Index will Assign Every State and Almost Every County in the Country an  Opportunity Score to Provide a First of Its Kind Measure of Opportunity in America

New York – Local leaders will now have a powerful new tool to help measure how effectively they are providing their citizens with the opportunity to improve their lives. For the first time ever, data from more than a dozen different sources are being compiled and compared as part of a groundbreaking “Opportunity Index,” which is set to be released by Opportunity Nation at their National Summit, November 3-4th. The Opportunity Index, developed jointly by the American Human Development Project and Opportunity Nation, will use these data sets to assign every state and almost every county in America a first of its kind Opportunity Score. This score will provide an unprecedented picture of what opportunity in America looks like at the local, state and national levels.

This event is by invitation only and not open to the general public. For more information on the Summit, visit www.opportunitynation.org.

 In addition, the Index will provide an in depth look at the indicators that contribute to opportunity and mobility in the U.S., including median household income, on-time high school graduation rates, poverty, preschool attendance, access to high-speed internet, crime rates, civic participation, and many others. It will be issued annually, giving leaders a way to track progress and measure the effectiveness of their efforts.

The Opportunity Index will be launched as an interactive website allowing anyone to see how their community measures up and areas where their community needs to improve. It is a tool for national, state and local leaders – as well as engaged community members – to use as a guide for improving opportunity for everyone in their area.

The issue of opportunity and mobility in America is one that needs to be addressed by political leaders. In a recent survey of lower-income Americans recently commissioned by Opportunity Nation and conducted by Hart Research, an astonishing 84 percent of adults say that it is getting harder for people to achieve the American Dream. In addition, three quarters of all adults say the country is on the wrong track when it comes to ensuring all Americans have economic opportunity.

Opportunity Nation is a national coalition of non-profits, foundations, educators, business, faith-based organizations and political leaders working to put promoting opportunity, social mobility and access to the American Dream back on the national, state and local community. Their national summit will be held in New York City on November 3rd and 4th.