The University of Montana president has his own reasons for wanting to lure more kids to UM. Some are of necessity, of course, but others are simply about increasing opportunities for children and making the world a bit better.
And now there's a reason for kids to go to college that Dennison hasn't spent much time promoting, but always knew was true - health. And that's where Dennison and the university system's efforts to lure more students into college may offer a major payoff for Montana.
The new study from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation makes the case in striking terms. The more educated parents are, the more likely their children will be healthy.
“That makes perfect sense, and it correlates to all the other advantages that come with education,” said Dennison. “The data have always been clear that people with educations are more likely to thrive, economically and socially. It's not surprising that their children would be more healthy, but it certainly makes an even stronger case of going to college.”
Access to health care is intricately tied to the equation that determines children's health, but even when access is not an issue, income and education are.
The study addressed two issues - how the general health of children was affected by parents' income and education, and the link between the educational backgrounds of mothers and infant mortality rates.
Both inquiries produced startlingly simple equations. More education equals better health and lower infant mortality rates.
Montana fared better than most in the study, which covered all 50 states. The study measured the gap between income and education levels and the overall health of people at those levels.
Not surprisingly, the children of poorer, less educated people fared worse than those with higher incomes and better educations. What surprised researchers was how big the difference was between middle- and upper-income families.
“This report shows how much healthier kids in each state could be if we narrow the gap between the children of the wealthiest, most educated families and everyone else,” said Paula Braveman, one of the report's authors and director of the Center on Social Disparities in Health at the University of California.
Montana ranked ninth on the gap between infant mortality and a mother's education, and 11th on the health gap between children of lower and higher incomes.
Given Montana's demographics, it's surprising the state did as well as it did. Two-fifths of the state's children are poor or near-poor, and only one-fifth are considered high-income, according to the report. Offsetting that is the fact that at least 62 percent of Montana parents have taken some college classes, compared to
58 percent nationwide.
Only 3 percent of Montana adults didn't finish high school.
Montana showed less disparity in health outcomes for children across economic and educational spectrums. That means the health gap between poor and rich, at least where health is concerned, is not as large as it is in many states.
Still, 17.9 percent of children in poor families are in less-than-optimal health, while only 4.8 percent of kids in high-income households fare as badly. Just under 10 percent of Montana children overall were determined to be in less-than-optimal health.
By comparison, New Hampshire had the smallest health gap between rich and poor, while Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi and the nation's capital had the highest rates.
The study's authors made it clear that the health differences between rich and poor were not trifles such as colds.
“These children are not suffering from earaches. These are kids with much higher rates of chronic medical conditions, including asthma, respiratory allergies and learning disabilities,” said Dr. Sue Egerter, another of the report's authors. “These are kids who, quite simply, have more medical problems than other kids.”
Americans often focus on health care when talking about health. But the report's authors said that education and income affect health in ways beyond simply providing better access to health care.
“We need to change the conversation about health in this country,” said Egerter. “We need solutions beyond the medical care system to improve the health of children in this country. Children need the right physical social conditions to help them be healthy kids who develop into healthy adults. Focusing on health care and coverage is important, but we need to recognize that there is more to health than health care.”
The reason education is so important isn't that it simply gives people the chance to get better-paying jobs, which make health care affordable.
Rather, it's that educated people tend to make better choices. They eat better, smoke less, model more healthy behaviors and live in places where children can exercise, the report said. That's lifestyle, not access to health care.
That's not a surprise to George Dennison, and it's hardly news to Alex Apostle, the new superintendent of Missoula County Public Schools.
“One of the things we are going to push in the district is civic responsibility, self-awareness and taking part in the community,” Apostle said. “When children have that as part of their outlook, they are much more likely to be headed for college.”
To Dennison, the tie to better children's health is just another piece of excellent ammunition to add to his well-armed argument for attending college.
“There simply is no question that all these outcomes, whether it's better jobs or more healthy children, are correlated with going to college,” said Dennison. “And as you continue with more education, the outcomes improve even more.”
In fact, the study noted that children of college graduates fare better than children whose parents attended college for two years. And those children are more healthy than kids whose parents just finished high school.
“I've never seen a study that said anything different than this in regards to the benefits of education,” Dennison said.
The authors of the foundation's report will not be ready to offer their solutions to the problem until next spring, but both Apostle and Dennison are already at work on plans and programs that will move more students from high school to college.
The school district and UM are already working on a dual credit system where high school students can receive both high school and college credit for certain classes. That, Dennison and Apostle said, forges a link that will likely bring at least some of those students to UM.
Dennison is working both symbolic and practical angles. He has a program where he sends a letter to every incoming high school freshman in Missoula, mostly as a way to introduce UM to students.
But UM is also partnering with median-income families - those earning about $36,000 a year - to find ways for children to attend college without incurring crippling debt.
“If they can commit to graduating on time, we can get them qualified for a Pell grant and we will put together grants and work-study programs, guarantee loans and make sure they get out with half the debt they might otherwise have,” Dennison said.
Apostle said the school district is focused on an atmosphere where students succeed at high levels. That sort of success often leads to college, he said.
“We are working to have them achieve academic success, but also learning how to be better civic citizens,” Apostle said. “That way, they are able to benefit themselves, but also be a benefit to the community.”
Based on the results of the foundation's study, they'll also benefit the children they'll one day raise.
Reporter Michael Moore can be reached at 523-5252 or by e-mail at mmoore@missoulian.com.
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