variable modified, the site offers a research-based explanation of its relationship to educational attainment. This unique, innovative tool is great for policymakers, advocacy organizations and researchers. The program is free and presently available.


For more information about the significant impact of education attainment on child and family well-being, visit Policy for Results.