Governor Rendell Praises Pennsylvania's Standings in National Report on Education; Outlines Continuing Challenges

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania ranked seventh among states for K-12 student achievement and ninth overall, Governor Edward G. Rendell said today, citing a new national report released by Education Week magazine.

"This report card continues the good news for Pennsylvania on measuring the impact of our significant education investments," said Governor Rendell.

The report, Quality Counts 2011: Uncertain Forecast – Education Adjusts to a New Economic Reality, put Pennsylvania in the top third in five of the six categories it examined. The sixth category used older data which did not capture Pennsylvania's recent reform initiatives.  

The report gave Pennsylvania an overall grade of B-, with a score of 80.1; the national grade is a C, with a grade of 76.3.  Pennsylvania scored at 75.6 percent for K-12 achievement; well above the national average of 68.7 percent.

The Education Week report is available online at www.edweek.org/go/qc11.

The commonwealth's continued investment in education is reaping dividends, Governor Rendell said.

Pennsylvania has made eight straight years of improvements in student achievement in math and reading, with 290,000 more students performing at grade level since 2003. The state was recognized by the non-partisan Center on Education Policy as the only one in the nation to make significant progress boosting achievement in all subjects and grade levels between 2002 and 2008.  

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reports that Pennsylvania tied for the best scores in the nation for 8th grade reading in 2009. By comparison, 11 states scored better than Pennsylvania in 2003.

Continued investments in education will help boost Pennsylvania's economic development for years to come, Governor Rendell said.

"Education is a key to our state's economic future and to the personal success of our children," Governor Rendell said. "It's perhaps the most important economic tool there is. Investments in education are critical to developing a workforce with the skills necessary for good-paying jobs, and one that will help attract and expand business here.  I'm proud of the effort -- and results -- that the General Assembly and I have accomplished together over the past eight years."

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor