How Minnesota fares depends on who’s talking and what they’re looking at.

See how Minnesota Ranks according to various sources with various priorities:

January 2012 – Report Card on American Education: Ranking State K-12 Performance, Progress, and Reform – Minnesota ranks 18th on state performance, earns a B+ on education policy, American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), (Minnesota State Report).

October 2011 – New School Year Brings Steep Cuts in State Funding for Schools – Elementary and high schools are receiving less state funding than last year in at least 37 states, and in at least 30 states school funding now stands below 2008 levels – often far below. These cuts are attributable, in part, to the failure of the federal government to extend emergency fiscal aid to states and school districts and the failure of most states to enact needed revenue increases and instead to balance their budgets solely through spending cuts. The cuts have significant consequences, both now and in the future: They are causing immediate public- and private-sector job loss, and in the long term are likely to reduce student achievement and economic growth, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (Full report).

Minnesota Highlights:

• State funding for Minnesota schools declines to 7.7% below 2008 funding levels when adjusted for inflation

• Minnesota is among the top 10 states making the deepest cuts to education

September 2011 – Teaching the Movement: The State of Civil Rights Education 2011 – Minnesota and 34 other states earned an “F” because their academic standards require little or no mention of the civil rights movement, Southern Poverty Law Center (Minnesota report; Press release; Pioneer Press article).

April 2011 – Competitiveness of state and local business taxes on new investment – Ranks states by tax burden on new investment: Minnesota has the 10th lowest rate of state and local business taxes on new investment, 13th lowest Effective Tax Rate when weighted by jobs and 10th lowest when weighted by capital investment, Ernst & Young LLP (Press release; The Atlantic article).

March 15, 2011 – Tech Jobs: Where Moving Forward is Just Catching Up – When it comes to high-tech research and development and jobs, Minnesota is both leading the pack and lagging behind, signaling wasted potential to grow companies and advance our state’s technology industry. Research from the Milken Institute, National Science Foundation, and The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation compared states on performance and investment in technology innovation and development, Minnesota 2020.

This research notes conflicting numbers for our state:

• Minnesota ranks 7th nationally in industry research and development, but only 42nd in entrepreneurial activity in starting new businesses;
• Minnesota ranks 8th in workforce education, but only 21st in fast growing firms;
• Minnesota ranks 8th in number of scientists and engineers, but 23rd in bringing in federal R&D support for that talented workforce;
• Minnesota ranks 9th in inventor patents; but only 24th in exports of manufacturing and services.

January 11, 2011 – Quality Counts 2011 – Awards state grades for education performance and policy. Minnesota ranks 26th with an Overall score of 74.6, below the U.S. average score of 76.3. Special theme explores impact of economic downturn on American education, Education Week (Press release; State Report Cards).

January 10, 2011- Average class size by state – Minnesota ranks 47th and 49th in elementary class sizes based on information provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, Education Minnesota.

December 9, 2009 – America’s Best High Schools 2010 – Minnesota Ranked 31st out of 47 States, U.S. News & World Report.

November 2009 – Leaders and Laggards – A State-By-State Report Card of Educational Innovation. Minnesota earns a D for School Management: Minnesota does a poor job managing its schools in a way that encourages thoughtful innovation. While the state has enacted an excellent charter school law, 94% of teachers report that routine duties and paperwork interfere with their teaching (Minnesota State Report), Center for American Progress.

October 14, 2009 – 2009 NAEP Results – Minnesota Eighth-grade Students Ranked Second in National Math Assessment; Fourth-graders Rank Third, Minnesota Department of Education.

Minnesota Scores Compared to 2007

Minnesota (249) has one of the highest scale scores for fourth grade math
behind Massachusetts (252) and New Hampshire (251). No other state had a significantly higher score than Minnesota: Four states had similar scores (Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and New Jersey) and the rest were significantly lower than Minnesota.
Minnesota fourth-grade students improved math scores by two points (from 247 to 249) exceeding the national average by ten points (249 compare to 239).
In eighth-grade, Minnesota (294) was second in the nation exceeded only by Massachusetts (299). Vermont, North Dakota and New Jersey and New Hampshire scored similar to Minnesota (293), and all other states scoring significantly lower.
Eighth-grade students improved in math (from 292 to 294), mirroring the
national average increase (from 280 to 282). Minnesota remains 12 points
above the national average and only Massachusetts posted results
statistically higher than Minnesota.
African-American and Hispanic fourth grade improvement from 2007

