Arizona ranks among the 10 worst states for childhood well-being in a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
The annual Kids Count Data Book ranks states in economic, educational, health and community metrics. In the latest report, which analyzes data from 2023, Arizona ranks 42nd overall. The state performs worst in the education category — Arizona's ranking fell to 47th, from 44th in last year’s report.
The report says Arizona fourth graders are further behind in reading than their peers nationally, while Arizona eighth graders are further behind in math. The report also says far fewer Arizona students finish high school on-time. About 23% of high schoolers did not graduate on-time in the state, compared to 13% nationwide.
The disparities are evident even among Arizona’s youngest students. About 54% of 3- and 4-year-olds nationwide are not in preschool. In Arizona, 64% are not in preschool.
“That’s an area where it would be important to pay attention, because if young children get that early educational experience, it sets them up for success in kindergarten and beyond,” said the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s President and CEO Lisa Lawson.
Lawson said Arizona’s lagging educational score relates to pandemic-era learning losses and state education policies. But she noted other factors impact Arizona children’s education, too, including the state’s lack of affordable housing.
“If families are unable to find affordable housing and have to move frequently, that means their young person is probably changing schools,” Lawson said.
The report says Arizona also has the nation’s second-highest rate of kids without health insurance — 9% of Arizona kids are uninsured, compared to 5% nationally.
Lawson said health coverage plays a role in not just children’s health but also in their educational outcomes.
“It makes sure that any developmental delays are identified early, so that if a child needs special education services, we know and can implement those very early on,” Lawson said. “It also makes sure that if they’ve got chronic health conditions like asthma, which creates lots of school absences, that that can be treated.”
Arizona did show improvement in a few of the report’s categories. For example, fewer Arizona kids are in poverty now compared to previous years. In 2019, 19% of Arizona kids were living in poverty, which was higher than the national average. The latest data shows 15% of Arizona kids live in poverty, which is slightly below the national average.
