New Jersey Schools Rank 2nd Best in America

New Jersey parents scrambling to collect school supplies, set carpool schedules and finish extracurricular enrollment can rest easy knowing their children attend some of the best schools in the nation.

New Jersey schools rank No. 2 in the United States, according to a 2016 study by WalletHub.

The study reviewed the 50 states and the District of Columbia for school system quality and safety, using 17 relevant metrics with different weights.

Overall scores were calculated using a weighted average of the metrics. New Jersey scored 69.13, with a school system quality rank of 3 and a school system safety rank of 3.

The No. 1 school system in the study is Massachusetts, with an overall score of 73.65 and first-place ranks for quality and safety. Louisiana has the worst overall score — 30.33 — putting it in 51st place.

The study also found New Jersey schools have the fourth lowest teacher-to-pupil ratio; the third lowest dropout rate; and the fourth highest math scores.

The news comes as lawmakers and education advocates have been attacking the State Board of Education for making the PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) mandatory for high school graduation.

Assemblyman Daniel Benson condemned the "misguided decision," saying it underscores the need to move forward with legislation providing other alternatives for graduation requirements.

“We need a more nuanced approach to education, one that focuses on preparing our students to be constructive thinkers and problem solvers because the complex issues we face as a society cannot solely be addressed with high-stakes standardized tests," he said.

Best Schools:

Massachusetts
New Jersey
Connecticut
Vermont
Wisconsin

Worst Schools:

Louisiana
New Mexico
Alaska
Arizona
District of Columbia

Photo via Shutterstock.

Source: WalletHub