Better Health, Better Learning Report - July 2017 SCORE Better Health Better Learning Report_July 20 | Page 9

High-quality education and academic achievement are associated with improved
outcomes later in life. Attending a high-performing school can lead to improved math
and English standardized test scores, decreased dropout rates, and lower rates of
engaging in behaviors such as binge drinking and substance use at school. Researchers
observing these relationships concluded that “…increasing performance of public
schools in low-income communities may be a powerful mechanism to decrease very
risky health behaviors among low-income adolescents and to decrease health disparities
across the life span.” 20 High-quality K-12 education also better prepares high school
graduates to pursue postsecondary education and earn certifications or degrees that
improve their earning potential and overall quality of life.
College graduates
live an average of
five years longer than
people who do not
graduate from high
school.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has noted that college
graduates can expect to live five years longer than people
who do not graduate high school. Further, people with four
years of additional education beyond high school are less
likely to be overweight, to smoke, or to have heart disease
or diabetes. 21 In contrast, researchers who conducted an
extensive review of relevant research in 2004 noted patients
with low literacy levels were generally 1.5 to 3 times more
likely to experience poor health. 22
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