Does Florida have the best school system in the US? See where it ranks in this list
Every parent wants to give their child the best education possible; however, the quality of public school systems varies widely from state to state, depending on the amount of funding.
Is Florida among the best school systems in the country?
To determine the top-performing school systems in America, Personal finance website WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 32 key metrics.
“Getting enough funding is essential for a productive school system, but simply having more money doesn’t guarantee success. How funds are applied also plays a big role in how good a school system is, as does the quality of educators, other professionals and the curriculum," Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst, said. "In addition, schools need to focus not just on test scores but also on making sure that students feel safe, comfortable and cared for.”
What makes one school system better than another? See methodology
To determine the best and worst states for public-school education, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across two key dimensions: “Quality” and “Safety.”
"We evaluated those dimensions using 32 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest quality of public K–12 education," the study says.
Finally, they determined the weighted average for each state and the D.C. across all metrics to calculate its overall score, and used the resulting scores to rank-order its sample.
Where does Florida's school system rank against others?
Florida ranked in the middle of WalletHub's study, placing 21st.
It scored 53.96 out of 100. Here's a deeper look at Florida's ranking against other states:
- 24th – Math Test Scores
- 29th – Reading Test Scores
- 47th – Pupil-Teacher Ratio
- 48th – Median SAT Score
- 34th – Median ACT Score
- 37th – % of Licensed/Certified Public K–12 Teachers
- 19th – Dropout Rate
- 8th – Bullying Incidence Rate
- 15th – % of Threatened/Injured High School Students
- 1st – Existence of Digital Learning Plan
What is the best state school system in the country?
Massachusetts is the state with the best school systems, according to WalletHub's study. It boasts some of the best test scores in the country. Massachusetts ranks first in the nation in all core academic subjects this year.
"Students at the high school level also do well, as Massachusetts has the highest share of students in the country who received a score of 3 or better on an AP exam. AP exams are high school classes with college-level work that are scored on a scale of 1-5," WalletHub writes.
They also note that schools in Massachusetts are generally safe: it has the fifth-lowest share of students who report being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, the third-lowest share who have been in a physical fight at school and the fourth-lowest share who report illegal drugs being available to them on school property.
Top 10 school systems in the US
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- New Jersey
- Virginia
- New Hampshire
- Wisconsin
- Rhode Island
- Indiana
- Maryland
- New York
Which state has the worst school system?
New Mexico ranked at the bottom, scoring 30.37 out of 100. It placed last for quality and 39th for safety.
10 states with the worst school systems
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Oregon
- Nevada
- West Virginia
- Louisiana
- Alabama
- Hawaii
What can state and local policymakers do to improve their school systems without raising taxes?
Can Florida, or other states, improve their school systems? WalletHub asked several education and policy experts their take on improving these systems without raising taxes.
Most professionals emphasized that while it might be challenging to make improvements without raising taxes, there are a few options that don't require significant tax increases. Policymakers can reallocate existing resources more effectively, thereby providing students with more critical resources.
"State and local policymakers must see the school as part of the community and not in isolation. They should engage the resources available from non-profits and community organizations as well as local colleges and universities in providing tutoring, after-school educational as well as child care programs for working parents, enrichment classes in sports and the arts, medical care, family counseling, and teacher training," Rosemary Salomone, Professor of Law at St. John's University, said.
They also highlighted that policymakers can invest in initiatives to support teachers and school leaders better.
"Utilizing data systems and prioritizing data- and research-informed decisions, while giving teachers and school administrators the time and support to effectively implement new initiatives, is key," Jamie Kudlats, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at UNC Charlotte, said.