After a one-year hiatus from issuing state grades, the 19th annual edition of Quality Counts鈥擯reparing to Launch: Early Childhood鈥檚 Academic Countdown鈥拦别蝉耻尘别蝉 91制片厂视频 Week鈥檚 long-standing tradition of grading the states on their performance. This year, those grades return in a newer, leaner form that focuses on outcomes rather than on policy and processes. A state鈥檚 overall grade is the average of its scores on the three separate indices tracked by the report.
This year, Indiana finishes 25th among the 50 states and District of Columbia, with an overall score of 74.3 out of 100 points and a grade of C. The nation as a whole posts a grade of C.
Diving into the findings for the three graded indices, Indiana earns a C-plus in the Chance-for-Success category and ranks 30th. The average state earns a C-plus. In School Finance, Indiana receives a C and ranks 27th, while for the K-12 Achievement Index it finishes 12th with a grade of C. The average state earns grades of C and C-minus in School Finance and K-12 Achievement, respectively.
Quality Counts 2015 also focuses on early-childhood education as its special theme, examining how new academic demands and accountability pressures are altering the learning environment for young children and the educators serving them. For this year鈥檚 report, the 91制片厂视频 Week Research Center issued state and national grades for a new Early 91制片厂视频 Index, which draws on an original analysis of participation in early-education programs, poverty-based gaps in enrollment, and trends over time.
Indiana earns a D and ranks 43rd on the Early 91制片厂视频 Index, which incorporates data from eight specific indicators. The nation as a whole earns a D-plus.
Indiana鈥檚 2014 Highlights Report includes the state鈥檚 full report card, including results for each of the nearly-40 indicators that make up Quality Counts鈥� overall grading rubric. This year鈥檚 State Highlights Report also includes the Early 91制片厂视频 Index and a special analysis of data on enrollment in early-childhood programs.
