Florida ranks 5th in new national report on education quality

Florida, once criticized for its "lackadaisical" attitude toward education, ranks fifth in a new national report on education quality released today.

The annual "Quality Counts" report grades the 50 states and the District of Columbia on their education policies and performance.

The nation earned a C. Top-performing Maryland got a B-plus. Florida earned a B-minus.

The Quality Counts report grades states in six broad categories, although not all the information is updated every year. The categories look at both state policies, such as academic standards and laws governing teachers, and the performance of students on national benchmarks.