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December 2008 - The Lost Decade - A deeper look at state investments over the past ten years finds that the choices to cut spending in past deficit years have taken their toll, Minnesota Budget Project (Executive Summary ; Full Report).

• Minnesota is now average in its education spending compared to other states. In FY 1987, per pupil education spending in Minnesota was 11 percent above the national average. By FY 2006, Minnesota’s per pupil spending was equal to the national average.
  
  
• School districts now rely more on property taxes. A decline in state aid to schools since FY 2003 has resulted in a modest reduction in total school revenue and a significant increase in school property taxes.
  
  
• State general fund spending on E-12 education rose by 10 percent from FY 2000 to FY 2009. A major tax reform meant that in FY 2003, about $1 billion in school funding was taken off of local property taxes and replaced by state funding. However, state E-12 funding has gradually declined since FY 2003.
  
  
• In-state tuition increased by 68 percent at the University of Minnesota from 2000 to 2007. Average tuition in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system (MnSCU) rose by 55 percent over the same period. At the same time, the average state grant amount actually decreased by 7 percent.
  
  
• Minnesota’s ranking among states in state funding for higher education dropped from 12th in FY 2001 to 35th in FY 2006, as a share of personal income. And although Minnesota is below-average in state funding for higher education, it is above-average in the cost of attending public institutions.
  
  
• State general fund spending on higher education dropped 16 percent from FY 2000 to FY 2009. Significant cuts earlier in the decade were partially restored in recent years.
  
  
• State higher education funding per full-time student dropped by 28 percent from FY 2000 to FY 2007.

December 5, 2008 - Report Card on American Education: A State-by-State Analysis - Even those states placing in the top 10 of the ALEC Report Card – including number one – should pause before jumping for too much joy, American Legislative Exchange Council (State Report).

Minnesota Ranks
#1 in Academic Achievement, 2007-2008
#17 on Average Salary, Instructional Staff
#22 in Expenditures per Pupil, 2006-2007
#41 in Pupil-Teacher Ratio
#42 on Average Teacher Salary as a % of Average Bachelor Degree Salary
#45 on % of Funds from Federal Sources

Student Achievement
2007 NAEP: #2 Grade 8 Mathematics; #5 Grade 4 Mathematics; #8 Grade 8 Reading; #12 Grade 4 Reading
#1 2008 ACT, among states in which a majority of students took the test
#2 average composite score, 2008 SAT (only 8% of MN students took the SAT in 2008)
#2 on % Change in SAT scores, 1998-2008

December 2008 - Rankings & Estimates Update (based on School Year 2007-08 data) - Minnesota ranks 18th in Average Teacher Salary, 20th in Per Pupil Spending. Minnesota's student-to-teacher ratio of 15.6 was below the national average, National Education Association.

• Minnesota ranks 18th in Average Teacher Salary
• 21st in Student Enrollment
• 21st on the Number of Teachers in Public K-12 Schools
• 14th on Student-Teacher Ratio in Public K-12 Schools
  (at 15.6, below the national average of 15.4)
• 20th in Per Pupil Current Expenditures in Public K-12 Schools
• 18th Overall Current Expenditures for Public K-12 Schools
• 17th in Total Expenditures for Public K-12 Schools
• 10th in Total Revenues for Public K-12 Schools from State Governments
• 32nd in Total Revenues for Public K-12 Schools from Local Governments
• 18th in Total Federal, State, and Local Revenue Receipts for Public K-12 Schools

December 4, 2008 - U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools - Minnesota ranks 28th on U.S. News & World Report's list of Silver or Gold high schools; 45th on list of Bronze or Better (both as a % of total high Schools). Note: MN had NO Gold high schools this year, part of the reason may be PSEO is not included as part of college-readiness evaluation.