Minnesota’s African-American students improved from 222 to 227 in fourth grade mathematics and exceeded the nation’s scale score (222). Minnesota remains five points above the nation (222).
Minnesota Hispanic students improved from 229 to 232 in fourth-grade
mathematics and exceeded the nation’s scale score by five points (227).
Minnesota’s African-American students made improvements from 260 to 264 in eighth-grade mathematics and exceeded the nation’s scale score (260). Minnesota remains four points above the national average (260).
Minnesota Hispanic students remained at 269 in eighth-grade mathematics
with Hispanic students scoring four points above the national average 266.
August 19, 2009 – Minnesota Students Widen State’s Lead on ACT Scores – Minnesota’s 2009 high school graduates increased the state’s average ACT score from 22.6 to 22.7 on a 0 to 36 scale, pushing Minnesota further ahead of other states where the majority of students take the ACT college entrance exam. Minnesota has led the nation in average ACT scores for five consecutive years and the average score has increased each of the last three years. The average ACT score for 2009 high school graduates nationally was 21.1, Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

July 2009 - Public Education Finances 2007 – Minnesota ranked 37th on total school revenue (all sources) and 42nd on total school spending as a percent of personal income for the 2006-07 school year, US Census Bureau (Excel file; see table 12). Detailed rankings:

Revenues by source
10th, on revenue from state sources
37th, on total school revenue, all sources
45th, on revenue from local sources
46th, on revenue from federal sources

Spending categories
19th, on spending for general administration
27th, on spending for instructional salaries
30th, on total spending for instruction
34th, on spending for instructional benefits
42nd, on total school spending
50th, on spending for school administration

April 2009 – Education Watch State Report – Minnesota has one of the largest Achievement Gaps in the nation, Education Trust.

2007 NAEP Minnesota Rankings:
(Average Scale Score)

Grade 4 Reading

35th on the achievement of African-American students (well below the US average)
37th on the achievement of Latino students (again well below the US average)
31st on the achievement of low income students (slightly above the US average)
17th on the achievement of high income students (slightly above the US average)

Grade 8 Mathematics

17th on the achievement of African-American students (slightly above the US average)
14th on the achievement of Latino students (above the US average)
9th on the achievement of low income students (above the US average)
3rd on the achievement of high income students (well above the US average)

Minnesota ranks:

3rd in the nation for access to qualified teachers (2003-04)
21st in the nation on total federal, state and local K-12 funding per pupil (2005-06)
32nd in the nation on state college affordability supplemented by 8th in the nation on need-based state aid for tuition (2006)

March 2009 – Technology Counts 2009 – E-education expands opportunities for raising achievement, Education Week.

Minnesota ranked:
21st on technology use, with a grade of B-
40th on technology capacity, with a grade of D

December 2008 – The Lost Decade – A deeper look at state investments over the past ten years finds that the choices to cut spending in past deficit years have taken their toll, Minnesota Budget Project (Executive Summary ; Full Report).

Minnesota is now average in its education spending compared to other states. In FY 1987, per pupil education spending in Minnesota was 11 percent above the national average. By FY 2006, Minnesota’s per pupil spending was equal to the national average.

School districts now rely more on property taxes. A decline in state aid to schools since FY 2003 has resulted in a modest reduction in total school revenue and a significant increase in school property taxes.

State general fund spending on E-12 education rose by 10 percent from FY 2000 to FY 2009. A major tax reform meant that in FY 2003, about $1 billion in school funding was taken off of local property taxes and replaced by state funding. However, state E-12 funding has gradually declined since FY 2003.

In-state tuition increased by 68 percent at the University of Minnesota from 2000 to 2007. Average tuition in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system (MnSCU) rose by 55 percent over the same period. At the same time, the average state grant amount actually decreased by 7 percent.

Minnesota’s ranking among states in state funding for higher education dropped from 12th in FY 2001 to 35th in FY 2006, as a share of personal income. And although Minnesota is below-average in state funding for higher education, it is above-average in the cost of attending public institutions.

