States Ranked: Smartest to the Dumbest

[Xevious]

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/package.jsp?name=fte/smartstates/smartstates

Interesting article. Many CAG's in New Mexico might be upset.

[cyberlian]

If alabama isn't at the bottom, then I think the article looses credibility...
I also noticed that some of the smartest states were some of the smallest states

[SneakyPenguin]

Damn, why does DLF have to live in NY? He brought the whole state down to 6th place.

[FriskyTanuki]

Nice, #20, problem is that I live in #48 now. I can vouch that this has some credibilty.

[evilmax17]

Woo!

[Dok Diamond]

No. 9 not bad

[x0thedeadzone0x]

Woo!

:D

[Gothic Walrus]

Massachusetts is ranked first. Kerry is from Massachusetts.

Texas is 31st. Bush is from Texas.

I think that's another indication of who we should be voting for... :wink:

[punqsux]

it scares me that new your is in the top 10...i dont think i want to go to any states under 10 if ny is 6 =o\

[neocisco]

#38!!!!! Sweet!! I expected below 50, including some of the U.S. territories.

[RedvsBlue]

Massachusetts is ranked first. Kerry is from Massachusetts.

Texas is 31st. Bush is from Texas.

I think that's another indication of who we should be voting for... :wink:

I knew that wouldn't take long.

[killswitch64]

Rock on. Montana is in the top 10!

[evilmax17]

I was going to stay away from politics, but I think it's funny that one of the most liberal states is also the smartest, and that all 6 New England states are in the top 50%. Kind of tells you something...

[CaseyRyback]

Massachusetts is ranked first. Kerry is from Massachusetts.

Texas is 31st. Bush is from Texas.

I think that's another indication of who we should be voting for... :wink:

I am pretty sure he was born in Maine.

Also I do not think that many schools in the south would have been so hot on male cheerleading

[RedvsBlue]

I was going to stay away from politics, but I think it's funny that one of the most liberal states is also the smartest, and that all 6 New England states are in the top 50%. Kind of tells you something...

Yeah but they're also notoriously the most stuffy and snobby states as well...

[Admiral Ackbar]

Delaware is AVERAGE! Yay!

It's all those folks south of New Castle County draggin' us down :P

[alfonsosoriano]

Woo! Go CT! #2!

[CaseyRyback]

only reason NC is so low is due to the excessively high drop out rates. I think I read only 67 percent of students graduate

[Mafia]

Connecticut.
#2 smartest state in the country.
Having lived in CT my whole life, that doesn't seem quite right.
How can we be #2 when our former Governor was corrupt, a mayor took money for land deals, and another former mayor is a child molestor? WTF?
Oh wait, we also lost our only major pro sports team a few years back as well. Yeah, that makes us REAL intelligent.

And going by their standards, I guess my high school was tame, and I guess that negated the fact that average class size was around 32 when I graduated and hasn't gotten much better since.

[craven_fiend]

I don't see how Indiana isn't in the bottom 10, instead we are 17. I see far more idoits than I do intellegent people. That may be because I live in a shithole of a city, but I think from my experience, people in Indiana aren't the brightest tools in the shed.

[CappyCobra]

I was going to stay away from politics, but I think it's funny that one of the most liberal states is also the smartest, and that all 6 New England states are in the top 50%. Kind of tells you something...

Yeah but they're also notoriously the most stuffy and snobby states as well...

At least we are not as likely of having predisposed stereotypes since we are better educated :)

BTW a modest #2 ;)

[RedvsBlue]

Massachusetts is ranked first. Kerry is from Massachusetts.

Texas is 31st. Bush is from Texas.

I think that's another indication of who we should be voting for... :wink:

I am pretty sure he was born in Maine.

Also I do not think that many schools in the south would have been so hot on male cheerleading

It was Connecticut(#2) that Bush was born in and Kerry was born in Colorado(#21). Still wanna decide the election based on this Gothic Walrus, taking into account that this list is based only on public education, which would have ended for each of the cadidates years ago?

[jmcc]

Alright! So despite our massive consumptions of brats and brandy Wisconsin's brains work better than most!

[evilmax17]

Massachusetts is ranked first. Kerry is from Massachusetts.

Texas is 31st. Bush is from Texas.

I think that's another indication of who we should be voting for... :wink:

I am pretty sure he was born in Maine.

Also I do not think that many schools in the south would have been so hot on male cheerleading

It was Connecticut(#2) that Bush was born in and Kerry was born in Colorado(#21). Still wanna decide the election based on this Gothic Walrus, taking into account that this list is based only on public education, which would have ended for each of the cadidates years ago?

Well, these rankings were made for the school systems TODAY. Wasn't Bush the govenor of Texas 4 years ago, and don't govenors have a lot to do with the school systems?