• Complete list of qualifying Minnesota high schools
  
  
• December 2008 - Identifying Top-Performing High Schools Analytical Methodology - There have been many “best high school” lists. The strength of any such list is in the method used to create it – which metrics are used, and the specific analytical methods used to evaluate them. The method presented here for identifying top-performing high schools differs from most previous efforts due in part to the metrics it requires, but as importantly, due to the manner in which it uses these metrics to evaluate schools, Standard & Poor’s for U.S. News and World Report's America’s Best High Schools Project.
  
  
• December 2008 - Identifying Top-Performing High Schools Analytical Methodology: Technical Guide - A companion to the analytical methodology paper, and provides details and analysis of the state test and college-level data used identify top-performing high
  schools, Standard & Poor’s for U.S. News and World Report's America’s Best High Schools Project.

December 4, 2008 - The Twin Cities continues to Rank #1 in study of metro regions - Minneapolis-St. Paul, far and away, remains where it's at for business.... It's been sustained in part by a highly ranked school system and the network of higher-education providers in the region, MarketWatch.

November 11, 2008 - A Counseling Dilemma - Minnesota is among the worst in the nation in providing counselors to students, Minnesota 2020.

• The American School Counselors Association recommends a ratio of 250 students to one counselor in a school district. In 2004-05, the national average was 479-1. Minnesota's average was 795-1, 49th in the country.
  
  
• Minnesota's high school counselor to student ratio was 351-1, short of the 250-1 ratio suggested by the ASCA and 10th-worst in the nation.
  
  
• The state's K-8 counselor to student ratio was 4,942-1, 49th in the nation and far short of the 250-1 recommended average.

November 2008 - The 2008 State New Economy Index: Benchmarking Economic Transformation In the States - Minnesota ranks 7th in Workforce Education, 31st in Immigration of U.S. Knowledge Workers, 8th in Knowledge Jobs, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.

October 31, 2008 - The State's Budget Problems: All Options Need to be on the Table - Minnesota's declining public investment has corresponded with a drop in Minnesota's performance relative to other states on key economic and quality-of-life indicators, Minnesota 2020.



Minnesota's slippage relative to other states has been most dramatic in employment. 

August 8, 2008 - How does Minnesota rank in education spending? It depends - The US Census bureau recently released statistics on school spending for 2005-06. The numbers show Minnesota has declined in state rankings over the past decade to 41st per $1,000 in personal income, AMSD Research Notes.

August 2008 - Speed Matters - From 2007 to 2008, Minnesota's state rank for download speed dropped from 26th to 44th with average download speeds declining from 1,771 to 1,566 kbps.  Statewide high-speed Internet access impacts Minnesota's ability to provide a 21st Century education.

June 2008 - School to College: Can State P-16 Councils Ease the Transition? - Diplomas Count State Highlights 2008: Minnesota - Minnesota ranked 9th in the nation on high school graduation, class of 2005, but fell well below the national average on minority graduation, Education Week. Note: Using the Cumulative Promotion Index (CPI), Minnesota's class of 2005 overall graduation rate was 78.1%, 7.5% higher than the national average.  Minnesota's state reported graduation rate of 90.1% is based on a "Leaver rate."

Minnesota Graduation Profile for the Class of 2005

American Indian/Alaska Native	40.5	50.6
Asian/Pacific Islander	69.9	81.3
Hispanic	41.9	57.8
Black (not Hispanic)	38.8	55.3
White (not Hispanic)	83.3	77.6

June 2008 - How Does Minnesota Compare? Fiscal Year 2006 Comparisons, State by State Rankings of Revenues and Spending, Minnesota Taxpayers Association. In FY 2005 State and Local Expenditures as a percent of personal income, Minnesota Ranked:

• 30th on Total State Spending
• 29th on K-12 Education
• 34th on Higher Education
• 35th on Total Education Spending

FY 2006, Minnesota ranked 20th in total state and local tax collections, and 30th on state and local direct general expenditures. Compared to the U.S. average, Minnesotan's spent $1.95 less on K-12 Education per $1,000 of personal income.  Minnesota spends more than the U.S. average in the areas of Public Welfare, Highways, and new in FY 2006 - Debt Interest.

