Report: Pa. tops Ohio for chances at success

Both states are above the national average in the chance-for-success category.

By HAROLD GWIN

VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Children growing up in Pennsylvania still have a better chance at achieving success in life than those growing up in Ohio, according to a national education survey.

Education Week, American education’s “Newspaper of Record,” released its “Quality Counts 2008” report Wednesday, showing that the Keystone state still ranks ahead of Ohio in a wide range of education, economic and personal factors that make up a “Chance for Success” index rating.

Pennsylvania scored higher that Ohio in that category in “Quality Counts 2007” as well.

The 2008 report shows Pennsylvania ranks 10th among the 50 states and District of Columbia while Ohio ranks 25th. Pennsylvania’s overall score was 83.7 while Ohio had 79.6. Both are above the national average of 78.4.

The category looks at 13 factors, including categories such as family income, parental education and employment, preschool enrollments, performance on proficiency tests and adult educational attainment and income.

Pennsylvania outscored Ohio in all areas except the percentage of children whose parents speak fluent English (94.1 vs. 96.6 percent) and percentage of eligible children enrolled in kindergarten (73.2 vs. 71.8 percent).

Pennsylvania also scored higher than Ohio in the separate category of K-12 academic achievement, which looks at performance in 18 distinct performance measures.

Pennsylvania had an average proficiency score of 77.2, putting it fifth among the states, as compared to 72.4 for Ohio, good for a 14th-place ranking.

Ohio got an A and seventh-place ranking under the policy indicators that looked at academic content standards and assessments as well as school accountability. Pennsylvania managed only a C+ and a rank of 32nd.

Both states got a C+ in the category of efforts to improve teaching. Ohio was ranked 14th while Pennsylvania was ranked 15th.

Both also got a B- under the school finance category, which looked at equity and spending indicators, with Ohio ranking 13th and Pennsylvania 15th.

Ohio spent an average of $9,441 per pupil in fiscal 2005 while Pennsylvania spent $9,985. The national average was $8,973.

The Quality Counts reports, launched in 1997, are designed to encourage states to improve their education links from preschool through adulthood.

gwin@vindy.com