WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rhode Island student academic performance and education reform policies have plenty of room for improvement, according to a report released Wednesday by the American Legislative Exchange Council.
Rhode Island came in at No. 25 in student performance in a ranking of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Meanwhile, the Ocean State’s education reform policies earned a “D” grade on the A to F grading scale, according to ALEC’s Report Card on American Education: K-12 State Performance, Progress, and Reform.
Massachusetts, in comparison, ranked second in the nation for student performance and earned a “C” for its education reform policies.
“The design of the Report Card isn’t merely to show which state has the best performing students. We wanted to give legislators the tools they need to fix their state’s education system,” said Matthew Ladner, one of the report’s authors. “This report highlights the most promising and effective reforms that will give all students access to an outstanding education.”
Nationally, Vermont ranked highest in student performance but received a “D” for education reform. Florida, meanwhile, received the highest reform grade with a “B+” and ranked third in student performance.
The state student performance rankings in the report were comprised of the most recent state National Assessment of Educational Progress test scores, as well as any changes in state scores from 2003 to 2009. The NAEP is a national standardized test administered every other year to fourth and eighth-grade students.