State general fund spending on higher education dropped 16 percent from FY 2000 to FY 2009. Significant cuts earlier in the decade were partially restored in recent years.

State higher education funding per full-time student dropped by 28 percent from FY 2000 to FY 2007.
December 5, 2008 – Report Card on American Education: A State-by-State Analysis – Even those states placing in the top 10 of the ALEC Report Card – including number one – should pause before jumping for too much joy, American Legislative Exchange Council (State Report).

Minnesota Ranks
#1 in Academic Achievement, 2007-2008
#17 on Average Salary, Instructional Staff
#22 in Expenditures per Pupil, 2006-2007
#41 in Pupil-Teacher Ratio
#42 on Average Teacher Salary as a % of Average Bachelor Degree Salary
#45 on % of Funds from Federal Sources

Student Achievement
2007 NAEP: #2 Grade 8 Mathematics; #5 Grade 4 Mathematics; #8 Grade 8 Reading; #12 Grade 4 Reading
#1 2008 ACT, among states in which a majority of students took the test
#2 average composite score, 2008 SAT (only 8% of MN students took the SAT in 2008)
#2 on % Change in SAT scores, 1998-2008

December 4, 2008 – U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools – Minnesota ranks 28th on U.S. News & World Report’s list of Silver or Gold high schools; 45th on list of Bronze or Better (both as a % of total high Schools). Note: MN had NO Gold high schools this year, part of the reason may be PSEO is not included as part of college-readiness evaluation.

Complete list of qualifying Minnesota high schools

December 2008 – Identifying Top-Performing High Schools Analytical Methodology – There have been many “best high school” lists. The strength of any such list is in the method used to create it – which metrics are used, and the specific analytical methods used to evaluate them. The method presented here for identifying top-performing high schools differs from most previous efforts due in part to the metrics it requires, but as importantly, due to the manner in which it uses these metrics to evaluate schools, Standard & Poor’s for U.S. News and World Report’s America’s Best High Schools Project.

December 2008 – Identifying Top-Performing High Schools Analytical Methodology: Technical Guide – A companion to the analytical methodology paper, and provides details and analysis of the state test and college-level data used identify top-performing high
schools, Standard & Poor’s for U.S. News and World Report’s America’s Best High Schools Project.
December 4, 2008 – The Twin Cities continues to Rank #1 in study of metro regions – Minneapolis-St. Paul, far and away, remains where it’s at for business…. It’s been sustained in part by a highly ranked school system and the network of higher-education providers in the region, MarketWatch.

November 11, 2008 – A Counseling Dilemma – Minnesota is among the worst in the nation in providing counselors to students, Minnesota 2020.

The American School Counselors Association recommends a ratio of 250 students to one counselor in a school district. In 2004-05, the national average was 479-1. Minnesota’s average was 795-1, 49th in the country.

Minnesota’s high school counselor to student ratio was 351-1, short of the 250-1 ratio suggested by the ASCA and 10th-worst in the nation.

The state’s K-8 counselor to student ratio was 4,942-1, 49th in the nation and far short of the 250-1 recommended average.
November 2008 – The 2008 State New Economy Index: Benchmarking Economic Transformation In the States – Minnesota ranks 7th in Workforce Education, 31st in Immigration of U.S. Knowledge Workers, 8th in Knowledge Jobs, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.

October 31, 2008 – The State’s Budget Problems: All Options Need to be on the Table – Minnesota’s declining public investment has corresponded with a drop in Minnesota’s performance relative to other states on key economic and quality-of-life indicators, Minnesota 2020.

Minnesota’s slippage relative to other states has been most dramatic in employment.

August 8, 2008 – How does Minnesota rank in education spending? It depends – The US Census bureau recently released statistics on school spending for 2005-06. The numbers show Minnesota has declined in state rankings over the past decade to 41st per $1,000 in personal income, AMSD Research Notes.

August 2008 – Speed Matters – From 2007 to 2008, Minnesota’s state rank for download speed dropped from 26th to 44th with average download speeds declining from 1,771 to 1,566 kbps. Statewide high-speed Internet access impacts Minnesota’s ability to provide a 21st Century education.

June 2008 - School to College: Can State P-16 Councils Ease the Transition? – Diplomas Count State Highlights 2008: Minnesota – Minnesota ranked 9th in the nation on high school graduation, class of 2005, but fell well below the national average on minority graduation, Education Week. Note: Using the Cumulative Promotion Index (CPI), Minnesota’s class of 2005 overall graduation rate was 78.1%, 7.5% higher than the national average. Minnesota’s state reported graduation rate of 90.1% is based on a “Leaver rate.”

Minnesota Graduation Profile for the Class of 2005

American Indian/Alaska Native 40.5 50.6
Asian/Pacific Islander 69.9 81.3
Hispanic 41.9 57.8
Black (not Hispanic) 38.8 55.3
White (not Hispanic) 83.3 77.6

June 2008 – How Does Minnesota Compare? Fiscal Year 2006 Comparisons, State by State Rankings of Revenues and Spending, Minnesota Taxpayers Association. In FY 2005 State and Local Expenditures as a percent of personal income, Minnesota Ranked:

30th on Total State Spending
29th on K-12 Education
34th on Higher Education
35th on Total Education Spending
FY 2006, Minnesota ranked 20th in total state and local tax collections, and 30th on state and local direct general expenditures. Compared to the U.S. average, Minnesotan’s spent $1.95 less on K-12 Education per $1,000 of personal income. Minnesota spends more than the U.S. average in the areas of Public Welfare, Highways, and new in FY 2006 – Debt Interest.

June 4, 2008 – Minnesota’s Slip Toward Mediocrity: Less Investment, Less Return – The decline in factors relating to education is particularly distressing, since the product of Minnesota’s education system is the cornerstone of the state’s future, Minnesota 2020 (Video).

From 2003 to 2007, Minnesota’s rank in pupil-teacher ratio has fallen from 25th to 40th.

Minnesota’s rank on per capita education spending has fallen from 12th in 2002 to 18th in 2006.

On the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), math and reading at the 4th and 8th grades, Minnesota ranked 3rd in the nation in 2002 and 2003, before falling to 4th place in 2005 and 8th place in 2007. The average percentage of students achieving the basic skill level or higher in Minnesota fell from 16.6 percent above the national average in 2002 to 9.2 percent above the national average in 2007.

The current spending of Minnesota public schools has fallen below the national average both on a per-pupil basis and per $1,000 of personal income.
May 21, 2008 – Minnesota’s Tax Rankings Hover Near Average: Minnesota Below Average in Total Public-Sector Investment – Minnesota ranks as a near-average state – 19th – in total state and local taxes, measured as a percentage of income for Fiscal Year 2006. Minnesota ranks 32nd among states using a more comprehensive measure of the size of state and local government that includes all sources of funding – taxes plus all other sources of revenue, such as federal aid and tuition at public colleges and universities. This decline in public investment will (or has) hurt our quality of life, Minnesota Budget Project and Growth & Justice.

April 2008 – Cities in Crisis: A Special Analytic Report on High School Graduation – Minneapolis ranked 45th out of the Nation’s 50 Largest Cities; 17 percent graduation rate gap between urban core and surrounding suburbs, America’s Promise Alliance/EPE Research Center.

March 27, 2008 – Technology Counts 2008 State Reports – Assesses the status of K-12 educational technology across the nation in the areas of access, use, and capacity. Minnesota received an overall grade of “C,” less than the national average of “C+,” Education Week (Minnesota).

May 2008 - Investments needed in science, math and technology resources: Midwest technology grades – Minnesota lacks of access, use, and capacity when compared to neighborhing states, AMSD Connections (page 2).
March 11, 2008 – Progress on NAEP: 2003-2007 Math and 2000-2005 Science sorted by Poverty gap change, Education Week (Excel; free login required).

Progress on NAEP 8th Grade Math: Poverty gap change from 2003 to 2007
Top 10 States: GA, NY, TN, WI, FL, MD, LA, PA, VT, IL
Minnesota? 38th

Progress on NAEP 8th Grade Science: Poverty gap change from 2000 to 2005
Top 10 States: MI, KY, MA, LA, CT, OR, VT, ME, NV, NC
Minnesota? 34th
March 2008 – Measuring Performance: The State Management Report Card for 2008 – Minnesota earns a B- on improving the way information is used to manage the state, Governing Magazine and the Pew Center on the States.

