THE TOP FIVE STATES WITH THE BEST SCHOOLS IN THE NATION
5. Arkansas
> State score: 81.7
> State grade: B-
> High school graduation rate: 70.6% (16th lowest)
> Per pupil expenditure: $11,275 (25th lowest)
With an A grade, Arkansas scored better than any state except Georgia for transitions and alignments.
The state is one of just eight where high schools are required to have a curriculum designed to prepare
students for the postsecondary education system. Arkansas also scored second out of all states in
the teaching profession category, receiving a score of B+. It is one of just 11 states to have a
program that rewards teachers for raising student achievement, and is one of just 10 to provide
incentives to principals to work in targeted schools. Despite some impressive scores, Arkansas
ranked well below the majority of states in chance for success, K-12 achievement and schoo
l finances.
4. Virginia
> State score: 82.9
> State grade: B
> High school graduation rate: 76.0% (19th highest)
> Per pupil expenditure: $9,786 (15th lowest)
Virginia scored in the top third of states for all the six major categories that Education Week
looked at, and scored in the top 10 in four of them. Virginia had the eighth-highest score for
K-12 achievement. More than 37% of 11th and 12th grade students scored at least a 3 on
an advanced placement exam in 2011, higher than any state except Maryland. The state was
also rated sixth for the teaching profession category. It is one of just eight states to provide
incentives to board-certified teachers to teach in targeted, hard-to-staff schools and one of
11 to have a pay-for-performance program that rewards teachers who raise student
achievement.
3. New York> State score: 83.1
> State grade: B
> High school graduation rate: 78.4% (10th highest)
> Per pupil expenditure: $16,239 (4th highest)
New York was just one of five states with a grade of B+ or better for school finances. The
state was just one of four in 2010 to have every single one of its public school districts spend
more per pupil than the national average. School districts in the state spent $16,239 per
pupil in 2010, the fourth-highest figure in the country and the best among the 10 states
on this list. However, Governor Andrew Cuomo has argued that this funding has not necessarily
led to higher achievement in the classroom, and the grade of C- for student achievement,
ranked in the middle of all states, backs that assertion. This month, the governor proposed
closing that gap by requiring students to spend more time in the classroom with either a
longer school year, longer days or a combination of both.
2. Massachusetts
> State score: 84.1
> State grade: B
> High school graduation rate: 79.1% (8th highest)
> Per pupil expenditure: $13,507 (13th highest)
Massachusetts received the highest grades of all states for both K-12 achievement and
chance for success. It was the only state where more than half of fourth and eighth
graders scored proficient in mathematics on assessment tests in 2011 — 58.4% and
51.2% respectively. Massachusetts was also the only state in the country where more
than 50% of fourth-graders were deemed proficient in reading, as less than a third of
students in the U.S. received that distinction. If history is an indicator of future success,
outcomes for these students will be strong. More than 69% of 18- to 24-year-olds are
enrolled in higher education or have a degree — the highest of all states. It is also the
only state where more than half of those ages 25 to 64 have a postsecondary degree.
1. Maryland
> State score: 87.5
> State grade: B+
> High school graduation rate: 77.9% (13th highest)
> Per pupil expenditure: $12,953 (16th highest)
With an overall grade of B+, Maryland’s schools are considered the best in the country for the
fifth year in a row. Maryland was just one of five states in 2010 with 100% of school districts
spending more per pupil than the U.S. average. In addition, a whopping 43.8% of 11th and 12th
grade students scored a 3 or better on an advanced placement exam, the highest percentage
in the country by more than six points and way over the national rate of 21.8%. State
officials credited the strong rankings to, among other things, reforms in student standards
and teacher evaluations thanks to funding from the federal Race-to-the-Top Initiative and
a $50 million federal grant to improve early childhood education.
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