Special Report
States From Our Research Center

Map: A-F Grades, Rankings for States on School Quality

By EdWeek Research Center — September 01, 2021 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

New Jersey and Massachusetts post the highest overall scores on the “Quality Counts 2021” final report card, earning the only B-plus grades. Five states receive D-plus grades—Alabama, New Mexico, Louisiana, Nevada, and Oklahoma—with New Mexico at the bottom in terms of scoring. The EdWeek Research Center also offers breakouts of the top-five and bottom-five states, along with the five most-improved and the five that posted the largest declines from last year’s report.

For a description of what these education indicators mean, view the grading scale and methodology.

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.

A version of this article appeared in the September 01, 2021 edition of Education Week as Grading the States

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
Special Education Webinar
Bringing Dyslexia Screening into the Future
Explore the latest research shaping dyslexia screening and learn how schools can identify and support students more effectively.
Content provided by Renaissance
Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum How Schools Are Navigating AI Advances
Join this free virtual event to learn how schools are striking a balance between using AI and avoiding its potentially harmful effects.
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
A Blueprint for Structured Literacy: Building a Shared Vision for Classroom Success—Presented by the International Dyslexia Association
Leading experts and educators come together for a dynamic discussion on how to make Structured Literacy a reality in every classroom.
Content provided by Wilson Language Training

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

States Ed. Dept. Scraps Blue Ribbon Schools Honor. Some States Launch Their Own Versions
The Trump admin. said it was axing the recognition "in the spirit of returning education to the states."
Gehring Academy of Science and Technology students attend an assembly on Nov. 22, 2024, to honor their achievement as a 2024 Blue Ribbon School.
Gehring Academy of Science and Technology students attend an assembly on Nov. 22, 2024, to honor the Las Vegas school's designation as a 2024 Blue Ribbon School. The Trump administration in August ended the U.S. Department of Education school recognition program that began in 1982 and has recognized public and private schools for academic achievement each year.
K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal
States How One State is Leading the Way for English Learners With Disabilities
Advocates hope Texas can set an example with a forthcoming bilingual special education certificate.
3 min read
Pictures show what mouth shape different sounds make on the walls of Diana Oviedo-Holguin’s class at Heritage Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 3, 2025.
Pictures show what mouth shape different sounds make on the walls of Diana Oviedo-Holguin’s class at Heritage Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 3, 2025. Texas officials are getting closer to launching a new bilingual special education certification that will help teachers better understand the intersecting needs of English learners who are also students with disabilities.
Noah Devereaux for Education Week
States New Okla. Schools Superintendent Rescinds Mandate for Bible Instruction in Schools
The directive reverses an effort by former schools chief Ryan Walters that drew a legal challenge.
2 min read
Bible laying on a school desk in an empty classroom full of desks.
E+
States How Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA Is Expanding Its Reach to K-12 Schools
The organization has more than 1,000 chapters in high schools across the country.
6 min read
Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk speaks during a campaign rally, Oct. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas.
Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk speaks during a campaign rally, Oct. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas. Following Kirk's assassination, Republican leaders are propelling Turning Point USA into K-12 schools.
John Locher/AP