January 2008 – FAQ on Tax Rankings & Minnesota – An overview of frequently asked questions (FAQ) about Minnesota’s tax rankings, Minnesota House Fiscal Analysis.

January 2008 – Quality Counts 2008 – Minnesota ranks 22nd on school finance equity and spending indicators, continuing slide to “middle of the pack,” (Minnesota State Profile, page 12), Education Week.

November 2007 – Educational Needs Index – A regional-level study of educational, economic, and population pressures that influence educational policy and planning at local, regional, and state levels. The index introduces an econometric model that assesses conditions and trends for all fifty states and their respective sub-regions, allowing peer comparisons across a variety of indicators. The index places an emphasis on the transition between K-12 policy concerns and postsecondary opportunities while at the same time placing those issues in a broader public policy context of economic development and government response to population growth and shifting demographics. For those areas where challenging conditions exist, policy makers should be careful to
understand that targeted initiatives may yield better results than uniform, statewide activities, Lumina Foundation (Minnesota State Report, December 2008).

November 2007 – Chance Favors the Prepared Mind: Mathematics and Science Indicators for Comparing States and Nations – Minnesota Ranked 7th in the world in Mathematics; 12th in Science, American Institutes for Research.

May 2007 – Event Dropout Rates for Public School Students in Grades 9–12: 2002–03 and 2003–04 – Minnesota ranked 4th in the nation for decreasing dropout rates from 2002-03 to 2003-04 (Table 1) as measured by the percentage of public school students in grades 9–12 who dropped out of school between one October and the next, moving Minnesota’s overall state rank from 21st (2002-03) to 37th (2003-04) on Grade 9-12 dropouts as a percent of total student enrollment [low is good], National Center for Education Statistics.

April 2007 – Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2004-05 (FY 2005), (Table 3).

Minnesota rankings on per pupil expenditures, FY 2005:

23rd Total per pupil expenditures
15th Per pupil instruction and instruction-related expenditures
(Includes salaries and benefits for teachers, teaching assistants, librarians and library aides, in-service teacher trainers, curriculum development, student assessment, technology, and supplies and purchased services related to these activities.)
4th Per pupil percent instruction and instruction-related at 69.54%
(This is the 70% solution figure)
48th Per pupil student support services
(Includes attendance and social work, guidance, health, psychological services, speech pathology, audiology, and other student support services.)
33rd Per pupil expenditures for administration
22nd Per pupil operating expenditures
March 29, 2007 – Technology Counts 2007: Minnesota, Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center. Minnesota earns mediocre marks: below average in access and capacity, above average in use of technology, below average overall:

Grade
Access to technology
C

Use of technology
B-

Capacity to use technology
D

Overall grade
C

March 29, 2007 – Survey and Analysis of Teacher Salary Trends 2005 – Minnesota ranked 16th in the nation for average teacher salary in 2004-05 at $47,411; Minnesota ranked 23rd in the nation for beginning teacher salary at $31,632, American Federation of Teachers (Minnesota Release).

February 2007 – The 2007 State New Economy Index – Benchmarking Economic Transformation in the States, Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (Minnesota Profile). Minnesota ranked:

6th – Knowledge Jobs
10th – Workforce Education
28th – Educational Attainment of Immigrants
4th – Online Population (69% Internet users as a share of the population)
35th – Technology in Schools
27th – Broadband Telecommunications
12th – High Tech Jobs
22nd – Scientists and Engineers
February 2007 – Minnesota State Rankings from the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data (based on 2004-2005 numbers; accessed 02/22/2007):

Minnesota Ranks

30th in Total Enrollment
36th on Pupil:Teacher Ratio, well below the national average
37th on Class Size with an Estimated Average Class Size of 25.06
36th on Secondary Pupil:Guidance Counselor ratio at 437:1
(national average, 350:1; recommended 250:1)
49th on K-12 Pupil:Guidance Counselor ratio at 795:1
(national average, 479:1; recommended 250:1)
35th on K-12 Student:Librarian ratio at 909:1
(national average, 901:1; recommended minimum 1 per building)
Additional sources:
Class Size rank found at Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) + 9 Students = Estimated Average Class Size – Based on same NCES data, Reduce Class Size Now.
Student:Counselor Ratios found at School Counselor Career/Roles, American School Counselor Association.
Media Services Guidelines found at Program Administration Principles of School Library Media Programs, Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning, American Association of School Librarians (Rev.2/8/07).

February 2007 – Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Effectiveness, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Center for American Progress (Minnesota Report Card – Includes definitions and remarks about Minnesota’s scores).

Grade Rank
Academic Achievement
A
2nd

Academic Achievement of Low-Income and Minority Students
B
17th

Return on Investment
A
4th

Truth in Advertising About Student Proficiency
NA
NA

Rigor of Standards
C
27th

Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness
A
7th

21st Century Teaching Force
B
28th

Flexibility in Management and Policy
C
23rd

Data Quality
C
26th

Leaders and Laggards Critiques

In its state-by-state analyses, the method by which Leaders and Laggards assigns letter grades to states ensures that 10 states get A’s, 10 get B’s, and so forth. The Chamber called this grading on a curve. No matter how well the states might be doing on any absolute scale, the 10 lowest scorers received F’s. This is absurd.

Adjacent states on different sides of a cut point have almost identical scores, but they get different grades. For example, the rankings on academic achievement were constructed by averaging each state’s percentage of students scoring proficient or higher for NAEP grades 4 and 8, in reading and math. Iowa, the lowest state to get a B, had a score of 34.50%; Idaho, the highest state to get a C, scored 34.25%. Illinois, the lowest C state, had 30.25%; Missouri, the highest D state, scores 30.00%. In each case a difference of one-fourth of one percent resulted in a difference of a full letter grade. Ridiculous.
October 2007 – 17th Bracey Report
(Page 126; pdf

February 2007 - The Center for American Progress Joins the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy – Offers a critique of Leaders and Laggards, Dr. David Marshak, emeritus professor, Seattle University.
December 2006 – The Funding Gaps 2006 – School finance policy choices systematically shortchange low-income and minority students, Education Trust (Full Report).

The 2006 analysis (based on 2003-2004 numbers), showed:

Minnesota ranked 20th in federal Title I dollars (30 states received fewer dollars per child in poverty)
In 26 of 49 states, the highest poverty school districts receive fewer resources than the lowest poverty districts. Not so in Minnesota, which ranked 3rd for putting dollars in high-poverty school districts.
In 28 states, high-minority districts received less state and local money for each child than low-minority districts. Not so in Minnesota, which ranked 6th for putting dollars in high-minority school districts.
December 2006 – Halftime highlights: Minnesota at mid-decade – Minnesota continues to rank among the leading states in income level, educational attainment and labor force participation, Minnesota State Demographic Center. Minnesota’s rankings include:

1st in home ownership (75.8% owner-occupied)
2nd in labor force participation (72.2% for ages 16 and over)
3rd in high school completion (90.9% for ages 25 and over)
5th lowest poverty rate (9.2% of all people)
9th highest per capita income ($37,373)
November 2006 – Overview of Public Elementary and Secondary Students, Staff, Schools, School Districts, Revenues, and Expenditures: School Year 2004–05 and Fiscal Year 2004 (Table 8), National Center for Education Statistics, Minnesota ranks:

Third in the nation in terms of the percentage of current expenditures spent on instruction and instruction-related expenses in Fiscal Year 2004 at 69.7%. The national average was 66 percent.

November 2006 - Rankings & Estimates: Rankings of the States 2005 and Estimates of School Statistics 2006 (See Table H. Estimated Revenue and Nonrevenue Receipts, 2004–05), National Education Association Research, based on FY 2004-05 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Minnesota ranks:

11th in Public K-12 School Revenues from the state
(4th in terms of percent of school revenues from the state; behind Vermont, Hawaii and New Mexico)
27th in Public K-12 School Revenues from local sources
25th in Public K-12 School Revenues from the federal government
18th in Public K-12 School Revenues, all sources

34th in terms of Total Student Enrollment
13th in terms of Dollars per Pupil, all sources
11th in terms of Dollars per Pupil, state

September 7, 2006 – Measuring Up 2006 – Minnesota earns a “D” in college affordability, “If the state’s downward trends are not addressed, they could limit its access to a competitive workforce and weaken its economy over time,” National Report Card on Higher Education (Press Release; Full Report).

