Minnesota remains a top state for children overall, but its education ranking has fallen as new data shows the state is recovering more slowly than its peers.

Minnesota ranked fifth overall in the nation for child well-being in the latest Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Book released this week. But in the education category, the state slipped to 21st for the year of 2024, which is the most recent year cited in the report.

A year prior, in 2023, Minnesota ranked 18th in the nation, and the state was previously at ninth in 2019 and 2021, according to additional online data from the foundation.

This latest annual report, for the first time, compared some learning outcomes from before the pandemic to a few years after it. It found learning outcomes declined in Minnesota from 2019 to 2024, a trend seen in 47 states, but the data suggests Minnesota has been recovering at a slower pace than peer states, remaining ahead of the national average, but the gap thinned.

One example in the report is fourth grade reading. In 2019, 62% of Minnesota fourth graders were not proficient in reading, and in 2024 that rose to 69%.

That was still one percentage point better than the national average of 70% in 2024. But in 2019, Minnesota was 4% ahead of the national figure.

A spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) said a representative was not available for an interview Thursday. In a statement, MDE still largely pointed to the pandemic, adding, “Assessments are one data point to be considered along with other evidence of student learning…” and that Minnesota “…continues to see important academic improvement.”

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS asked some K-12 parents whether they thought there could be more behind the numbers than a pandemic-era decline in outcomes.

“Definitely, I don’t even blame that. I think it was harder for them to get on track with being out of school, maybe socially and behaviorally, but I feel like the high class size has a lot to do with it,” said a Minneapolis Public Schools parent. “Then again, I’m not in the classroom; I can just see from her scores that I know she could do better if she was given more special attention.”

“This past year in Minnesota has just been so intense, and then 2020, right, was so intense. And, have we really had a year that wasn’t since 2020? So the kids are probably kind of stressed out too,” said a teacher and mother of a Minneapolis charter school student. “I feel like there’s so much just stress in the environment that it.. it’s not surprising.”

“I mean, I’d have to imagine there’s probably a lot of funding issues,” said a St. Paul schools parent. “I think it’s just really, like, about what that local area has for funding and what they do with the money that they’re taking in from taxes.”

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS also asked MDE whether it is considering any shifts in strategy or curriculum. A spokesperson pointed to recent financial investments including universal free meals and a 2023 state law that changed how reading is taught and required the same approach statewide.

See MDE’s full response below:

“The Kids Count data reflect the reality that COVID-19 detrimentally affected schools across the country and students and families are still recovering from the lasting impacts. Yet, Minnesota is among the strongest-performing states on key measurements identified in the report based on National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) and continues to see important academic improvement. The report also reaffirms Minnesota is consistently one of the best states for children.

“According to the report, math achievement levels among Minnesota fourth graders at or above proficiency on NAEP increased by 4 percentage points over 2022. Eighth graders’ math performance showed improvement on NAEP at all four achievement levels. Minnesota remains well above the national average for math.

“Significant public education investments in the past several years strengthen Minnesota Department of Education’s (MDE) commitment to ensuring every student receives a high-quality education. Universal free meals, the READ Act, student mental health supports, and COMPASS all contribute to overall child well-being and academic achievement, which are essential to the success of Minnesota’s children in the long-term. We have not yet seen the full impact of these investments, but the data show encouraging progress. Many districts across the state have reported significant increases in reading fluency in the classroom as they continue to implement science of reading-aligned curriculum. Full implementation of the READ Act is set for this fall.

“It’s important to take into consideration the complexities of comparing state-by-state data. Many factors influence how data are aggregated, including differences in local statutes, student demographics, retention polices, and assessment standards.

“While assessments may provide information about the extent to which students have learned certain concepts, they alone do not illustrate the whole picture of what students have learned. Assessments are one data point to be considered along with other evidence of student learning, such as student projects and assignments and other data from the district’s comprehensive assessment system. Statewide assessment results should always be used alongside additional evidence of student learning when used for data-based decision-making. Overall, the Kids Count report clearly shows children and families in Minnesota have excellent access to the resources and support they need to thrive.”