States with the best schools

Thomas C. Frohlich | 24/7 Wall St.

The United States has lost ground among developed nations in promoting quality education for its students. To counter this troubling trend, the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association worked to create a state-led program called the Common Core State Standards. Common Core is intended to ensure that all American children receive a quality, rigorous education. Although education policy is becoming increasingly uniform across the county, state school systems are still far from equal.

Clearly, the stakes for students are high, and the U.S. still has a way to go to develop an education system that best-serves its children. Based on this year's edition of Quality Counts, released by Education Week, the United States received a score of C for its school systems. Among states, Massachusetts had the best school systems in the country, with a grade of B, while Mississippi had the worst with a grade of D.

Education Week's grading framework incorporates three components: Chance for Success, K-12 Achievement, and School Finances. According to Sterling Lloyd, senior research associate at the Education Week Research Center, the new index looks at a range of factors to assess education's impact from "cradle to career." These are the states with the best (and worst) schools.

Income can play a major role in a child's success in school. Lloyd explained that "we're not talking about demography as destiny." However, "research tells us that students who are in stable communities and in higher income families [tend to] have better educational success later on." While the relationship is far from simple, children from wealthier families are often exposed to more enriching activities and often have greater stability within their family lives. Families making less than 200% of the national poverty level are generally recognized as low income. Education Week examined those living in families above that threshold. In all of the states with the worst school systems the percent of children in families earning incomes above the threshold was less than the national rate of 55.4%. In the states with the best schools, on the other hand, children were far more likely than most U.S. children to come from relatively wealthy families.

Parents play perhaps the largest role in the development of their children. Just as a higher family income may help increase the advantages for students, well-educated parents can also often improve a child's chance for success. A child has "greater advantages when you can draw upon a foundation of knowledge and [when] teachers are not having to address deficiencies in learning once kids get to school," according to Lloyd. Relatively few children in the states with the worst school systems had at least one parent with a post-secondary degree. In Nevada, less than 34% of children had a relatively well-educated parent, versus a national rate of 47.2% the lowest rate nationwide. Conversely, in all of the top states for education, more than half of children had at least one parent with a post-secondary degree.

More generous school budgets also often lead to stronger educational outcomes. Nationwide, school districts spent $11,735 per pupil in 2012, with 43.4% of children living in school districts with per pupil expenditures that exceeded that figure. In all but two of the states with the worst school systems, however, school districts spent less than $10,000 per pupil. The best statewide school systems tended to spend far more. Vermont, for example, led the nation with a per pupil expenditure of $18,882.

Yet, as Lloyd pointed out, "the precise relationship between funding and academic achievement is a perennial debate among researchers. There's not a consensus among researchers." For example, although Idaho had nearly the lowest average education expenditure, more than 38% of its eighth graders were proficient on national reading exams in 2013, better than their peers nationwide. Nevertheless, on the whole, students in school districts with greater resources performed better on national tests. At least 40% of fourth grade students in nine of the 10 top states were proficient on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) versus the national rate of 34%.

All of these factors contribute to a child's chances of graduating from high school, pursuing further education, getting a job, and so forth. In eight of the 10 states with the worst rated school systems, students were less likely to graduate from high school than their peers nationwide. In all but two of the top states, on the other hand, students had higher graduation rates than the national figure of 81% in 2012.

To identify the states with the best and worst schools, 24/7 Wall St. used Education Week's Quality Counts 2015 report. The report is based on three major categories: Chance for Success, Finances, and K-12 Achievement. The Chance for Success category includes data on family income, parent education and employment, child schooling, and employment opportunities after college. Graduation rates are defined as the percentage of 9th graders who graduated high school in four years, and are for the class of 2012. All other data are for 2013 and are based on Education Week's analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The finance category incorporates metrics on cost-adjusted per-pupil spending and how equitably spending was distributed across districts in the state in 2012. The K-12 Achievement category uses test score data from the NAEP. Test score data are for 2013. Each category was weighted equally in determining the final ranking.

These are the states with the best schools.

