Of the 50 states, Florida held the No. 5 spot for education in a national report on child wellbeing released this month.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count report is a closely watched annual snapshot, and it offers plenty of reason to dispel the naysaying and “doomer” narratives about public education in the Sunshine State.
The report ranks Florida ranks 30th overall, in part due to low-but-improving scores on indicators of economic security, health, and family and community life.
Our state’s fifth-place education ranking is driven by best-in-the-nation fourth grade reading proficiency on the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress, higher-than average high school graduation rates, and better-than-average access to early learning opportunities for 3- and 4-year-olds.
Florida offers universal prekindergarten for 4-year-olds from its Voluntary Prekindergarten program and supports preschool for low-income 3-year-olds through regional early learning coalitions. The VPK program offers all families scholarships, which they can use at public or private schools of their choice.
The state’s weakest education indicator in the Kids County report is eighth grade math proficiency, long a weak spot for Florida student achievement.
Earlier this year, a different set of state rankings from U.S. News and World Report placed Florida No. 1 in the country for education, including first in the nation for higher education and 10th overall for PreK-12.