June 4, 2008 - Minnesota's Slip Toward Mediocrity: Less Investment, Less Return - The decline in factors relating to education is particularly distressing, since the product of Minnesota’s education system is the cornerstone of the state’s future, Minnesota 2020 (Video).

• From 2003 to 2007, Minnesota’s rank in pupil-teacher ratio has fallen from 25th to 40th.
  
  
• Minnesota’s rank on per capita education spending has fallen from 12th in 2002 to 18th in 2006.
  
  
• On the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), math and reading at the 4th and 8th grades, Minnesota ranked 3rd in the nation in 2002 and 2003, before falling to 4th place in 2005 and 8th place in 2007. The average percentage of students achieving the basic skill level or higher in Minnesota fell from 16.6 percent above the national average in 2002 to 9.2 percent above the national average in 2007.
  
  
• The current spending of Minnesota public schools has fallen below the national average both on a per-pupil basis and per $1,000 of personal income.

May 21, 2008 - Minnesota's Tax Rankings Hover Near Average: Minnesota Below Average in Total Public-Sector Investment - Minnesota ranks as a near-average state - 19th - in total state and local taxes, measured as a percentage of income for Fiscal Year 2006. Minnesota ranks 32nd among states using a more comprehensive measure of the size of state and local government that includes all sources of funding - taxes plus all other sources of revenue, such as federal aid and tuition at public colleges and universities. This decline in public investment will (or has) hurt our quality of life, Minnesota Budget Project and Growth & Justice.

April 2008 - Cities in Crisis: A Special Analytic Report on High School Graduation - Minneapolis ranked 45th out of the Nation's 50 Largest Cities; 17 percent graduation rate gap between urban core and surrounding suburbs, America’s Promise Alliance/EPE Research Center.

March 27, 2008 - Technology Counts 2008 State Reports - Assesses the status of K-12 educational technology across the nation in the areas of access, use, and capacity. Minnesota received an overall grade of “C,” less than the national average of “C+,” Education Week (Minnesota).

• May 2008 - Investments needed in science, math and technology resources: Midwest technology grades - Minnesota lacks of access, use, and capacity when compared to neighborhing states, AMSD Connections (page 2).

March 11, 2008 - Progress on NAEP: 2003-2007 Math and 2000-2005 Science sorted by Poverty gap change, Education Week (Excel; free login required).

• Progress on NAEP 8th Grade Math: Poverty gap change from 2003 to 2007
  Top 10 States: GA, NY, TN, WI, FL, MD, LA, PA, VT, IL
  Minnesota?  38th
  
  
• Progress on NAEP 8th Grade Science: Poverty gap change from 2000 to 2005
  Top 10 States: MI, KY, MA, LA, CT, OR, VT, ME, NV, NC
  Minnesota?  34th

March 2008 - Measuring Performance: The State Management Report Card for 2008 - Minnesota earns a B- on improving the way information is used to manage the state, Governing Magazine and the Pew Center on the States.

January 2008 - FAQ on Tax Rankings & Minnesota - An overview of frequently asked questions (FAQ) about Minnesota's tax rankings, Minnesota House Fiscal Analysis.

January 2008 - Quality Counts 2008 - Minnesota ranks 22nd on school finance equity and spending indicators, continuing slide to "middle of the pack," (Minnesota State Profile, page 12), Education Week.

November 2007 - Educational Needs Index - A regional-level study of educational, economic, and population pressures that influence educational policy and planning at local, regional, and state levels. The index introduces an econometric model that assesses conditions and trends for all fifty states and their respective sub-regions, allowing peer comparisons across a variety of indicators. The index places an emphasis on the transition between K-12 policy concerns and postsecondary opportunities while at the same time placing those issues in a broader public policy context of economic development and government response to population growth and shifting demographics. For those areas where challenging conditions exist, policy makers should be careful to
understand that targeted initiatives may yield better results than uniform, statewide activities, Lumina Foundation (Minnesota State Report, December 2008).

