A tricky question to answer!  Minnesota pupils consistently produce great results on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests, which are given to pupils in the U.S. at 4th and 8th grade levels, every other year.  In 2003, Minnesota 8th graders ranked 1st in Mathematics.  In 2005, they ranked 2nd to Massachusetts 8th graders, but still with an outstanding average score.  Minnesota 8th graders also rank high in reading skills.  We have a great base of good schools staffed by committed professionals, and students who give their best effort.   However, current scores may reflect past investments we've made in education, more than the investments currently being made.  Many Minnesota school districts have been cutting programs and cutting staff in an effort to deal with high costs of operating and our state's prolonged budget constraints.  Even with the increased funding provided by the Minnesota Legislature, real per pupil aid for the 2006-2007 school year will still be 9 percent less than in 1990-91.   We need to keep investing in our schools and in our kids' futures.  Take a look at the chart below to see how the averages of scores by Minnesota 8th graders ranked in the 2005 NAEP Basic Skills tests, compared to the average scores of other states.
		Some facts about the young adults our high schools are graduating: "In 2005, Minnesota led the nation for the highest average ACT exam score among states in which more than half the college-bound students took the test." "In addition, Minnesota's score rose for the second consecutive year, although the national average remained the same." "More Minnesota high school seniors took the ACT test, increasing from 66 percent last year to 68 percent." "Since 1994, ACT scores in Minnesota have risen five times as fast as the national average." "Minnesota has the fifth highest high school graduation rate in the nation at 87 percent, vs. the national average of 71 percent."
National Assessment of Educational Progress 2005 8th Grade Proficiency Scores in Mathematics and Reading States Mathematics States Reading United States Average 278 United States Average 260 Massachusetts 292 Massachusetts 274 Minnesota 290 Maine 270 North Dakota 287 New Hampshire 270 South Dakota 287 North Dakota 270 Vermont 287 Montana 269 Montana 286 New Jersey 269 New Hampshire 285 South Dakota 269 Washington 285 Vermont 269 Wisconsin 285 Minnesota 268 Iowa 284 Virginia 268 Kansas 284 Wyoming 268 Nebraska 284 Iowa 267 New Jersey 284 Kansas 267 Virginia 284 Nebraska 267 Ohio 283 Ohio 267 Indiana 282 Pennsylvania 267 North Carolina 282 Delaware 266 Oregon 282 Wisconsin 266 Wyoming 282 Colorado 265 Colorado 281 Missouri 265 Connecticut 281 New York 265 Delaware 281 Washington 265 Idaho 281 Connecticut 264 Maine 281 Idaho 264 Pennsylvania 281 Illinois 264 South Carolina 281 Kentucky 264 Texas 281 Oregon 263 New York 280 Utah 262 Alaska 279 Indiana 261 Utah 279 Maryland 261 Illinois 278 Michigan 261 Maryland 278 Rhode Island 261 Michigan 277 Oklahoma 260 Missouri 276 Alaska 259 Arizona 274 Tennessee 259 Florida 274 Arkansas 258 Kentucky 274 North Carolina 258 Arkansas 272 Texas 258 Georgia 272 Georgia 257 Rhode Island 272 South Carolina 257 Oklahoma 271 Florida 256 Tennessee 271 Arizona 255 Nevada 270 West Virginia 255 California 269 Louisiana 253 West Virginia 269 Nevada 253 Louisiana 268 Alabama 252 Hawaii 266 Mississippi 251 New Mexico 263 New Mexico 251 Alabama 262 California 250 Mississippi 262 Hawaii 249 District of Columbia 245 District of Columbia 238
			General information and perspective from www.parentsunited.org.  Quoted items from www.educationminnesota.org.  Statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, and Minnesota Department of Education.  Per pupil aid for 2006-2007 school year from January 24, 2006 article by Sen. Mark Dayton in Minneapolis Star Tribune.