Florida is not coming up strong in its rank for pre-K through 12 education, according to a new report by U.S. News & World Report.
Florida was ranked 40th overall in the nation for best pre-K through grade 12 education.
The magazine said it based its criteria on several factors, including high school graduation rate and the percentage of children who get a jump start on their education with pre-K instruction.
U.S. News & World Report scored Florida poorly in numerous categories, including:
- High school graduation rates (No. 43.)
- National Assessment of Educational Progress math scores (No. 42)
- Pre-K quality (No. 41)
However, the state posted strong scores for:
- Preschool enrollment percentage (No. 16)
- College readiness (No. 14).
Florida performed much better in the magazine's rankings for higher education, with Gov. Rick Scott praising the news in that category on Wednesday.
"Over the past seven years, we have made major investments in our higher education system and challenged colleges and universities to become more affordable while fully preparing students to be ready for a great job upon graduation," Scott said.
However with a rank of 30, Florida performed poorly in the magazine's Education Attainment category, which assessed the number of residents with advanced degrees.
Massachusetts ranked first in the country for pre-K through 12 education.