August 15, 2006 - Toward a more competitive state- In 1992, Minnesota ranked 15th among states in total education spending as a share of personal income, even after all the cuts to solve the state’s last budget crisis. We’re now 36th among states. Minnesota might be out of the top 10 in taxes, but we’re nearing the bottom 10 in our support for education, Jay Kiedrowski and John Gunyou, Star Tribune Commentary.

June 2006 - Diplomas count: State and District Patterns, Education Week Editorial Projects in Education [Free log in required] (Data Source: NCES Common Core of Data, 2002-03).

Minnesota ranked:

8th in the nation on overall Graduation Rates, All Students at 79%
10th in the nation on Graduation Rates, White Students at 83.1%
44th in the nation on Graduation Rates, Black Students at 43.6%
5th in the nation on Black-White Graduation Rate Gaps at 39.5% (not good)
Notes: New Jersey, North Dakota, Iowa, Vermont and Wisconsin outperformed Minnesota on overall Graduation Rates, All Students; all at over 80%. Oregon, Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota had the highest Black-White Graduation Rate Gaps; all at greater than 39%. Hawaii, West Virginia, Mississippi, Arizona and Wyoming had the lowest Black-White Graduation Rate Gaps; all at less than 10%. New Jersey, Iowa, Connecticut and Pennsylvania outperformed Minnesota on both overall Graduation Rates and smaller Black-White Graduation Rate Gaps. Black-White Graduation Rate Gap data was not available for North Dakota, Vermont, Idaho, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Maine, Tennessee and South Carolina because necessary data field(s) were not reported in CCD or because of very small group size.

May 2006 – Minnesota ranked second to last (after Nevada) on educational technology, Technology Leaders: Grading the States, Education Week.

March 2006 – Minnesota ranks 18th in resources for preschool and scores 4 out of 10 on quality review, The State of Preschool: 2005 State Preschool Yearbook, National Institute for Early Education Research.

March 2006 – According to Public Education Finances 2004 – An Annual Survey of Local Government Finances , U.S. Census Bureau, Minnesota ranks:

4th in state revenue (45th in local; 48th in federal)
16th in total spending for instruction (13th for salaries; 21st for benefits)
22nd on spending for general administration, and
44th in spending for school administration spending (up from 50th in 2003)
Overall, Minnesota ranked 19th in the nation for total K-12 revenues and 21st in total public education spending.

As a percent of personal income, Minnesota ranked:

8th in state revenue (48th in local; 46th in federal)
30th on total spending for instruction (25th for salaries; 30th for benefits)
28th on spending for general administration, and
51st in spending for school administration
Overall, Minnesota ranked 30th in the nation for total K-12 revenues and 40th in total public education spending as a percent of personal income.

February 2006 - Minnesota Ranked 18th on per capita revenue and 11th on per capita expenditures, 2004 State Government Finances – States Ranked by Revenue and Expenditure Total Amount and Per Capita Total Amount: 2004, U.S. Census Bureau.

January 2006 - Minnesota ranks 38th in elementary and secondary public school current expenditures as share of gross state product: 2003 (select Elementary and secondary public school current expenditures as share of gross state product in the drop down box and click on bar chart) – Science and Engineering Indicators 2006. Prepared by the National Science Foundation’s Division of Science Resources Statistics (SRS) for the National Science Foundation. (CHART)

According to Quality Counts 2006, Minnesota ranks fifth in the country in graduation rates; 37th in class size.

Minnesota
National Average
Rank

Education spending per student adjusted for regional cost differences (2002) $7,889 $7,734 23
Average class size for self-contained classes in elementary schools (2000) 22 21.2 37
Average Beginning Teacher Salary (2002-03) $28,600 $29,564 30
Average Teacher Salary (2002-03) $44,745 $45,771 19

Graduation rates (2002) 84% 71% 5
State overall
Black 54% 56%
Hispanic — %
52%
White 88% 78%

December 2005 – Minnesota’s public 4-year college costs have increased by 51%, the 5th highest rate of increase among the states. Minnesota’s private college cost only rose 20%, while tuition at 2-year colleges rose by 44%, Average Tuition and Fees at Academic Institutions, 1999-2004, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

Fall 2005 – Rankings & Estimates Update – Minnesota ranks 16th in Average Teacher Salary, 19th in Education Spending Per Student, National Education Association.

