A new study from Teach Simple reveals the most and least educated states across the United States, with Connecticut right near the top.
The education experts have indexed each state weighted by 18 different factors, including average ACT scores and average eighth-grade scores in math, English, science and reading; number of people in state-run adult education programs; library materials lent per capita in 2019; percentage of high school dropouts among 16 to 24 years old; percentage of 18 to 24 year olds enrolled in postsecondary institutions; and percentage of the population over 25 with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Each state received an academic achievement score out of 100 and an overall index score out of 100.
Connecticut finished second behind Massachusetts, with an academic score of 64.88 out of 100 and an overall index score of 74.87 out of 100. Connecticut has the second highest percentage of 18 to 24 year olds enrolled in postsecondary institutions, at 49.56%. Connecticut’s public high school adjusted cohort graduation rates (ACGR) are 88 students per school, with the highest rate in the study being 92 students in Iow, and the lowest 73 students in Washington, D.C.
New Jersey, Utah and Virginia rounded out the top five. New Mexico finished last, and New York was 16th, with an academic achievement score of 57.02 and an index score of 58.02.
Teach Simple founder Cole Vineyard said: “Education is extremely beneficial for economic success. Individuals with higher levels of education will have access to better job opportunities, higher salaries and greater job security…. The pandemic has had a significant impact on education across the U.S. and recent reports revealed that since the pandemic, an estimated 50,000 students were missing from any kind of U.S. school.
“Therefore, teachers across the country face a huge responsibility of educating the next generation, and with more resources and support, the more achievable this will be.”
For more, visit Nationsreportcard.gov and nced.ev.gov.