November 2007 - Chance Favors the Prepared Mind: Mathematics and Science Indicators for Comparing States and Nations - Minnesota Ranked 7th in the world in Mathematics; 12th in Science, American Institutes for Research.

May 2007 - Event Dropout Rates for Public School Students in Grades 9–12: 2002–03 and 2003–04 - Minnesota ranked 4th in the nation for decreasing dropout rates from 2002-03 to 2003-04 (Table 1) as measured by the percentage of public school students in grades 9–12 who dropped out of school between one October and the next, moving Minnesota's overall state rank from 21st (2002-03) to 37th (2003-04) on Grade 9-12 dropouts as a percent of total student enrollment [low is good], National Center for Education Statistics.

April 2007 - Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2004-05 (FY 2005), (Table 3).

Minnesota rankings on per pupil expenditures, FY 2005:

• 23rd Total per pupil expenditures
• 15th Per pupil instruction and instruction-related expenditures
  (Includes salaries and benefits for teachers, teaching assistants, librarians and library aides, in-service teacher trainers, curriculum development, student assessment, technology, and supplies and purchased services related to these activities.)
• 4th Per pupil percent instruction and instruction-related at 69.54%
  (This is the 70% solution figure)
• 48th Per pupil student support services
  (Includes attendance and social work, guidance, health, psychological services, speech pathology, audiology, and other student support services.)
• 33rd Per pupil expenditures for administration
• 22nd Per pupil operating expenditures

March 29, 2007 - Technology Counts 2007: Minnesota, Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center.  Minnesota earns mediocre marks: below average in access and capacity, above average in use of technology, below average overall:

March 29, 2007 - Survey and Analysis of Teacher Salary Trends 2005 - Minnesota ranked 16th in the nation for average teacher salary in 2004-05 at $47,411; Minnesota ranked 23rd in the nation for beginning teacher salary at $31,632, American Federation of Teachers (Minnesota Release).

February 2007 - The 2007 State New Economy Index - Benchmarking Economic Transformation in the States, Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (Minnesota Profile). Minnesota ranked:

• 6th - Knowledge Jobs
• 10th - Workforce Education
• 28th - Educational Attainment of Immigrants
• 4th - Online Population (69% Internet users as a share of the population)
• 35th - Technology in Schools
• 27th - Broadband Telecommunications
• 12th - High Tech Jobs
• 22nd - Scientists and Engineers

February 2007 - Minnesota State Rankings from the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data (based on 2004-2005 numbers; accessed 02/22/2007):

Minnesota Ranks

• 30th in Total Enrollment
• 36th on Pupil:Teacher Ratio, well below the national average
• 37th on Class Size with an Estimated Average Class Size of 25.06
• 36th on Secondary Pupil:Guidance Counselor ratio at 437:1
  (national average, 350:1; recommended 250:1)
• 49th on K-12 Pupil:Guidance Counselor ratio at 795:1
  (national average, 479:1; recommended 250:1)
• 35th on K-12 Student:Librarian ratio at 909:1
  (national average, 901:1; recommended minimum 1 per building)

Additional sources:
Class Size rank found at Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) + 9 Students = Estimated Average Class Size - Based on same NCES data, Reduce Class Size Now.
Student:Counselor Ratios found at School Counselor Career/Roles, American School Counselor Association.
Media Services Guidelines found at Program Administration Principles of School Library Media Programs, Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning, American Association of School Librarians (Rev.2/8/07).

February 2007 - Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Effectiveness, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Center for American Progress (Minnesota Report Card - Includes definitions and remarks about Minnesota's scores).

Leaders and Laggards Critiques

• In its state-by-state analyses, the method by which Leaders and Laggards assigns letter grades to states ensures that 10 states get A’s, 10 get B’s, and so forth. The Chamber called this grading on a curve. No matter how well the states might be doing on any absolute scale, the 10 lowest scorers received F’s. This is absurd.
  