10. Minnesota

> Overall grade: B-

> State Score: 79.9

> Per pupil spending: $11,547 (25th highest)

> High school graduation rate: 88.0% (7th highest)

> Eighth graders proficient in math or reading: 47.2% (3rd highest)

Minnesota's school systems received a B- in Education Week's report, which ranked them 10th in the country. One reason the state's schools are so strong is likely the high educational attainment of the students' parents. As of 2013, nearly 62% of children had at least one parent with a post-secondary degree, the highest proportion in the country. While Minnesota's per pupil spending was in line with the rest of the nation in 2012, the distribution of school funding was more equitable in the country, with less than $3,700 per pupil separating the state's best- and worst-funded schools. The consistent funding and childrens' strong foundation at home likely helped students' performance. In 2013, nearly half of all eighth graders were proficient on national standardized tests.

9. New York

> Overall grade: B-

> State Score: 80.0

> Per pupil spending: $17,326 (4th highest)

> High school graduation rate: 78.0% (17th lowest)

> Eighth graders proficient in math or reading: 32.3% (18th lowest)

New York school districts spent an average of $17,326 per pupil in 2012, with all districts spending more than the national average expenditure of $11,735 per pupil. New York is able to spend so much money per student mostly because it commits a relatively large portion of its budget to education. The state spent 4.3% of its GDP on education in 2012, the fifth highest share in the country. Additionally, parents were highly likely to enroll their children in early education programs. Nearly 58% of eligible children were enrolled in preschool and 79% in kindergarten in 2013, among the highest proportions in the country. Despite the high levels of education spending, New York students' scores on standardized tests overall were on par or even lower than the national averages in 2013.

8. Pennsylvania

> Overall grade: B-

> State Score: 80.1

> Per pupil spending: $13,653 (11th highest)

> High school graduation rate: 88.0% (7th highest)

> Eighth graders proficient in math or reading: 41.9% (6th highest)

While Pennsylvania school districts spent an average of $13,653 per pupil in 2013, nearly $2,000 more per student than the national average, not all school districts could afford to spend so much. More than 26% of students lived in school districts that spent less per student than the national average, the second-highest proportion among the 10 states with the best schools. Nevertheless, 88% of students graduated high school with a diploma in four years, well above the national rate of 81%. Test scores for Pennsylvania's public school students showed strong improvement between 2003 and 2013, rising at one of the faster rates in the country.

7. Wyoming

> Overall grade: B-

> State Score: 80.6

> Per pupil spending: $17,758 (3rd highest)

> High school graduation rate: 80.0% (24th lowest)

> Eighth graders proficient in math or reading: 37.8% (19th highest)

As in other well-graded state school systems, Wyoming schools had among the largest budgets nationwide in 2012. School districts spent an average of $17,758 per pupil, more than in all but two other states. Large expenditures do not always result in excellent test scores, however. While more than a quarter of 11th and 12th graders across the nation scored at least a three out of five on Advanced Placement tests, less than one in 10 did in Wyoming, exceptionally low compared to other states with high quality school systems. Still, Wyoming students are perhaps more likely to succeed than most American children. Nearly 84% of children had at least one parent working full-time and year-round — the second highest rate nationwide. This is a strong indicator of positive early foundations that often lead to student success.

6. Connecticut

> Overall grade: B-

> State Score: 82.3

> Per pupil spending: $15,172 (6th highest)

> High school graduation rate: 86.0% (12th highest)

> Eighth graders proficient in math or reading: 37.1% (21st highest)

More than 64% of three- and four-year old children in Connecticut were enrolled in preschool in 2013, a higher proportion than in any other state. Residents were also among the nation's wealthiest. Nearly 60% of adults earned incomes above the national median, among the highest shares of any state. Similarly, nearly 70% of children had families with incomes that were at least 200% of the poverty level, also among the highest of any state. High incomes likely contributed to the state's large school budgets, which in turn seem to have helped students perform better than their nationwide peers on standardized tests. While 34% of American fourth graders were proficient on reading exams, nearly 43% of Connecticut fourth graders were. High school students were also far more likely than their peers nationwide to excel on Advanced Placement tests.

