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Statistics
and South Carolina’s Status and Position
On
a daily basis the citizens of South Carolina are exposed to
various statistics that claim to indicate how the state is
performing on some aspect of life.
More often than not these statistics indicate that the
state is performing poorly in comparison with the rest of the
nation. Indeed
these numbers are generally presented as a criticism of
government performance. The
source of these statistics is not always clear.
And like any statistic, the numbers are subject to
interpretation and misinterpretation. And because the numbers
are used in a political context, the statistics and the
interpretations are very often in conflict.
So
how is South Carolina really performing on key policy areas?
How can the state’s policy makers and citizens gauge
progress over time? What measures should be used? The South
Carolina Indicators (SCI) Project is designed to provide
citizens and policy makers with valid, reliable and comparable
statistical indicators of how South Carolina is performing in
nine key policy areas: education, the economy, the
environment, public safety, public health, social welfare,
culture and recreation, government administration, and transportation
and infrastructure.
The
SCI Project Website
To
navigate the SCI Project web site, simply choose the topic or
policy area of interest below or on the adjacent navigation
bar.
For
each policy area (education, the economy, etc.), you will find
relevant indicators presented in summary form within a table
format on the “At-a-Glance” page. You will then see that indicators are divided into separate
categories. For each category, one or more indicators are then
listed and defined, and in brief, the significance or
relevance of the indicator is included. Most data on this site
are comparable to other states and historical data are
available. Select
state rankings are also provided. Where references are made
comparing South Carolina (SC) to the southeast (SE), it should
be noted that the southeastern states include Alabama,
Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South
Carolina, and Tennessee.
Additionally,
the data sources are indicated via hyperlink for each
indicator where possible. In other cases, sources are simply
referenced. Further, in some cases, a brief narrative or
discussion provides some analysis for each indicator. In
selected instances, more in-depth discussion is quoted from
various sources. Suggested
readings may be additionally provided to explain the technical
definitions, use, limitations, etc. of the data. Finally,
endnotes are included—as appropriate—for citation or
explanatory purposes.
We welcome comments and
suggestions from government
officials, legislators, and the
general public. To make suggestions,
recommend additional indicators, or
to report problems or broken links,
please direct your comments to scip@mailbox.sc.edu.
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Project News |
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Monitor the implementation of
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, perhaps
more popularly known as the “Federal stimulus bill”
by clicking
here. |
March 24, 2009 – State Personal Income, 2008
The Bureau of Economic Analysis
(BEA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce released
personal income data for 2008. The report reflects
adjustments to 2007 figures and preliminary numbers
for 2008. Per capital personal income for South
Carolina increased from $31,103 in 2007 to $31,884
in 2008, a 2.5 % increase. Per capital personal
income for 2008 was 80% of the U.S. per capita
income of $39,751. South Carolina ranks 45th
in the nation in per capita personal income.
Connecticut with a per capita income of $56,248, is
number 1. North Carolina ranks 36th with
$34,439, and Georgia ranks 40th with per
capital income of $33,975. To access the BEA report
click
here.
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February 20, 2009 – 2008 Education Accountability
Act Report Cards Are Now Available The 2008 school and school
district report cards mandated per the South
Carolina Education Accountability Act. Access
you’re the report card for your school and your
school district by clicking
here. |
February 10, 2009 - Grad Nation: A Guidebook to Help
Communities Tackle the Dropout Crisis
America’s Promise Alliance just
released a guidebook aimed at helping communities
respond to the dropout crisis. The report includes
useful and readily accessible tools and links to
additional online resources, in addition to
research-based guidance. It provides information and
tools for developing and implementing a customized
program that’s right for individual communities.
Please access the report by clicking
here |
Restructuring South Carolina State Government -
More than 80 years of consultant studies.
A new addition to the
Indicators Project –More than 80 years of
consultants reports and studies aimed at
restructuring and improving management and policy in
South Carolina’s state government. Access each of
the 18 reports from the Griffenhagen study in 1920
to the GEAR Report of 2007, and at the same time,
trace the administrative history of South Carolina
state government by clicking
here.
South Carolina Infrastructure Study: Projections of
Statewide Infrastructure Costs, Savings, and
Financing Alternatives 1995-2015
In May
1997 the South Carolina Budget & Control Board and
the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental
Relations released a study of the state’s
infrastructure needs, defined as roads, bridges,
water and sewer lines, utilities, public service
buildings, public safety buildings, public
recreational buildings, and public works facilities.
That study,
South Carolina
Infrastructure Study: Projections of Statewide
Infrastructure Costs, Savings, and Financing
Alternatives 1995-2015 addressed what
were then the current costs as well as projected
costs, financing and savings alternatives, and
information resources and analyses. It serves as a
foundation for those who wish to update the State’s
assessment of its current infrastructure needs and
financing alternatives.
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Teen Births and Other Birth Data for 2006
A
“just released” report by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDCP) shows South Carolina’s
teen birth rate up from 2005 to 2006. The rate
increased from 51 births per 1,000 females aged 15-19 in
2005 to 53 per 1,000 females aged 15-19 in 2006. In
contrast, the rate for the United States as a whole also
increased from 40.5 births to women aged 15-19 in 2005
to 41.9 in 2006. That same report also shows South
Carolina’s percentage of low birth weight newborns in
2006 remained relatively stable at 10.1 percent compared
to a U.S. rate of 8.3 percent. Low birth weight is
defined as a baby weighing in at less than 2,500 grams
or 5 pounds, 8 ounces. See the report in its entirety
by going to the report entitled
Births: Final Data for 2006 on CDCP website
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Latest
Unemployment Numbers
Current data, as well as useful historical data, on
South Carolina’s employment status. Access by
clicking
here. |
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Additional Items that formerly appeared here have been
moved to Archives which can be accessed by clicking here.
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