Introduction to the 21st Edition

Posted on:November 29, 2016

By:Inez Feltscher

The future of the American educa on system has the poten al to be bright. In forward-thinking states like Arizona, the state that took the top spot on this year’s ranking, parents are already assembling customized educa on plans for their children. A student enrolled in Arizona’s educa on savings account program is able to take math with an award-winning teacher at the local charter school, learn about English literature at home, and purchase access to a professional biology lab to do dissec ons. He or she can take community college history classes online with the help of a professional tutor twice a week, or take advantage of one-on-one reading therapy on weekends, assuring that challenges are addressed in the sort of individualized way that is impossible in the public school se ng.

American students in coming years will not be assessed by how many hours they spend in the classroom, but by how well they have mastered each skill and concept. Learning will take place as quickly or slowly as a student can progress, and being behind in one subject will not jeopardize advancement in another. Gradua on will be competency-based, not merely a marker of occupying a classroom seat for 13 years.

This exci ng future requires bold state reform that empowers parents, not bureaucrats, and returns control over state dollars to families who know their children best, rather than poli cians who have never met them. The states, not the federal government, will be where those much-needed reforms ourish.

The status quo is not working. Whether by interna onal comparisons, state and na onal pro ciency measures, civic literacy rates, or career preparedness, American students are falling behind. Greater and greater numbers of voters – 55 percent in the latest Gallup tracking poll – are dissa s ed with the American educa on system. And the worn-out response of the entrenched educa on establishment – “we need more money” – rings hollow a er four decades of increased spending with nothing to show in return.

So while the new edi on of the Educa on Report Card grades states across six categories – academic standards, charter schools, homeschool regula on burden, private school choice, teacher quality, and digital learning – two of the factors composing the new educa on policy grade, charter schools and private school choice, were weighted more heavily because they represent the parent-centered, choice-driven future of educa on in the 21st century. Our new GPA-based grading and ranking system compares the states based on how their educa on policies measure up to the demands of that bright future.

While some states have risen to the top of the heap, no state earned higher than a B+ in 2016. There is room to grow; to trust more families instead of regulators, and to ensure that every student has an equal opportunity at the quality, individualized educa on that 21st-century success requires.

Onward!

Inez Feltscher Stepman

Featured Publication:

Report Card on American Education: 22nd Edition

The status quo is not working. Whether by international comparisons, state and national proficiency measures, civic literacy rates, or career preparedness, American students are falling behind. The 22nd edition of the Report Card on American Education ranks states on their K-12 education and policy performance.

Learn More