Report Ranks States on Classroom Integrity

Clear Facts

• A new report from Defending Education ranks all 50 states and Washington, D.C. on parental rights, DEI policies, gender and sexuality curricula, teacher union rules, and foreign influence in schools.
• Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and Iowa placed at the top, while Washington, D.C., Rhode Island, California, Oregon and Illinois ranked at the bottom.
• The rankings do not measure test scores or graduation rates but focus on state policies affecting transparency and traditional classroom standards.

The escalating debate over what children should be taught in public schools continues to shape state policy across the nation.

A new report released Thursday by Defending Education measures how each state addresses parental rights, diversity initiatives, gender policies, teacher union rules and foreign influence in classrooms.

Red states led the rankings. Tennessee finished first, followed by Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and Iowa.

Washington, D.C. ranked last, followed by Rhode Island, California, Oregon and Illinois.

Paul Runko, senior director of strategic initiatives at Defending Education, said the report gives parents a single resource to evaluate how their state handles issues they have raised over the past five years.

“For the first time, parents have a single resource to see how their state handles the issues they’ve voiced concerns about over the last five years, empowering them to evaluate local schools and hold leaders accountable at the ballot box.”

The parental rights category ended in a four-way tie among North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina earned perfect scores on teacher policies after states restricted collective bargaining and union strikes.

Iowa, Missouri and West Virginia led on restricting DEI programs, restorative justice policies and teacher diversity mandates.

Alabama, Florida and Indiana tied for the highest scores on policies blocking LGBTQ curriculum and restricting transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.

Seven red states received perfect scores for limiting Chinese government influence through Confucius Institutes and state-funded language programs.

Dr. Terry Stoops, director of government affairs at Defending Education, congratulated the top-ranked states.

“If your state is at the top of Defending Education’s rankings, congratulations!”

“You live in a state with public school policies that prioritize sound academics over shameless antics.”

Stoops criticized the lowest-scoring states, saying their leaders have sacrificed educational excellence for social justice goals.

“For parents in bottom-feeder states who value rigor over ridiculousness, the choice is either fight or flight.”

The report aims to give parents clearer information on state policies and their potential impact on children and future generations.

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