Tennessee earns a C+

Quality Counts gives Tennessee a grade of C+ (77.7) on educational policy and performance.  It's ranked 20th, tied with Rhode Island.  Maryland leads with a grade of B+, and there are some surprising states in the top ten: Arkansas is fifth, Georgia seventh, and West Virginia ninth.

Equipping U.S. Schools for the Global Fast Lane

This year's Quality Counts report takes a critical look at the nation's place among the world's public education systems. Veteran Education Week journalists with deep expertise in such areas as teaching, assessment, curriculum, and state and federal policymaking put to the test popular assumptions about the country's competitive status in education. Working with colleagues from the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, they illuminate innovations in high-performing nations that have taken root in the United States, lessons to be drawn from the experience of other countries, and the promise and risks such strategies hold for U.S. policymakers. The aim is to provide fresh perspectives on the political, social, and cultural challenges the nation faces in preparing its public school students for the workforce demands of an interconnected world economy.

Education Week: Quality Counts 2012 - State Report Cards