Connecticut Ranked As The Smartest State

[Wish Upon A Star]

I found this pretty interesting since Connecticut is where I grew up and where I live still:



Connecticut Named the Smartest State
New Mexico Ranks Last


LAWRENCE, KS. Connecticut, home to the first state constitution and the first newspaper, now adds winner of the first annual Smartest State Award to its list of accomplishments. Morgan Quitno Press, a Lawrence, Kansas-based independent research and publishing company, today named Connecticut winner of its first annual award measuring the quality of state elementary and secondary education. At the opposite end of the scale, New Mexico comes in as the lowest ranking state.

The first annual Smartest State Award is based on 21 education-related factors from Education State Rankings, a new annual reference book that compares the 50 United States in more than 400 education categories. The first edition of Education State Rankings was published this week. Factors considered include per pupil expenditures, public high school graduation rates, average class size, the percent of staff who are school district administrators, student reading and math proficiency, pupil-teacher ratios and teacher salaries.

"The Smartest State Award isn’t just about high student test scores," said Scott Morgan, president of Morgan Quitno Press. “The award measures a broad array of education factors that reflect a strong commitment to students and teachers, an emphasis on excellence in the classroom and the support of safe, well-run public schools.”

“Connecticut has a very solid record when it comes to education,” said Morgan. “Its excellence across-the-board in factors such as student proficiency in math and reading, class size and spending for education makes it a sure winner for the award.”

Rounding out the top five states with Connecticut were Vermont, Montana, New Jersey and Maine. Bringing up the lower end of the rankings scale were New Mexico in last place, Louisiana in 49th, Mississippi in 48th, Florida in 47th and Nevada in 46th.

The Smartest State Award is one of five designations announced annually by Morgan Quitno Press. The company's other annual announcements designate the nation’s Safest and Most Dangerous City and Metro Area, the Most Livable State, the Healthiest State and the Safest and Most Dangerous States. Each award or designation is based on data from annual Morgan Quitno reference publications.

Additional information about the first annual Smartest State Award, including rankings for all 50 states, a list of factors used to determine the results and an explanation of methodology, is available directly from Morgan Quitno Press at www.statestats.com or by calling (785) 841-3534.

Morgan Quitno Press is an independent private research and publishing company located in Lawrence, Kansas. Founded in 1989, the company specializes in reference books and monthly reports that compare states and cities in several different subject areas. The corporation is not a subsidiary of any other company nor is it subsidized by any outside interest group. Its books are found in reference libraries throughout the United States and around the world.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Congratulations to all you Connecticut people!

And I just knew New Jersey had to rank high in this list. I was right.

 

[tiggerlover]

I have to say that I was VERY pleased with the schools in Connecticut when we lived there. DH and I feel that DS was getting such a wonderful education while we were there, much better than he is getting through the DoD (Department of Defense).

However, and I say this not to offend anyone, after living in Connecticut for three years, there were an awful lot of really stupid people! But you are sure to find people like this where ever you are. And as I said before, this is not to offend, this is simply my observation.

 

[alabamaalan]

Bringing up the lower end of the rankings scale were New Mexico in last place, Louisiana in 49th, Mississippi in 48th, Florida in 47th and Nevada in 46th.

Wait a minute! Where's Alabama?

I don't know whether to thank someone or punch them in the mouth for ignoring us!

 

[AirForceRocks]

I'm not at all surprised about Connecticut, but New Jersey???? The people I met there didn't even know what a mall was...they must have imported some folks from Delaware for the duration of the test.

 

[DocRafiki]

Aw, durnit, I was sure Mississippi would be #1.


I have to say, after going to HS in LA, college in MS, and vet school in LA, there is no way MS is ahead of LA! (wait, anything north of Baton Rouge is Texas, right?)

 

[danacara]

I like Connecticut, but I love ...

TG for NJ. What it lacks in hicks, it makes up for in full-service gas!

 

[perfectmatch300]

That is interesting. I wonder where Wallingford (yes, Wish Upon A Star, I live there, too!) ranks in the state?

 

[Jeff in BigD]

16th isn't too shabby I suppose.

 

[pajamommy]

Yay, Connecticut!!!

 

[TimeforMe]

Yeah, Connecticut!!!! But then again, that's where I was born, raised and still live so I expect it

However, and I say this not to offend anyone, after living in Connecticut for three years, there were an awful lot of really stupid people!

No way! I never met a person from Connecticut who was stupid. We only allow the smart ones to live here!

 

[LuvN~Travel]

yep, we here in Alabama used to say "Thank God for Mississippi". Now it's Thank God for New Mexico. Who'd of figured?
Kim

 

[Chuck S]

Have you looked at the criteria they used? They didn't actually give the students a test of general knowledge, in fact, they didn't test students at all. I was trying to figure out how California ranked so low, with "Silicon Valley". Although I shouldn't complain, Texas is listed as #16, when another study listed us in the 40s

Criteria included 1) How much money is spent on each student, 2)How much money teachers make, 3)How much paperwork the teachers have to do, 4) Average class size, 5) Dropout rate 6)Violence in the schools etc etc.

Also, it is based on % of students that graduate high school - that doesn't account for different graduation requirements in every state.

BTW I'm not in any way implying that folks in Connecticut are not intelligent - I just think this type of study should be taken with a grain of salt. Comparing SAT scores would be more accurate - what would really be interesting would be to see if the SAT scores mirror this type of criteria.

 

[Jeff in BigD]

So are they saying that more or less paper work for the teachers = "smarter"?

BTW, there is a difference being educated & being intelligent. The two aren't always a bundle package.

 

[AirForceRocks]

Criteria included 1) How much money is spent on each student, 2)How much money teachers make, 3)How much paperwork the teachers have to do, 4) Average class size, 5) Dropout rate 6)Violence in the schools etc etc.

Wow! So they don't even measure whether all of this makes smarter students?

At least this clears it up a little for me. Thanks for the info!

 

[Bob O]

Any state that would elect Christopher Dodd has to have their education standards checked alot closer!!!

 

[Bob O]

Any state that would elect Christopher Dodd has to have their education standards checked alot closer!!!
And since when does money spent on students or paid to teachers equate to a more educated student??? Sounds like something the NEA would sponser to justify higher school spending and treacher salaries!!!

 

[Edina]

Our town has ranked in the top 3 school systems in the country over the past 10 years. It also has to do with how many students go onto college. It's usually over 95%, and one year it was 100%. Imagine that not one child in the entire class did not go to college!

You do have to take it with a grain of salt though. It's a small, affluent town full of overachieving parents who wouldn't allow ( and yes I said wouldn't allow), their kids not to excel. Many parents hire tutors and basically do whatever it takes to get their kids into the best schools. Education is a top priority here, and we may even spend more than any town in the country per pupil on education (our taxes will attest to that, they're astronomical).

That being said, I've met my fair share of stupid CT residents. Since I was raised here I like to think those are the people who moved from the city and wouldn't know a screwdriver from a wrench, but then again, they don't have to.