North Dakota’s State Highlights

Summary of Grades

North Dakota scores below the average state in all four of the graded policy categories in Quality Counts.

In standards and accountability, North Dakota could improve its below-average score in the area of assessments. The state’s social studies and science tests are not aligned to its standards at any grade span. The state also loses points because its social studies standards are not rated clear and specific at any grade span by the American Federation of Teachers.

North Dakota also earns a low grade in teacher quality. The state lags behind in policies related to teacher assessment. For example, North Dakota is one of only eight states that do not require prospective high school teachers to pass subject-knowledge tests to earn initial licenses. However, the state will require such tests next school year.

In the area of school climate, the state earns high marks for parent involvement and also fares well on indicators of class size and school size. But North Dakota lacks a charter school law and policies related to the upkeep of school facilities, which pulls down its grade in this category.

In resource equity, North Dakota ranks among the lowest scoring states in the nation. The state’s score on the coefficient-of-variation measure is especially poor. This indicates a high degree of disparity in per-pupil funding across school districts in the state.

Note: Details may not sum to totals due to rounding.