Average teacher salaries rose 3.4% in Minnesota from 2003–2004 to 2004–2005, which moved Minnesota from 20th to 16th nationwide.

Spending per student rose 4.3% in Minnesota from 2003–2004 to 2004–2005. That was enough to keep Minnesota at 19th nationwide, out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Spending rose 4.4%, or 3.7% per student, on average nationwide.

Minnesota’s student-to-teacher ratio of 16 to 1 was one of the highest in the nation. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia had lower ratios (fewer students per teacher).
October 2005 – Minnesota NAEP 2005 Results, Minnesota Department of Education. State Comparisons (Total # jurisdictions = 52):

Grade 4 Math
# lower = 46 # not different = 5 # higher = 0
Grade 4 Reading
# lower = 33 # not different = 17 # higher = 1 (Massachusetts)

Grade 8 Math
# lower = 48 # not different = 3 # higher = 0
Grade 8 Reading
# lower = 32 # not different = 18 # higher = 1 (Massachusetts)

August 2005 – MN Ranks 16th on annual teacher turnover cost at $93 million, Alliance for Excellent Education (chart).

May 2005 – Prekindergarteners Left Behind: Expulsion Rates in State Prekindergarten Systems – Minnesota ranks 34th out of 40 states for pre-Kindergarten expulsions. Minnesota’s prekindergarten expulsion rate of 3.4 per 1,000 is over 4 times higher than its K-12 expulsion rate of 0.8 per 1,000, Yale University Child Study Center (Minnesota fact sheet).

March 2005 – According to the 2005 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure prepared by the American Society of Civil Engineers:
57% of Minnesota’s schools have at least one inadequate building feature.
66% of Minnesota’s schools have at least one unsatisfactory environmental feature.
If the public cost of inadequate/unsatisfactory school buildings concerns you, you should follow the link to read about our roads and dams.
October 2004 (updated) – According to How Does Minnesota Compare?, Minnesota Center for Public Finance Research/Minnesota Taxpayers Association:

Minnesota is 8th in the nation in earning power and 27th in the nation in education funding. (2002). In 1996 we were 5th, in 1997-14th, 1998-18th, 1999-18th, 2000-21st.

October 2004 – Minnesota Ranks 46th in Per-Pupil Spending Growth, AMSD Connections (page 3).

June 2004 – From 2002 to 2003, Minnesota’s ranking plummeted from 8th to 24th in K-12 expenditures per pupil and fell from 17th to 29th among the 50 states in average teacher salaries, AMSD Connections (page 3).

April 2004 – Minnesota’s student-teacher ratio ranks 38th among the 50 states, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

2004 – From 1989-90 to 2002-03, the estimated average annual public K-12 teacher salary INCREASED by 1.9% nationally, but DECREASED by 7.2% in Minnesota; Minnesota ranked 3rd in the nation behind Alaska and Kansas for the greatest decline in teacher salary during this time period, Digest of Education Statistics.

The Result of Minnesota’s Historical Commitment to K-12 Education:

Compare Minnesota! – Scroll down to “Excellence in Education” in the first window to see how Minnesota compares according to the state’s principal economic development agency, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

Minnesota ranks first in the nation for having the highest proportion of both 4th and 8th graders scoring at the highest two levels in math. The proportion of Minnesota 8th graders who scored at the highest levels in math increased by 74% between 1990 and 2000. (National Center for Education Statistics)

Minnesota ranks among the best – 4th out of 50 states – in the proportion of high school graduates with scores in the top 20% nationally on either ACT or SAT exams. (National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, 2002)

Minnesota public schools teachers are the most qualified teachers in the country. They rank 1st out of 50 states, based on 12 indicators of teacher qualification. (National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future)
The Problems Created by Under-Funding Public Schools:

The number of students for every teacher is getting larger in Minnesota and, as a result, students are getting less individual attention. The number of students per public school teacher has increased by 5% since 2001. (National Center for Education Statistics, 2002)

Minnesota has the highest proportion of crumbling roofs of all states in the nation (62%). Thirty-eight percent (38%) of Minnesota schools have a building that needs extensive repair or should be replaced. (American Society of Civil Engineers)