[CaseyRyback]

Massachusetts is ranked first. Kerry is from Massachusetts.

Texas is 31st. Bush is from Texas.

I think that's another indication of who we should be voting for... :wink:

I am pretty sure he was born in Maine.

Also I do not think that many schools in the south would have been so hot on male cheerleading

It was Connecticut(#2) that Bush was born in and Kerry was born in Colorado(#21). Still wanna decide the election based on this Gothic Walrus, taking into account that this list is based only on public education, which would have ended for each of the cadidates years ago?

Well, these rankings were made for the school systems TODAY. Wasn't Bush the govenor of Texas 4 years ago, and don't govenors have a lot to do with the school systems?

what do you mean? Like no child left behind being the biggest crock of shit ever?

This is the same guy who used to have people who weren't smart enough to do well on the TAAS test not take it to inflate the averages

[CappyCobra]

Massachusetts is ranked first. Kerry is from Massachusetts.

Texas is 31st. Bush is from Texas.

I think that's another indication of who we should be voting for... :wink:

I am pretty sure he was born in Maine.

Also I do not think that many schools in the south would have been so hot on male cheerleading

It was Connecticut(#2) that Bush was born in and Kerry was born in Colorado(#21). Still wanna decide the election based on this Gothic Walrus, taking into account that this list is based only on public education, which would have ended for each of the cadidates years ago?

Well, these rankings were made for the school systems TODAY. Wasn't Bush the govenor of Texas 4 years ago, and don't govenors have a lot to do with the school systems?

Not to mention that Bush was only BORN in New Haven, Connecticut. He grew up in Midland and Houston, Texas. Meaning his EDUCATION came from Texas.

[Doylerulez]

The biggest surprise for me is Jersey, nothing wrong with them but the few people I knew in college from the Garden state weren't the brightest. They were communications majors though, so that's kinda unfair.

[epobirs]

The NEA has vastly more to do with educational failure than any state governor.

The two candidates had their K-12 educations several decades ago. (Much of Kerry's entirely outside the US.) Things have gone downhill horribly throughout the country since then. I thought things couldn't get much worse than some of the seatwarmers called teachers I dealt with back in the 70's but the experiences my siblings have had with their kids has proven that wrong. They've got some people teaching classes now who'd be stocking shelves at Wal-mart if they didn't have the union's backing.

[RedvsBlue]

Massachusetts is ranked first. Kerry is from Massachusetts.

Texas is 31st. Bush is from Texas.

I think that's another indication of who we should be voting for... :wink:

I am pretty sure he was born in Maine.

Also I do not think that many schools in the south would have been so hot on male cheerleading

It was Connecticut(#2) that Bush was born in and Kerry was born in Colorado(#21). Still wanna decide the election based on this Gothic Walrus, taking into account that this list is based only on public education, which would have ended for each of the cadidates years ago?

Well, these rankings were made for the school systems TODAY. Wasn't Bush the govenor of Texas 4 years ago, and don't govenors have a lot to do with the school systems?

Ok if that's the direction you want to go I will fall back on my own personal experience having gone to public school in both Minnesota (#7) and Texas (#31). I, personally, feel that the schools in Texas were run a hell of a lot better.

The problem with measuring just the amount of money spent is that it doesn't take into account the effectiveness of this money being spent. I know what your thinking though, "sure it does, it measures dropouts also" There's a problem with that also because certain parts of the country (like massachusets) have little to no pverty. Other states like Texas, have their fair share of lower income households. What happens to teenagers in high school who are living in lower incomes? They either devote less time to school(lower standardized test scores) or simply drop out to work full time. This leads the argument to areas in which the poll does not measure, which is why I believe that, while amusing, this report is not extensive enough nor scientific.

[int80h]

20. Ohio

At least we beat m*ch*g@n

[epobirs]

Money spent on education is very rarely a measure of quality. We outspend most of the developed world but consistently get the worst ROI. I'd bring back corporal punishment, up to and including summary execution for the most disruptive kids. That would have put my head on the chopping block way back when but I can see where my 'freedom to express myself' led.

[jmcc]

This political discussion is boring and stupid and off this thread's topic. Take it to the vs. forum. This is about making fun of New York's pathetic 6th place.

[RBM]

...from my experience, people in Indiana aren't the brightest tools in the shed.

:lol:
...the brightest bulbs in the shed or the sharpest tools in the shed. Take your pick, but don't waste time polishing your black & decker.

[RedvsBlue]

This political discussion is boring and stupid and off this thread's topic. Take it to the vs. forum. This is about making fun of New York's pathetic 6th place.

Says Wisconsin (#5).

Besides if this thread is so boring how come you posted?

[fieldkillah]

#1

[MadChedar0]

Massachusetts is ranked first. Kerry is from Massachusetts.

Texas is 31st. Bush is from Texas.

