Colorado’s schools second to one, says new report

Low math and reading scores helped give Louisiana the fifth-worst school system in the United States, according to report by financial website WalletHub. The personal finance website measured the quality of education in all 50 states and the District of Columbia using 13 key metrics, which include student-teacher ratios, standardized test scores, dropout rates and bullying incident rates. The official rank is a combination of both. Connecticut and Illinois were ranked ninth and 10th, WalletHub reported today. Virginia and Maryland placed 11th and 16th in overall rank. WalletHub’s top five were Massachusetts, Colorado, New Jersey, Wisconsin and Kentucky. While Maryland tied for second in highest reading scores, it ranked 31st in school safety.

WalletHub compiled the rankings with data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Center for Educational Statistics, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Kids Count – Anney E. Casey Foundation, Stopbullying.gov, U.S. News & World Report, the College Board, ACT and K12.com.

SAT scores are important to future success, the analysis found, because people who have a bachelor’s degree make 65 percent more than those with just a high school diploma.