(Iowa News Service): New data rank Iowa seventh in the nation for the overall health and well-being of its kids. The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s “Kids Count Data Book” shows while Iowa did well among many of the 16 key indicators, some areas need improvement. The report focuses in part on educational indicators and shows a drastic drop in the performance of the state’s public schools, which are historically among Iowa’s crown jewels. Iowa Common Good Executive Director Anne Dichser calls the school’s performance numbers “concerning.”

Iowa dropped to 17th in fourth-grade reading proficiency and 16th in eighth-grade math proficiency. The research used numbers from the 2022 school year, and Discher says some of the lower scores could be a lingering effect of the pandemic. She adds policy solutions are in place to address the deficiencies. The state also improved in the category of “Family and Community Issues.”

For the first time in more than 20 years, Iowa slipped as the leader in high school graduation rates into a tie for seventh among the states. Discher says the poor school performance numbers hit especially hard in a state that has a reputation for making its public schools a top priority.

The state saw important improvements in the “Kids Count” numbers. Fewer children are living in poverty and in single-parent families. The teen birth rate also dropped.