America's Best Schools: Where Virginia Ranks

From economic growth to retaining residents to bragging rights, the quality of public schools in a state carries a lot of weight. Businesses base decisions to locate or expand in states in part on whether workers are available with the skills needed.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed education data for each state from the 2017 edition of the Quality Counts report, released annually by Education Week. The report assessed metrics in three broad categories that can determine the strength of a school system: school finances, student achievement, and environmental factors. Massachusetts schools are rated best of all states, while Nevada’s school system has the lowest score.

While politicians and parents may disagree on how to spend public education money and how exactly schools should be improved, most agree that school proficiency must be measured. With that as the goal, Virginia fares well, ranking No. 14 on the list. Here's what the 24/7 Wall St. website says about the state's schools:

14. Virginia

> Overall grade: C+

> Per pupil spending: $10,078 (16th lowest)

> High school graduation rate: 85.7% (20th highest)

> Pct. 3 & 4 yr. olds enrolled in preschool: 47.1% (19th highest)

Students from wealthier, more educated families are more likely to be successful in school. Students are particularly poised for academic success in Virginia, where 56.9% of children have at least one parent with a college degree, far more than the 48.8% national figure. Similarly, the typical household in Virginia earns $66,262 a year, about $10,500 more than the national median household income.

Virginia’s students outperform many of their peers nationwide in a number of academic measures. An estimated 47.3% of fourth graders and 37.6% of eighth graders in the state are proficient in math, compared to 39.4% of fourth and 32.1% of eighth graders nationwide. In high school, 47.4% of advanced placement tests taken by 11th and 12th graders earn a 3 or above, the largest share of any state other than Maryland.

Other states in the top 5 are New Jersey, Vermont, New Hampshire and neighboring Maryland, which ranked No. 5 overall.

Click here to see 24/7 Wall St.'s list of the states with the best and worst schools.

According to Sterling Lloyd, assistant director at the Education Week Research Center and coauthor of the Quality Counts report, the grading framework rewards states with a “well-rounded approach to education,” the website says. Most states at the top of the rankings have parents able to support their children’s learning in well-funded schools; students report high academic achievement in the classroom; and graduates are able to pursue careers in an economy where opportunities are available to them.

»SEE ALSO:

• 25 Top Virginia High Schools: U.S. News Rankings
• U.S. News & World Report College Rankings 2017: Virginia's Top Schools
• 100 Best Public High Schools in Virginia

The largest share of a school budget comes from property taxes, so a child from a high-income family is also more likely to attend an affluent school with highly paid teachers who may have greater qualifications. On the flip side, students in poor areas receive fewer resources to start their educations. Experts say strong preschool programs can help offset the income gap, although families who struggle financially are less likely to send their children to preschool.

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