Education Week rates Minnesota slightly above average on K-12 education
St. Paul, MN – In an annual report compiled by Education Week magazine, Minnesota is given a C+ in K-12 education.
The latest assessment ranks Minnesota schools 11th in the nation with a score of 79.3 out of 100 points. This is down slightly from the previous year where Minnesota ranked 10th with a score of 79.6. The national average is a C.
The report grades each state on three different categories: school finance analysis, K-12 achievement index, and Chance-For-Success index.
Minnesota scored best in the Chance-For-Success category, which analyzes the link between education and positive outcomes from childhood to adulthood. Education Week gave the state an A in early foundations, making Minnesota the third best state in the nation for getting kids off to a good start.
Minnesota is also strong in K-12 achievement, which looks at factors like reading and math performance and high school graduation rates. The state received a C in the category, putting it in 6th place overall. However, the data dates 2016, and Education Week has not released updated information.
The school finance analysis brings mixed results for Minnesota. The state does well in the equity portion, receiving a B+ for distributing funding fairly across the districts. However, it falls short in the spending portion, receiving a D in a category that includes per-student expenditures. According to the study, Minnesota spends $12,278 per student. Twenty states outspend Minnesota with the highest being Vermont at $19,654 per student.
Massachusetts tops the list with an A- overall. Wisconsin closely trails Minnesota with a 12th place finish.
