Quality Counts
Quality Counts 2020: Chance for Success
A Report Card for States and the Nation on Success Indicators
January 22, 2020
Geography may not be destiny, but things can look very different depending on what state you live in and what the data say about your lifetime prospects. This first of three Quality Counts 2020 installments evaluates the nation and the states on 13 family, school, and socioeconomic markers from the early years and K-12, into adulthood and the working world that make up the EdWeek Research Center’s Chance-for-Success Index. It includes top-to-bottom rankings and letter grades for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, along with analysis about what’s working, what’s not, and how policymakers can respond. In June, the second installment of Quality Counts 2020 will focus on school finance. September’s third and final installment features the K-12 Achievement Index, and has pull together all the strands of this year’s data for final summative grades and scores on all the states and the nation.
- School & District Management From Our Research Center What Sets the Stage for a Lifetime of Achievement?Learn more about Education Week’s Chance-for-Success Index, which weighs more than a dozen family, school, and socioeconomic indicators that play into a student’s prospects for positive outcomes.School & District Management From Our Research Center Nation Shows Scant Progress in Assuring Bright Prospects for All StudentsFor the 13th year, the nation posts C-level grades when it comes to preparing residents for a lifetime of success, Education Week’s latest analysis shows.States From Our Research Center State and National Highlights Reports (Quality Counts 2020)These reports capture key data you need to assess your state's performance on key academic, school funding, and socioeconomic indicators.States From Our Research Center State Grades on Chance for Success: 2020 Map and RankingsExamine the grades and scores that states and the nation earned on the Chance-for-Success Index in Quality Counts 2020, along with how they scored on a host of socioeconomic and other indicators that go into those rankings.School & District Management D.C. Gains Momentum in Boosting Opportunities for StudentsThe District of Columbia trailed behind most of the country in 2008 in offering students a chance for success. It's now No. 7, the nation’s most improved in that time.School & District Management From Our Research Center When It Comes to Nurturing Student Success, N.M. Ranks Last. Can It Turn Things Around?Early-childhood education is a priority for New Mexico, and a first-term governor has approved school funding increases, but the state remains challenged by issues of poverty and educational governance.School & District Management From Our Research Center This State Leads the Pack in Nurturing Most Students. Can It Help the Rest?Massachusetts ranks high in laying the groundwork for moving through its educational system, but officials are keenly aware that children in poverty, those with special needs, and English-learners can fall short.Families & the Community From Our Research Center English Fluency Among Parents: Why It Matters for Student SuccessHow does the lack of fluency in English impact a student's chance for success in school? And what can we learn from new nationwide data on parental fluency?School & District Management From Our Research Center What's Behind the Grades and Scores?How does the EdWeek Research Center determine the grades given to states and the nation in the 2020 Quality Counts report? Learn more about the report's grading scale, methodology, and sources.
In March 2024, Education Week announced the end of the Quality Counts report after 25 years of serving as a comprehensive K-12 education scorecard. In response to new challenges and a shifting landscape, we are refocusing our efforts on research and analysis to better serve the K-12 community. For more information, please go here for the full context or learn more about the EdWeek Research Center.