Massachusetts named smartest state, New Mexico is dumbest (with list)

Doglips · 10-09-2003, 03:19 PM

Florida were number 40 report is that my spellign took us down a few pegs

Massachusetts Named Smartest State
New Mexico Ranks Lowest

POSTED: 12:44 p.m. EDT October 8, 2003

Massachusetts, home to many great universities, was recognized recently for its excellence in elementary and secondary education. The Bay State wins the 2003 Smartest State Award, an honor announced annually in Education State Rankings, a reference book from Morgan Quitno Press.

At the opposite end of the scale, New Mexico comes in as the lowest ranked state for the second straight year.

The Smartest State Award is based on 21 factors that compare the 50 states in more than 400 elementary and secondary education categories. Factors considered include per pupil expenditures, public high school graduation rates, average class size, student reading, writing and math proficiency, and pupil-teacher ratios and teacher salaries as a percent of average annual pay.

"The Smartest State Award measures the quality of state elementary and secondary education," said Scott Morgan, president of Morgan Quitno Press. "The award recognizes those states with a strong commitment to its students and teachers, an emphasis on excellence in the classroom and support of safe, efficiently run public schools."

Rounding out the top five states with Massachusetts were Vermont, last year's winner Connecticut, Montana, and New Jersey. Others in the lower end of the rankings scale were New Mexico in last place, Nevada in 49th, Mississippi in 48th, Louisiana in 47th and Alabama in 46th places.

2003 Smartest State Rankings
Rank State
1
Massachusetts

2
Vermont

3
Connecticut

4
Montana

5
New Jersey

6
Maine

7
Pennsylvania

8
Wisconsin

8
Iowa

10
New York

11
Nebraska

12
Minnesota

13
Indiana

14
Wyoming

15
Kansas

16
Rhode Island

17
Virginia

18
Maryland

19
Delaware

20
Michigan

21
North Carolina

22
Ohio

23
Alaska

24
North Dakota

25
Utah

26
New Hampshire

27
Illinois

28
Missouri

29
West Virginia

30
Idaho

31
South Dakota

32
Oregon

33
Washington

34
Texas

35
Colorado

36
Georgia

37
Kentucky

38
Arkansas

39
Oklahoma

40
Florida

41
South Carolina

42
Tennessee

43
Hawaii

44
California

45
Arizona

46
Alabama

47
Louisiana

48
Mississippi

49
Nevada

50
New Mexico

Source: Morgan Quitno Press

Copyright 2003 by Local6.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

NRAJOE · 10-09-2003, 04:26 PM

#22? Derrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! :insane:

10-09-2003, 05:09 PM

I seriously doubt that a liberal bed wetting wonderland like Massachusetts is all that smart

Snakebite · 10-09-2003, 05:59 PM

Hey we are #45!! Not bad! Must have moved up a few places. I cant believe a list were Arizona isnt at the bottom. This calls for a celebration!

Dale · 10-09-2003, 06:34 PM

And we're lower than Arkansas?

Something's wrong with that list, lol.

Oxford · 10-09-2003, 07:30 PM

The list may be meaningless. For instance, if we ranked people strictly by their IQ's we'd have a bunch of fast learning egg headed people without necessarily having the skills to do anything.

If states were listed by achievements and performances of the people educated there, this new list might be a better approach to determining the value of their education.

There's a whole lot more to rating the quality of education than the items listed in the original post here.

Ox:nod:

7mmag6 · 10-10-2003, 12:17 AM

u callin uns new mexicans dun r ya wel lissen her you ill tak u outside and givu a beetin lik u neveer had bunch a smarte pants masachewsetes thin you so smaert, will im hear to tel ya u bunche of prissies conuld not held mi jackstap, not that eihter, stoopid buch of pressy eghaeded, nu englenders il take nu mexeco ane day so therwe

Oxford · 10-10-2003, 12:22 AM

That's exactly my point. New Mexicoians know what to do with their education.

:nod:

PAPA G · 10-10-2003, 12:31 AM

thats the problem about education all right. perhaps there should be classes on common sense, and how to use it.

theres lots of smart people that cannot think their way out of a paper bag.

