Michigan vs Minnesota

Michigan and Minnesota spend roughly the same amount per pupil, and yet the performance of Minnesota students on national tests is far superior to that of Michigan students, including low-income students. Proponents of the Minnesota system note that the North Star state budgets its money differently. Below, how students in the two states stack up on the NAEP, often called the nation’s report card.

Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress.

* Note: Students identified as poor are those eligible for a free or reduced lunch. Those identified as “not poor” are all other students.

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How Minnesota and Michigan students compare on the NAEP

by Mike Wilkinson, Bridge Michigan
September 16, 2014

<h1>How Minnesota and Michigan students compare on the NAEP</h1> <p class="byline">by Mike Wilkinson, Bridge Michigan <br />September 16, 2014</p> <p> </p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Michigan vs Minnesota</h2> <p class="editorsnote">Michigan and Minnesota spend roughly the same amount per pupil, and yet the performance of Minnesota students on national tests is far superior to that of Michigan students, including low-income students. Proponents of the Minnesota system note that the North Star state budgets its money differently. Below, how students in the two states stack up on the NAEP, often called the nation’s report card.</p> </p> <div id="container"></div> <figure class="wp-block-table"> <table class="has-fixed-layout"> <tbody> <tr> <th> <h3>4th grade math</h3> </th> <th> <h3>8th grade math</h3> </th> </tr> <tr> <td>All students</td> <td>All students</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Poor* students</td> <td>Poor students</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Not poor</td> <td>Not poor</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Black students</td> <td>Black students</td> </tr> <tr> <td>White students</td> <td>White students</td> </tr> <tr> <th> <h3>4th grade reading</h3> </th> <th> <h3>8th grade reading</h3> </th> </tr> <tr> <td>All students</td> <td>All students</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Poor* students</td> <td>Poor students</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Not poor</td> <td>Not poor</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Black students</td> <td>Black students</td> </tr> <tr> <td>White students</td> <td>White students</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </figure> <p> $(function () {<br /> var chart = new Highcharts.Chart({<br /> title: {<br /> text: '',<br /> x: 0 //center<br /> },<br /> subtitle: {<br /> text: '',<br /> x: 0<br /> },<br /> chart: {<br /> renderTo: 'container'<br /> },<br /> xAxis: {<br /> categories: ['2003', '2005', '2007', '2009', '2011', '2013']<br /> },<br /> yAxis: {<br /> title: {<br /> text: 'NAEP scale scores'<br /> },<br /> plotLines: [{<br /> value: 0,<br /> allowDecimals: false,<br /> minRange: 200,<br /> width: 1,<br /> color: '#808080'<br /> }]<br /> },<br /> tooltip: {<br /> valueSuffix: ''<br /> },<br /> plotOptions: {<br /> spline: {<br /> marker: {<br /> radius: 4,<br /> lineColor: '#666666',<br /> lineWidth: 1<br /> }<br /> },<br /> series: {<br /> connectNulls: true<br /> }<br /> },<br /> series: [{<br /> name: "Minnesota",<br /> data: [241.91, 245.75, 247, 249.46, 249.19, 253.42]<br /> }, {<br /> name: "Michigan",<br /> data: [235.69, 237.71, 237.61, 236.28, 236.4, 236.82]<br /> }]<br /> });<br /> $(".test").change(function () {<br /> var value = this.getAttribute("value");<br /> if (value == 'a') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '4th grade math, all'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([241.91, 245.75, 247, 249.46, 249.19, 253.42]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([235.69, 237.71, 237.61, 236.28, 236.4, 236.82]);<br /> } else if (value == 'b') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '4th grade math, poor students'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([225.98, 231.14, 221.53, 233.65, 235.23, 237.24]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([220.2, 223.23, 223.95, 222.2, 223.72, 224.17]);<br /> } else if (value == 'c') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '4th grade math, not poor'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([247.94, 251.85, 253.45, 256.75, 257.73, 262.63]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([244.67, 245.82, 246.01, 247.13, 246.95, 251.79]);<br /> } else if (value == 'd') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '4th grade math, black students'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([218.75, 218.91, 221.53, 226.79, 224.51, 232.03]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([209.45, 210.55, 215.57, 211.62, 211.2, 212.35]);<br /> } else if (value == 'e') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '4th grade math, white students'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([246.3, 250.94, 252.08, 254.8, 255.09, 259.03]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([244.02, 245.48, 243.69, 243.18, 241.9, 243.96]);<br /> } else if (value == 'f') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '8th grade math, all students'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([290.68, 290.07, 291.85, 294.44, 294.95, 294.59]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([276.44, 277.35, 276.83, 278.27, 280.18, 280.13]);<br /> } else if (value == 'g') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '8th