Education Week's 2007 "Quality Counts" report rates the education systems of each state, and its data prove what Minnesotans have long believed -- our schools are among the nation's best.

Education Week used a new approach this year to evaluate states' systems, producing what it calls an individual's chance of success over his or her lifetime. Only Virginia and Connecticut exceed Minnesota under the "Chance for Success Index."

In early childhood education, however, the study found Minnesota lagging. Minnesota ranks 14th among states in the percentage of 3- to 4-year-olds enrolled in preschool, at 47.4 percent. Minnesota is 26th in the percent of eligible children enrolled in kindergarten, at 74.9 percent. Both percentages are below the national average

The index used 13 indicators to rank states, including family income, parent education, high school graduation and adult educational attainment.

Below are some of Minnesota's results:

Category	Minnesota's ranking
Overall chance for success	3
Per capita spending on child care services	22
4th-grade math proficiency, NAEP	2
8th-grade math proficiency, NAEP	2
4th-grade reading proficiency, NAEP	5
8th-grade reading proficiency, NAEP	5
Public high school students who graduate with a diploma	7
9th graders who finish school in four years and enroll in college	1
Cost of 2-year public institution as a percent of median family income	39