Every January, the Education Week Research Center grades the nation and states on educational performance, based on a range of key indicators. For 2016, Maryland finishes fifth among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, with an overall score of 82.8 out of 100 points and a grade of B. The nation as a whole posts a grade of C. Across the spending indicators, Maryland finishes with a letter grade of B (ranking tenth in the nation) compared with a national average of D. Yikes!  More at Quality Counts 2017: State Report Cards Map at Education Week.