I think that's another indication of who we should be voting for... :wink:

I am pretty sure he was born in Maine.

Also I do not think that many schools in the south would have been so hot on male cheerleading

It was Connecticut(#2) that Bush was born in and Kerry was born in Colorado(#21). Still wanna decide the election based on this Gothic Walrus, taking into account that this list is based only on public education, which would have ended for each of the cadidates years ago?

Well, these rankings were made for the school systems TODAY. Wasn't Bush the govenor of Texas 4 years ago, and don't govenors have a lot to do with the school systems?

Ok if that's the direction you want to go I will fall back on my own personal experience having gone to public school in both Minnesota (#7) and Texas (#31). I, personally, feel that the schools in Texas were run a hell of a lot better.

The problem with measuring just the amount of money spent is that it doesn't take into account the effectiveness of this money being spent. I know what your thinking though, "sure it does, it measures dropouts also" There's a problem with that also because certain parts of the country (like massachusets) have little to no pverty. Other states like Texas, have their fair share of lower income households. What happens to teenagers in high school who are living in lower incomes? They either devote less time to school(lower standardized test scores) or simply drop out to work full time. This leads the argument to areas in which the poll does not measure, which is why I believe that, while amusing, this report is not extensive enough nor scientific.

Having gone to schools in both NY and TX, NY completely and utterly destroys the education system in Texas. It's not a surprise that the southern states have poor ratings. As to why TX's education system is in such despair, the answer lies in that there is no state income tax! So theres less money to go around, with property taxes funding the system...
/end rant

[Monsta Mack]

Connecticut.
#2 smartest state in the country.
Having lived in CT my whole life, that doesn't seem quite right.
How can we be #2 when our former Governor was corrupt, a mayor took money for land deals, and another former mayor is a child molestor? WTF?
Oh wait, we also lost our only major pro sports team a few years back as well. Yeah, that makes us REAL intelligent.

And going by their standards, I guess my high school was tame, and I guess that negated the fact that average class size was around 32 when I graduated and hasn't gotten much better since.

What Mafia says. CT fucking sucks.

[Trakan]

Wisconsin is 5th. :D

[Xevious]

I'm from Ohio, but I current reside in California. I am glad I didnt go to school in California.

[Mafia]

What Mafia says. CT shaq-fuing sucks.

I'll say this. A couple of the schools in and around my town are apparently coming in under the No Child Left Behind standards, one of which I went to, which was also named one of the top elementary schools in the state. Now, maybe it did decline in the last 10 years or so, but somehow I don't see how a really good school can go down the shitter that fast and be told it's not good enough.

The whole basing a school based on standardized tests sucks anyway.

Ehh, fuck it all. Connecitcut still sucks.

[Nirvanaguy777]

yea # 6, NY baby

[ayolykewhoa]

YEAH!

[zewone]

I must be an idiot because I live in California.

[swetooth9]

damn, i would think North Carolina was at least in the top 15...

eh...25 is average...

[smellhasreturned]

14th woohoo

[GuilewasNK]

This political discussion is boring and stupid and off this thread's topic. Take it to the vs. forum.

Agreed.

I will say this much...

I went to high schools is 3 different states.

North Dakota
Virginia
and Maryland....

There is no way in HELL Maryland and Virginia should be rated above North Dakota. ND had much better schools, teachers and students.

"These included such positive attributes as per-pupil expenditures, public high school graduation rates, average class size, student reading and math proficiency, and pupil-teacher ratios. States received negative points for high drop-out rates and physical violence."

Maryland and Virginia should have been lower on the points I put in boldface alone.

[CappyCobra]

Edu Rank Per Capita rank
#1 Massachusetts #3 $35,333
#2 Connecticut #1 $38,450
#3 Vermont #24 $26,620
#4 New Jersey #2 $35,521
#5 Wisconsin #21 $26,941
#6 New York #5 $32,451
#7 Minnesota #7 $30,675
#8 Iowa #31 $25,461
#9 Pennsylvania #15 $28,565
#10 Montana #45 $22,526

With the exception of mainly Montana & Iowa, it very much seems to be that higher income = higher grades. (Good job on Montana & Iowa's part! ;))

http://www.census.gov/statab/ranks/rank29.html

[beerguy961]

So Cal is throwing down California man. Us Nor Cal people are way smarter than #43. Also, the immigrants man... More reason for California to be split into Northern California and Souther California. We get Silicon Valley and Tahoe, they get Hollywood and Mexico...

[daikaiju]

#9 Pennsylvania #15 $28,565



Interesting statistics there... hailing from western PA, I have to wonder if this poll gets bolstered by eastern PA, as it certainly is financially distressed in most areas around here.

[AlbinoNinja]

Holy crap jersey's #4!?!
i would have been pleased if it was in the top 20, but FOUR?

