Wyoming’s State Highlights

Summary of Grades

Wyoming scores above average in two of the four graded policy categories in Quality Counts.

The state ranks near the bottom of the nation in standards and accountability. Its grade suffers greatly because the American Federation of Teachers has rated its academic standards as clear, specific, and grounded in content for only one of the four core subjects. In the area of accountability, Wyoming does not sanction or provide assistance to all of its low-performing schools, nor does it reward high-performing or improving schools.

The state also fares poorly in teacher quality, placing it in the lower tier of states. Wyoming has relatively weak performance in all areas within this category. For example, it does not require aspiring teachers to obtain majors or equivalent coursework in the subjects they will teach. It is also one of only eight states that do not require new teachers to pass subject-knowledge tests for an initial license.

Wyoming does much better in school climate, ranking in the top group of states. The state earns full credit on measures of school facilities and class and school size. But there is room for improvement in the area of school safety.

Wyoming earns an above-average grade in resource equity. The state’s wealth-neutrality score indicates that poorer districts tend to have higher per-pupil funding levels than do wealthier districts. Wyoming is one of only 10 states in which this pattern is found.

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