  Adjacent states on different sides of a cut point have almost identical scores, but they get different grades. For example, the rankings on academic achievement were constructed by averaging each state’s percentage of students scoring proficient or higher for NAEP grades 4 and 8, in reading and math. Iowa, the lowest state to get a B, had a score of 34.50%; Idaho, the highest state to get a C, scored 34.25%. Illinois, the lowest C state, had 30.25%; Missouri, the highest D state, scores 30.00%. In each case a difference of one-fourth of one percent resulted in a difference of a full letter grade. Ridiculous.

October 2007 - 17th Bracey Report
(Page 126; pdf 8)

• February 2007 - The Center for American Progress Joins the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy - Offers a critique of Leaders and Laggards, Dr. David Marshak, emeritus professor, Seattle University.

December 2006 - The Funding Gaps 2006 - School finance policy choices systematically shortchange low-income and minority students, Education Trust.

The 2006 analysis (based on 2003-2004 numbers), showed:

• Minnesota ranked 20th in federal Title I dollars (30 states received fewer dollars per child in poverty)
• In 26 of 49 states, the highest poverty school districts receive fewer resources than the lowest poverty districts. Not so in Minnesota, which ranked 3rd for putting dollars in high-poverty school districts.
• In 28 states, high-minority districts received less state and local money for each child than low-minority districts. Not so in Minnesota, which ranked 6th for putting dollars in high-minority school districts.

December 2006 - Halftime highlights: Minnesota at mid-decade - Minnesota continues to rank among the leading states in  income level, educational attainment and labor force participation, Minnesota State Demographic Center. Minnesota's rankings include:

• 1st in home ownership (75.8% owner-occupied)
• 2nd in labor force participation (72.2% for ages 16 and over)
• 3rd in high school completion (90.9% for ages 25 and over)
• 5th lowest poverty rate (9.2% of all people)
• 9th highest per capita income ($37,373)

November 2006 - Overview of Public Elementary and Secondary Students, Staff, Schools, School Districts, Revenues, and Expenditures: School Year 2004–05 and Fiscal Year 2004 (Table 8), National Center for Education Statistics, Minnesota ranks:

• Third in the nation in terms of the percentage of current expenditures spent on instruction and instruction-related expenses in Fiscal Year 2004 at 69.7%. The national average was 66 percent.
  

November 2006 - Rankings & Estimates: Rankings of the States 2005 and Estimates of School Statistics 2006 (See Table H. Estimated Revenue and Nonrevenue Receipts, 2004–05), National Education Association Research, based on FY 2004-05 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Minnesota ranks:

• 11th in Public K-12 School Revenues from the state
  (4th in terms of percent of school revenues from the state; behind Vermont, Hawaii and New Mexico)
• 27th in Public K-12 School Revenues from local sources
• 25th in Public K-12 School Revenues from the federal government
• 18th in Public K-12 School Revenues, all sources
  
• 34th in terms of Total Student Enrollment
• 13th in terms of Dollars per Pupil, all sources
• 11th in terms of Dollars per Pupil, state

September 7, 2006 - Measuring Up 2006 - Minnesota earns a "D" in college affordability, "If the state’s downward trends are not addressed, they could limit its access to a competitive workforce and weaken its economy over time," National Report Card on Higher Education (Press Release; Full Report).

August 15, 2006 - Toward a more competitive state- In 1992, Minnesota ranked 15th among states in total education spending as a share of personal income, even after all the cuts to solve the state's last budget crisis. We're now 36th among states. Minnesota might be out of the top 10 in taxes, but we're nearing the bottom 10 in our support for education, Jay Kiedrowski and John Gunyou, Star Tribune Commentary.

June 2006 - Diplomas count: State and District Patterns, Education Week Editorial Projects in Education [Free log in required] (Data Source: NCES Common Core of Data, 2002-03).

Minnesota ranked: