BATON ROUGE, La. — According to the latest state rankings released by U.S. News & World Report, which evaluates all 50 states, Louisiana placed 41st in the country for Pre-K-12 education in 2023, moving up five places.
“These positive gains reflect the unwavering commitment educators and policy makers have to improving the quality of education in Louisiana,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. “In a state long-challenged with educational outcomes, this movement is welcome news; however, we have a long way to go and must keep pushing forward.”
Compared to other states, Louisiana made the following improvements:
- College readiness improved two places from 42nd to 40th
- High school graduation improved eight places from 45th to 37th
- Math scores improved six places from 50th to 44th
- Reading scores improved 10 places from 48th to 38th
- Preschool enrollment improved six places from 15th to 9th
For the latest data showing the continued progress of Louisiana students:
- Louisiana's 4th graders led the country in reading growth and the state's overall ranking moved from 46th to 42nd among the states from 2019 to 2022 on NAEP.
- Louisiana’s students earned the most significant year-over-year increase on state assessments since 2016, as students increased three points in both ELA and math.
- Louisiana’s overall School Performance Score returned to its pre-pandemic level.
- Louisiana’s students in grades 1-3 grew on the Fall Reading Report for the second consecutive year.
“I commend the teachers of Louisiana who have shown such dedication to our students,” said Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jenna Chiasson. “They remained focused on academic excellence and these gains are the direct result of that relentless pursuit.”
The U.S. News & World Report measures state performance based on the life cycle of a young person’s education, encompassing preschool enrollment, standardized test scores among eighth-graders, high school graduation rate and college readiness, according to the Louisiana Department of Education.