[gameguy22006]

Yay! Number 7! :D

[CappyCobra]

#9 Pennsylvania #15 $28,565



Interesting statistics there... hailing from western PA, I have to wonder if this poll gets bolstered by eastern PA, as it certainly is financially distressed in most areas around here.

Wouldn't see why not. As Mark Twain once put it "There are lies. There are damn lies. And then there is statistics" :roll:

CT is only up there because of Southern Fairfield County. They are loaded. The rest of CT is broke.:(

[deathcabforcutie]

yeee hawww! number 44! way to go alabama! hey.. atleast our football team (auburn) is whoopin some ass nationwide, so we got atleast SOMETHING to be proud of! :-)

[spyhunterk19]

Massachusetts is ranked first. Kerry is from Massachusetts.

Texas is 31st. Bush is from Texas.

I think that's another indication of who we should be voting for... :wink:

I am pretty sure he was born in Maine.

Also I do not think that many schools in the south would have been so hot on male cheerleading

Um...do u mean that george bush was a male cheerleader? Cause im pretty sure he was.

[Mr Unoriginal]

Holy crap jersey's #4!?!
i would have been pleased if it was in the top 20, but FOUR?

They must have just ignored Newark, Trenton, Paterson, West Orange, Union, and the Caldwells.

[Skylander7]

If alabama isn't at the bottom, then I think the article looses credibility...
I also noticed that some of the smartest states were some of the smallest states

Hey, I live in Alabama... and totally agree with you.

[rockhero]

#1!

[ryanbph]

Go MA....and as for new england states ranking high...it isn't due to their political leaning, it has to do with work ethic...and states from the north east have a higher work drive then the rest of the country...

[epobirs]

So Cal is throwing down California man. Us Nor Cal people are way smarter than #43. Also, the immigrants man... More reason for California to be split into Northern California and Souther California. We get Silicon Valley and Tahoe, they get Hollywood and Mexico...

Oh please, not with the pit that is Oakland on your side of this state's version of the Mason-Dixon Line. And need I remind you that much of the 'self-esteem uber alles' mentality that utterly nuked the educational standards of this state and others emanated out of the San Franciso, Berkley, and Marin County agglomeration of irrational beliefs tha feel good so they must be right?

Silicon Valley is of little help here. The majority of those doing the intellectual grunt work in the tech outfits didn't get their K-12 in California, north or south. Silicon Valley doesn't run the schools. It might be a major improvement if they did, so long as the dot.bomb-New Economy scamsters weren't put in charge.

[greendj27]

yeee hawww! number 44! way to go alabama! hey.. atleast our football team (auburn) is whoopin some ass nationwide, so we got atleast SOMETHING to be proud of! :-)

Yeah but so is Wisconsin and we are ranked fifth overall. We're smart and playing good football. :twisted:

[1SwtDeception]

Yay! Number 7! :D

yeaps a nice YAY for MN being the "lucky number 7". ^_^ Isn't it also MPLS one of the most healthiest cities too? I don't recall.. but wow #7 for MN is alright.

[el bobo]

I've lived in
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Maine
You can tell, as I moved the states rank declined just because of me! ^_^

[Kaijufan]

Being number 8 is pretty good. I always hear that Iowa schools are really good.

[yeahokthenfu]

Well I did on my learning in #39, got As most the time, now I live in #43 and I swear Im a total dumbass

[sblymnlcrymnl]

Kansas is 15th, that's not bad if you ignore all the people who have to drive 2 hours just to see a walmart.

[Kaijufan]

Kansas is 15th, that's not bad if you ignore all the people who have to drive 2 hours just to see a walmart.
Thats very, very sad.

[evilpenguin9000]

Hmmm Va. is 12th, I'd have guessed much lower judging from the people I see out. Maybe it's my proximity to North Carolina.

[evilmojo12542]

hmmmmm 17 thought for sure we might be lower than that

[jlarlee]

good to see MA residents were not docked for being sox fans. JK im a fellow sufferer. #11 is not bad but I usally see Maine being top 5 in these kinds of lists

[Danimal]

Go, Massachusetts! # 1, second year in a row. And this despite me living here.

[Tennisjon2002]

I am suprised NC did so well. Out side of the triangle area (where I live) everyone ,for the most part, is a dumbass redneck

[hokel]

Ohio...#20...seems about right.

[ElfAngel7]

i'm oddly not surprised Florida is so low. I'm actually shocked it's not lower

[Indiana]

Massachusetts is ranked first. Kerry is from Massachusetts.

Texas is 31st. Bush is from Texas.

I think that's another indication of who we should be voting for... :wink:

That makes perfect sense to me!!! Bush is probably bringing his whole state down! :shock:

[chickenhawk]

Old state, MInnesota, is in the top 10, new (and original) state, Illinois is in the middle of the pack. Which to say I am from? :)