Oxford · 10-10-2003, 12:48 AM

Now if scientists could cull out people without the common sense genes???, that could result in some really quality people left on this earth.

dhermesc · 10-10-2003, 08:46 AM

"Now if scientists could cull out people without the common sense genes???, that could result in some really quality people left on this earth"

Actually nature used to do that for us, now welfare benefits based on the size of your family guarentees the propagation of the lame and lazy.

Ox:
If Missouri could get the KC school district accredited again they would probably move ahead of Kansas. But as long as they focus on social experiments instead of teaching it will remain the mess it is.

Oxford · 10-10-2003, 09:51 AM

Dhermesc...I believe you're right. That school district, in my opinion, is controlled by people who are self destructive. They've got a long ways to go before their products (students) compare to anything graduating from Kansas. Without the entire state of MO funding their programs, which they received for about fifteen years, they're being forced into closing several schools and programs which were previously propped up with other Missouri school district's financial support.

I think they'll become more realistic now that the federal lawsuit is over because they'll be forced to get real with their own resources. To their credit, I think their present Superintendent must be doing a much better job than several of those previously in that position. His task is almost insurmountable considering who he has to work with.

However, with the people who primarily make up their population, I don't believe they'll ever have much more than a low achieving school district again. :nod:

alan c. · 10-10-2003, 12:01 PM

Texas #34 it should have been lower due to the flood of illegals here.

Rave · 10-13-2003, 09:05 AM

If Mass. is so smart,they don't have any excuse for their politics!

10-09-2003, 03:19 PM	#1
Doglips Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Cocoa Florida Posts: 9,088	Massachusetts named smartest state, New Mexico is dumbest (with list) Florida were number 40 report is that my spellign took us down a few pegs Massachusetts Named Smartest State New Mexico Ranks Lowest POSTED: 12:44 p.m. EDT October 8, 2003 Massachusetts, home to many great universities, was recognized recently for its excellence in elementary and secondary education. The Bay State wins the 2003 Smartest State Award, an honor announced annually in Education State Rankings, a reference book from Morgan Quitno Press. At the opposite end of the scale, New Mexico comes in as the lowest ranked state for the second straight year. The Smartest State Award is based on 21 factors that compare the 50 states in more than 400 elementary and secondary education categories. Factors considered include per pupil expenditures, public high school graduation rates, average class size, student reading, writing and math proficiency, and pupil-teacher ratios and teacher salaries as a percent of average annual pay. "The Smartest State Award measures the quality of state elementary and secondary education," said Scott Morgan, president of Morgan Quitno Press. "The award recognizes those states with a strong commitment to its students and teachers, an emphasis on excellence in the classroom and support of safe, efficiently run public schools." Rounding out the top five states with Massachusetts were Vermont, last year's winner Connecticut, Montana, and New Jersey. Others in the lower end of the rankings scale were New Mexico in last place, Nevada in 49th, Mississippi in 48th, Louisiana in 47th and Alabama in 46th places. 2003 Smartest State Rankings Rank State 1 Massachusetts 2 Vermont 3 Connecticut 4 Montana 5 New Jersey 6 Maine 7 Pennsylvania 8 Wisconsin 8 Iowa 10 New York 11 Nebraska 12 Minnesota 13 Indiana 14 Wyoming 15 Kansas 16 Rhode Island 17 Virginia 18 Maryland 19 Delaware 20 Michigan 21 North Carolina 22 Ohio 23 Alaska 24 North Dakota 25 Utah 26 New Hampshire 27 Illinois 28 Missouri 29 West Virginia 30 Idaho 31 South Dakota 32 Oregon 33 Washington 34 Texas 35 Colorado 36 Georgia 37 Kentucky 38 Arkansas 39 Oklahoma 40 Florida 41 South Carolina 42 Tennessee 43 Hawaii 44 California 45 Arizona 46 Alabama 47 Louisiana 48 Mississippi 49 Nevada 50 New Mexico Source: Morgan Quitno Press Copyright 2003 by Local6.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

10-09-2003, 06:34 PM	#5
Dale Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Too Dang Hot, Arizona Posts: 4,284	And we're lower than Arkansas? Something's wrong with that list, lol. __________________ "It confuses me how some people can vigorously go against the 2nd. Amendment and still call themselves patriotic"-me

10-09-2003, 07:30 PM	#6
Oxford Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Gladstone, Missouri Posts: 13,074 Blog Entries: 4	The list may be meaningless. For instance, if we ranked people strictly by their IQ's we'd have a bunch of fast learning egg headed people without necessarily having the skills to do anything. If states were listed by achievements and performances of the people educated there, this new list might be a better approach to determining the value of their education. There's a whole lot more to rating the quality of education than the items listed in the original post here. Ox:nod: __________________ "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right".

