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LANSING, Mich. - Michigan earned a C+ for K-12 education in a national report released this week, according to the Lansing State Journal. "Quality Counts 2009," the latest annual report by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, said the average state grade was C, the Journal reported. No state received an A; Maryland received the highest scores.
"There is no state that is knocking it out of the ballpark," researcher Christopher Swanson said, the Journal reported.
Breaking down the report by subject area, Michigan received a B- in school finance, a C+ in students' chances for success, and a B in "transitions and alignment," which tracks education from early childhood through college preparation and work readiness, according to the Journal.
In previous years, "Quality Counts" also measured K-12 academic achievement, the teaching profession and standards, assessments and accountability, the Journal reported, but the survey has now switched to an alternating-year format among categories. Michigan's latest grades in those categories were D, D+ and A-, respectively.
"Michigan has worked hard and made standards and curriculum a major focus," Jan Ellis, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Education, told the Journal.
SOURCE:
The Lansing State Journal, "State's school grade edges U.S. average," Jan. 7, 2009
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Report: Michigan achievement, standards get mixed rankings," Jan. 15, 2008
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