State ranks high, low in national report

A new set of education rankings places Tennessee at both the top and bottom of the nation.

The annual Quality Counts report from Education Week magazine ranks states according to student performance, state policies, and starting this year, the chance students have for future success.

Tennessee is ranked 45th in the nation on the Chance for Success index, which considers not only the effectiveness of a state’s schools, but also the strength of the economy, the average income level, and the education level of the state’s parents.

Where the state fares well are its development of policies considered key for improving academic performance. Speaking in a conference call, researcher Lynn Olsen says that fits with a national trend.

“Many of the states, southern states in particular, that started with low achievement levels, much more difficult economic circumstances, have also been among the most aggressive states in really adopting and sticking to a standards-based education agenda and have seen gains in achievement over time. So, you know, while states certainly are nested within a certain socioeconomic context, they’ve also developed policies specifically in response to that, and we’re trying to bring those two pieces together.”

Tennessee’s ranks fourth in the nation for its curriculum standards, assessment tests and school accountability measures place, while efforts to make sure students at every educational stage are ready to move on to the next rank sixth.

In comparing student test scores from state to state, the study ranks Tennessee 40th overall. But it finds that Tennessee is outpacing the national average when it comes to raising test scores and graduation rates.