10-10-2003, 12:17 AM	#7
7mmag6 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 337 Images: 1	u callin uns new mexicans dun r ya wel lissen her you ill tak u outside and givu a beetin lik u neveer had bunch a smarte pants masachewsetes thin you so smaert, will im hear to tel ya u bunche of prissies conuld not held mi jackstap, not that eihter, stoopid buch of pressy eghaeded, nu englenders il take nu mexeco ane day so therwe __________________ This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine

10-10-2003, 12:22 AM	#8
Oxford Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Gladstone, Missouri Posts: 13,074 Blog Entries: 4	That's exactly my point. New Mexicoians know what to do with their education. :nod: __________________ "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right".

10-09-2003, 04:26 PM	#2
NRAJOE Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Toledo,OH Posts: 19,209 Images: 3	#22? Derrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! :insane: __________________ U.S. Army 1976-1979 237th Combat Engineers Heilbronn, Germany

10-09-2003, 05:09 PM	#3
Logansdad Guest Posts: n/a	I seriously doubt that a liberal bed wetting wonderland like Massachusetts is all that smart

10-09-2003, 05:59 PM	#4
Snakebite Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tucson, Mexico Posts: 1,844	Hey we are #45!! Not bad! Must have moved up a few places. I cant believe a list were Arizona isnt at the bottom. This calls for a celebration!

10-10-2003, 12:31 AM	#9
PAPA G Guest Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: somerset, kentucky Posts: 11	OXFORD...... thats the problem about education all right. perhaps there should be classes on common sense, and how to use it. theres lots of smart people that cannot think their way out of a paper bag.

10-10-2003, 12:48 AM	#10
Oxford Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Gladstone, Missouri Posts: 13,074 Blog Entries: 4	Now if scientists could cull out people without the common sense genes???, that could result in some really quality people left on this earth. __________________ "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right".

10-10-2003, 08:46 AM	#11
dhermesc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: East Central Kansas Posts: 1,762	"Now if scientists could cull out people without the common sense genes???, that could result in some really quality people left on this earth" Actually nature used to do that for us, now welfare benefits based on the size of your family guarentees the propagation of the lame and lazy. Ox: If Missouri could get the KC school district accredited again they would probably move ahead of Kansas. But as long as they focus on social experiments instead of teaching it will remain the mess it is. __________________ Liberty is for those that claim it.

10-10-2003, 09:51 AM	#12
Oxford Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Gladstone, Missouri Posts: 13,074 Blog Entries: 4	Dhermesc...I believe you're right. That school district, in my opinion, is controlled by people who are self destructive. They've got a long ways to go before their products (students) compare to anything graduating from Kansas. Without the entire state of MO funding their programs, which they received for about fifteen years, they're being forced into closing several schools and programs which were previously propped up with other Missouri school district's financial support. I think they'll become more realistic now that the federal lawsuit is over because they'll be forced to get real with their own resources. To their credit, I think their present Superintendent must be doing a much better job than several of those previously in that position. His task is almost insurmountable considering who he has to work with. However, with the people who primarily make up their population, I don't believe they'll ever have much more than a low achieving school district again. :nod: __________________ "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right".

10-10-2003, 12:01 PM	#13
alan c. Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pasadena,Tejas - also known as Texas Posts: 3,769 Images: 15 Blog Entries: 2	Texas #34 it should have been lower due to the flood of illegals here. __________________ God Bless. From Tejas -- formerly known as Texas.

10-13-2003, 09:05 AM	#14
Rave Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tampa Posts: 7,018	If Mass. is so smart,they don't have any excuse for their politics! __________________ USAF '62-'66 .