Special Report
Education

State Report Cards

May 26, 2010 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The following state-by-state narratives highlight some of the factors that contributed to state performance in the four graded sections of Quality Counts 2005standards and accountability, efforts to improve teacher quality, school climate, and resource equity— and to state rankings in the ungraded section on education spending.

The grades are based on the annual state policy survey conducted by the Education Week Research Center (see survey methodology) and additional state- and district-level data (see “Sources and Notes.”)

For a more detailed look at the grading process, see “How Education Week Graded the States.” The data and other information included in this report are available.

— Ronald A. Skinner

The vital statistics listed with each state report card came from the following sources:

Number of Public Schools (2002-03): U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, 2002-03, Preliminary 0g. This figure includes all public schools that reported students in enrollment, provide educational services to students, have an administrator, receive public funds as a main means of support, and are operated by a local school district or other administrative agency. The count includes regular schools, vocational schools, alternative schools, and special schools, including charter schools.

Number of Public School Teachers (2002-03): U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, 2002-03, Preliminary 0g. Teacher count is reported in full-time-equivalency units of teachers who provide instruction to students at any of the levels from prekindergarten through grade 12 and ungraded classes.

Pre-K-12 Enrollment (2002-03): U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, 2002-03, Preliminary 0g. The figure includes the total student enrollment on the school day closest to Oct. 1, 2002. All public school students in prekindergarten through grade 12 and ungraded classes are counted.

Annual Pre-K-12 Expenditures (2001-02): U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, “Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2001-02,” June 2004. The figure represents “current expenditures,” defined as funds for the day-to-day operation of schools. The figure does not include expenditures for items lasting more than one year (such as school buses, school construction, or computers) or interest on debt.

Percent of Students From Minority Groups (2002-03): U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, 2002-03, Preliminary 0g. The figure includes all students reporting race or ethnicity and those not classified as “white, non-Hispanic” in the report.

Percent of Children in Poverty (2001): Annie E. Casey Foundation, “Kids Count 2004 Data Book Online,” 2004. The figure is the share of children under age 18 who live in families with incomes below the U.S. poverty threshold, as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. In 2000, the poverty threshold for a family of two adults and two children was $17,463.

Percent of Students With Disabilities (2002-03): U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, 2002-03, Preliminary 0g. The figure represents the proportion of students in each state who have individualized education plans, or IEPs.

Percent of Students Who Are English-Language Learners (2002-03): U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, 2002-03, Preliminary 0g. The figure represents the proportion of students in each state who receive ELL services. Data were unavailable for Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

In March 2024, Education Week announced the end of the Quality Counts report after 25 years of serving as a comprehensive K-12 education scorecard. In response to new challenges and a shifting landscape, we are refocusing our efforts on research and analysis to better serve the K-12 community. For more information, please go here for the full context or learn more about the EdWeek Research Center.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
(Re)Focus on Dyslexia: Moving Beyond Diagnosis & Toward Transformation
Move beyond dyslexia diagnoses & focus on effective literacy instruction for ALL students. Join us to learn research-based strategies that benefit learners in PreK-8.
Content provided by EPS Learning
Classroom Technology Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: Is AI Out to Take Your Job or Help You Do It Better?
With all of the uncertainty K-12 educators have around what AI means might mean for the future, how can the field best prepare young people for an AI-powered future?
Special Education K-12 Essentials Forum Understanding Learning Differences
Join this free virtual event for insights that will help educators better understand and support students with learning differences.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: September 18, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 28, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 14, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read