5. New Hampshire

> Overall grade: B-

> State Score: 82.3

> Per pupil spending: $14,561 (8th highest)

> High school graduation rate: 87.0% (9th highest)

> Eighth graders proficient in math or reading: 46.8% (5th highest)

New Hampshire was one of only two states to receive an A- from Education Week in the Chance for Success category. Nearly 72% of children lived in families whose income was more than 200% of the poverty threshold in 2013, the highest rate in the country. While roughly 47% of children nationwide had at least one parent with a college degree, 61% of New Hampshire children did in 2013. Children living in such families are more likely to attend college later in life. As of 2013, nearly 64% of students aged 18-24 in New Hampshire were either enrolled in a post-secondary degree program or had a degree, among the highest rates. New Hampshire's school finances are similarly strong. On average, school districts spent more than $14,500 per student in 2012. However, the distribution of that spending is troubling. The spending gap between the state's top and bottom districts was more than $10,000 per pupil, nearly the largest in the country.

4. Vermont

> Overall grade: B

> State Score: 83.0

> Per pupil spending: $18,882 (the highest)

> High school graduation rate: 93.0% (the highest)

> Eighth graders proficient in math or reading: 46.9% (4th highest)

On average, Vermont school districts spent nearly $19,000 per pupil In 2012, more than in any other state. The state seems to prioritize education more than most, as Vermont spent more than 5% of its state GDP on education, also the most nationwide. While large budgets do not necessarily yield strong outcomes, Vermont students performed better than most of their peers in other states on national tests. Nearly 47% of eighth graders were proficient in mathematics, for example, a higher proportion than in all but three other states. The state also had the nation's highest four-year high school graduation rate, at 93% in 2012.

3. Maryland

> Overall grade: B

> State Score: 85.2

> Per pupil spending: $12,435 (18th highest)

> High school graduation rate: 84.0% (16th highest)

Nearly 51% of 11th and 12th graders in Maryland excelled on Advanced Placement tests in 2012, the only state where a majority of students performed better than average on Advanced Placement exams. Maryland also had the largest nationwide improvement in students' Advanced Placement test scores between 2000 and 2012. Younger students also outperformed their peers on standardized tests. Nearly 45% of fourth graders were proficient in reading, more than 10 percentage points higher than the national figure and second-highest nationwide. Unlike many other states with top-rated school systems, Maryland school financing was relatively well-distributed. The difference in per pupil spending between the worst and best-funded schools districts was $3,565, one of the lower figures reviewed.

2. New Jersey

> Overall grade: B

> State Score: 85.5

> Per pupil spending: $15,421 (5th highest)

> High school graduation rate: 87.0% (9th highest)

> Eighth graders proficient in math or reading: 48.9% (2nd highest)

New Jersey school districts benefit from the state's wealth, with more than $15,000 spent per pupil in 2012, more than in all but a handful of states. While nearly all districts in the state spent more money per student than the national average of $11,735, some areas of the state spent much more. The gap between districts at the fifth and 95th percentiles for per pupil spending was nearly $10,000, more than twice as wide as the national gap in spending. Many students also enjoyed the benefits of early education. In 2013, 63.1% of eligible children were enrolled in preschool, the second highest rate nationwide.

1. Massachusetts

> Overall grade: B

> State Score: 86.2

> Per pupil spending: $13,157 (16th highest)

> High school graduation rate: 86.0% (12th highest)

> Eighth graders proficient in math or reading: 54.6% (the highest)

According to Education Week, Massachusetts school systems are the best in the nation. Massachusetts eighth graders led the nation in mathematics aptitude, with 18.2% achieving advanced-level performance on math sections of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, more than twice the national rate. A greater percentage of the state's fourth and eighth graders were also proficient in both math and reading than in any other state. Strong performance among young state residents clearly led to further success, as more than 70% of 18 to 24 year olds were either enrolled in college or had already completed a post-secondary degree, the highest proportion in the nation. As in other states with strong schools, Massachusetts residents are financially well-off. Nearly 70% of children lived in families with incomes at least 200% of the poverty level, the fourth highest proportion in the country.

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