Rankings & Estimates: Rankings of the States 2010 and Estimates of School Statistics 2011

The data presented in this combined report--"Rankings & Estimates"--provide facts about the extent to which local, state, and national governments commit resources to public education. As one might expect in a nation as diverse as the United States--with respect to economics, geography, and politics--the level of commitment to education varies on a state-by-state basis. Regardless of these variations, improvements in public education can be measured by summary statistics. Thus, National Education Association (NEA) Research offers this report to its state and local affiliates as well as to researchers, policymakers, and the public as a tool to examine public education programs and services. Part I of this combined report--"Rankings 2010"--provides state-level data on an array of topics relevant to the complex enterprise of public education. Since the 1960s, "Rankings" has presented facts and figures useful in determining how states differ from one another--or from national averages--on selected statistics. In addition to identifying emerging trends in key economic, political, and social areas, the state-by-state figures on government financing, state demographics, and public schools permit a statistical assessment of the scope of public education. Of course, no set of tables tells the entire story of a state's education offerings. Consideration of factors such as a state's tax system, provisions for other public services, and population characteristics also are needed. Therefore, it is unwise to draw conclusions based solely on individual statistics in this report. Readers are urged to supplement the ranked data with specific information about state and local service activities related to public education. Part II of this combined report--"Estimates 2011"--is in its 67th year of production. This report provides projections of public school enrollment, employment and compensation of personnel, and finances, as reported by individual state departments of education. Not surprisingly, interest in the improvement and renewal of public education continues to capture the attention of the nation. The state-level data featured in "Estimates" permit broad assessments of trends in staff salaries, sources of school funding, and levels of educational expenditures. The data should be used with the understanding that the reported statewide totals and averages may not reflect the varying conditions that exist among school districts and schools within the state. A glossary is included. (Contains 28 tables and 7 figures.)