For the First Time, Kentucky Makes the Top Ten in Education Week Report

Education Week is an American national newspaper that covers K-12 education. Each year, the publication issues its Quality Counts report which tracks key education indicators and assesses each state before issuing a grade based on its policy efforts and outcomes.

The grade is a composite arrived at by averaging scores in six categories: the Chance-for-Success Index; school finance; transition and alignment policies with regards to education stages; the K-12 Achievement Index; standards, assessments, and accountability; and the teaching profession.

Maryland received the highest letter grade given for 2012--a B+ for a score of 87.5. And for the first time, Kentucky has made the Quality Counts top ten, coming in at #10 with a B- and a score of 80.1.

Obviously, the entire country still needs work when 87.5 is the highest score earned. And Education Week admits that progress is "spotty." But any state moving up is moving in the right direction, regardless of what grade or score it ultimately received.

So a "way-to-go-Kentucky!" is absolutely in order. But there's work to be done.