GILLETTE — Wyoming improved from 28th in the nation a year ago to 21st now in a new national ranking of chance for student success in state education systems.
Education Week released the first of three national polls Wednesday that will be combined with other rankings in June to give states their final Quality Counts rankings for 2020 in September.
It is the 23rd year of the rankings in the national education magazine. A year ago, Wyoming was sixth in the nation in the overall Quality Counts ranking, earning a score of 82.3 points out of a possible 100, the equivalent of a B minus.
The chance for success rankings consider 13 indicators, including family, school and social markers from the early years and K-12 into adulthood and the working world.
The magazine this year has ranked the Cowboy State 21st overall in a chance for success with a score of 81.9 points, the equivalent of a B minus.
Wyoming also scored 90.9 points in early foundations, an A- and 13th in the nation; 78.4 points, a C-plus, in school years and a national ranking of 18th; and earned a C plus in adult outcomes at 77 points, 23rd in the nation.
In 2019, Wyoming, the state ranked 28th overall in chance of success with a C-plus, the overal average score for states.
The state also was 21st in early foundations in 2019 with a B-plus and 28th (a C) in school years, compared to the national average of C-plus; and 31st with a C, which ranked 23rd for adult outcomes.
By comparison around the region, Utah is 12th overall in chance of success at 84.3 points, a B, followed by Colorado, 13th, 84.0; Nebraska, 14th, 83.4; South Dakota, 17th, 82.4; Montana, 26th, 79.0, a C plus; and Idaho, 36th with a score of 76.1.
Nationally, Massachusetts led the state rankings, followed by New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont and Minnesota to round out the top five. North Dakota was the highest neighbor state with a ranking of ninth.
The United States finished with an overall score of just 79.2 points overall in the latest rankings, with 83 points in early foundations, 77.6 points in school years and 77.2 points in adult outcomes.
