As an educational leader with Old Bridge Township Public Schools, Dr. James Hickey was principal of Old Bridge High School, an institution with more than 3,100 students and a budget of about $30 million. In 2011, he became Dean of Academic Affairs at The Pennington School, an independent day and boarding school founded in 1838.

1. Dr. James Hickey:
Educational Attainment
among Americans
By Dr. James Hickey

2. Introduction

As an educational leader with Old
Bridge Township Public Schools, Dr.
James Hickey was principal of Old
Bridge High School, an institution with
more than 3,100 students and a
budget of about $30 million. In 2011,
he became Dean of Academic Affairs
at The Pennington School, an
independent day and boarding school
founded in 1838.

3. Statistics

In the period spanning 1980 to 2011, 25 to 29year-old Americans increased their level of
education. The number of individuals with a high
school diploma or its equivalent rose by four
percentage points to 89 percent. Further, the
population of high school students who went on
to earn their bachelor's degree rose by 10 points
to 32 percent in that 31-year period. Moreover, in
2011, 7 percent of people between the ages of
25 and 29 received a graduate degree -- a 2
percent increase since 1995.
Another major change is related to gender.
Women now hold more degrees than men at
every education level.