Best state in America: Massachusetts, for its educational success

[DonViejo]

By Reid Wilson July 11 at 2:32 PM

Reid Wilson is the author of Read In, The Post’s morning tipsheet on politics. Read more from Outlook and follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter.

Success often starts with a good education. And no state lays that groundwork better than Massachusetts.

That’s according to the Education Week Research Center, a nonpartisan group that measured indicators such as preschool and kindergarten enrollment, high school graduation rates, and higher education attainment. The yearly study also considered family income and parental employment, which are linked to educational achievement.

In almost every category, the Bay State beats the national average: More than 60 percent of Massachusetts children have a parent with a post-secondary degree, 14 points higher than average, and nearly 60 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds are enrolled in preschool, more than 10 points above the national average.

No surprise, nearly half of Massachusetts fourth-graders are proficient on National Assessment of Educational Progress reading tests, and more than 54 percent of eighth-graders get proficient scores on NAEP math tests — both the highest rates in the country.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/best-state-in-america-massachusetts-for-its-educational-success/2014/07/11/3319663e-0795-11e4-8a6a-19355c7e870a_story.html?

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. It can't be. It's a blue state.

Wait until those losers over at the Boston Herald have someone read this article to them.

[cerveza_gratis]

2. Good for them, but

having a more educated and wealthier adult population doesn't hurt. I mean, I'm all for commitment to schools and I'm sure it's pretty good there, but I don't like declaring one state best based on things that relate to their wealth and not to their choices and actions.