Maine Schools Receive Good Marks

Maine has the highest rate of high school completion in America - at 94.5 percent - and will become the first state in the nation to equip all seventh- and eighth-grade students and teachers with portable wireless personal computers, beginning this year and expanding to eighth grade next year.

In addition, Forbes magazine ranked Maine as getting the most for its education dollar. Per-pupil spending is near the national average, while its students have the highest composite scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEAP).

According to a state release, reasons for high achievement include small class size, strong parent involvement, and local autonomy. Maine also ranks second in the percent of education dollars that are spent directly to support instruction, a remarkable fact given Maine's high cost for transportation and facilities due to its rural geography.

Maine has also successfully connected all of its public schools and public access libraries to the Internet. All schools and libraries connected to the Maine School and Library Network receive unlimited Internet access at no cost. An advanced interactive television distance learning system (ATM) is currently being deployed in 61 schools in the state. The proceeds from a statewide bond will allow Maine to place this technology in 100 high schools.

However, in spite of its successes, the state acknowledged areas where more work is needed, including literacy in the context of international standards, suicide and drug prevention, and health. And while Maine students complete high school, many do not continue on to college.