grade math, poor students'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([270.87, 270.38, 259.6, 273.23, 276.24, 275.18]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([257.11, 258.36, 259.35, 260.27, 265.59, 265.33]);<br /> } else if (value == 'h') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '8th grade math, not poor'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([296.6, 297.37, 298.35, 302.25, 303.58, 303.97]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([284.59, 284.75, 285.37, 289.14, 290.74, 292.81]);<br /> } else if (value == 'i') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '8th grade math, black students'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([251.31, 250.71, 259.6, 263.62, 266.37, 260.07]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([244.94, 247.5, 243.89, 245.83, 249.88, 251.01]);<br /> } else if (value == 'j') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '8th grade math, white students'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([295.44, 296.26, 296.98, 300.38, 301.61, 301.22]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([286.15, 285.46, 284.98, 286.16, 285.77, 286.75]);<br /> } else if (value == 'k') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '4th grade reading, all'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([222.61, 225.23, 224.92, 223.34, 222.31, 227.03]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([218.79, 218.26, 220.12, 218.24, 218.86, 217.37]);<br /> } else if (value == 'l') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '4th grade reading, poor students'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([203.23, 208.62, 197.79, 203.02, 204.65, 209.26]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([200.64, 201.23, 203.7, 204.26, 204.51, 205.7]);<br /> } else if (value == 'm') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '4th grade reading, not poor'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([230.52, 231.87, 232.52, 232.61, 233.09, 237.07]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([229.27, 227.44, 229.29, 228.75, 230.72, 231.1]);<br /> } else if (value == 'n') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '4th grade reading, black students'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([194.02, 191.9, 197.79, 194.96, 199.5, 207.97]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([188.82, 190.14, 196.79, 194.24, 191.7, 196.17]);<br /> } else if (value == 'o') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '4th grade reading, white students'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([228.96, 230.55, 230.77, 230.44, 229.38, 232.66]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([228.42, 226.29, 226.87, 224.82, 225.41, 224.29]);<br /> } else if (value == 'p') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '8th grade reading, all students'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([267.71, 268.36, 268.2, 269.74, 270.15, 271.02]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([264.38, 261.14, 260.32, 261.9, 265.19, 265.94]);<br /> } else if (value == 'q') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '8th grade reading, poor students'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([247.68, 251.57, 244.59, 251.75, 255.34, 254.55]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([247.11, 245.97, 243.7, 246.79, 253.35, 253.97]);<br /> } else if (value == 'r') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '8th grade reading, not poor'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([273.61, 274.77, 273.47, 276.24, 276.82, 279.05]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([272.45, 267.12, 268.21, 271, 273.83, 276.06]);<br /> } else if (value == 's') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '8th grade reading, black students'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([243.02, 239.14, 244.59, 244, 246.27, 247.89]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([241.67, 238.56, 235.92, 238.3, 244.13, 245.5]);<br /> } else if (value == 't') {<br /> chart.setTitle( {text: '8th grade reading, white students'});<br /> chart.series[0].setData([272.51, 273.07, 272.51, 274.75, 274.24, 276.57]),<br /> chart.series[1].setData([272.2, 267.67, 266.99, 267.75, 269.49, 270.57]);<br /> } else {<br /> alert("Error!");<br /> }<br /> });<br /> }); </p> <p class="editorsnote">Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress.</p> <p class="editorsnote">* Note: Students identified as poor are those eligible for a free or reduced lunch. Those identified as “not poor” are all other students.</p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://bridgemi.com/talent-education/how-minnesota-and-michigan-students-compare-naep/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://bridgemi.com&quot;&gt;Bridge Michigan&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/bridgemi.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cropped-android-chrome-192x192-1.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;&lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://bridgemi.com/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=10889&amp;amp;ga4=G-1E2G9MSHX5&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://bridgemi.com/talent-education/how-minnesota-and-michigan-students-compare-naep/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/bridgemi.com/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;</p> Copy to Clipboard

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