New Data Shows Maryland Ranks Fifth in U.S. for Best School System

New data shows Maryland ranks fifth in the nation for its school system, highlighting its commitment to excellence in education.

The rankings, which consider factors like academic performance, bullying rates, and pupil-to-teacher ratios, offer valuable insights for county education departments. Maryland’s strong performance underscores the importance of continued investment in education at the county level. Counties can use this data to identify areas for improvement and tailor educational programs to meet the needs of students.

Maryland earned a final score of 58.48 in Maryland. The rate of students expelled in public schools is low in this state, 0.05% to be exact, resulting in a score of 8.54 for this factor. On top of this, the Old Line State earned a score of 8.41 for the low rate of high school dropouts at just 4.08%. The rankings serve as a benchmark for counties to assess their educational outcomes and strive for continuous improvement in providing quality education to all students.

Methodology

 The above sources were used to obtain figures for the following factors:

·         Avg. NAEP Grade-8 Mathematics (2022)

·         Avg. NAEP Grade-8 Reading (2022)

·         Avg. NAEP Grade-8 Writing (2007)

·         Avg. NAEP Grade-8 Science (2015)

·         Avg. ACT Scores (Composite, 2022)

·         Avg. SAT Scores of High School Seniors (Total SAT, 2022)

·         % of High School Dropouts Among Persons 16-24 Years Old (2017-2021)

·         Public High School 4-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR, all students) (2019-20)

·         Number of Public Libraries (2019, per 100k)

·         Number of Books in Public Libraries (2019, per capita)

·         No. People in state-run Adult Education Programs (2021, per 100k)

·         Student to Faculty Ratio in Public Postsecondary Institutions (2021)

·         Est. Avg. Annual Salary of Public School Teachers (2021-22)

·         Pupil/Teacher Ratio (Public elementary / secondary schools, 2021)

·         Public Expenditure on Instruction (per pupil)

·         Public Expenditure on School Maintenance (per pupil)

·         Avg. Undergraduate Tuition Fees (in-state, public, 4-year, 2021-22)

·         Public High School 4-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR, economically disadvantaged students) (2019-20)

·         Public Expenditure on Student Support, Food Services & Transportation (per pupil)

·         % of Students Eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch (public schools, 2021-22)

·         % of Students in Grades 9-12 Reporting Bullying on School Property (public schools, 2017)

·         % of Students in Grades 9-12 Reporting Bullying Electronically (public schools, 2017)

·         % of Students Suspended (public schools, 2017-18)

·         % of Students Expelled (public schools, 2017-18)

·         Students Who Possessed Firearms at School (per 100k, avg 2015/16-2019/20, public schools)

Each factor was awarded an index score out of 10, with 10 being the best possible score. These scores were combined to determine the ranking.