Progress Abounds But Only Two States Earn an ‘A’
Washington, DC – A growing wave of parent-driven education reform is reshaping the American education landscape, according to the 2025Parent Power! Index released today by the Center for Education Reform (CER). Greater access to school options across the country, including charter and independent schools; emerging voucher-assisted microschool models; and online programs, is the product of demand that is shaping into a movement – not just a moment – of lasting educational change. CER’s 2025 index analyzes educational opportunities state-by-state and highlights the success and failure of laws to ensure the availability of education that meets the needs of every child and family.
“Parents understand there is no single school solution that meets the needs of all learners. Smart state leaders throughout the country are listening and working to enact laws that allow for a proliferation of diverse educational options,” said CER founder and CEO Jeanne Allen.
“When strong education freedom laws reflect parents’ demands for flexibility, innovative dynamic new school models emerge – and families, students, and communities thrive.”
Top Ten States Include Florida, Iowa, and Oklahoma – Nebraska and South Dakota Hug the Bottom
More than 100 individual data points make up each states’ Parent Power! Index. Each grade factors how every state law governing new opportunities or learning innovations establishes and empowers parents to make critical decisions on how and where their tax dollars are spent. The evaluation takes into account whether such laws provide freedom and flexibility or establish roadblocks that limit student access to a wide variety of educational options, regardless of the sector. States that fully fund opportunities and make education flexibility a priority score higher than those that do not. States that make navigating data and options parent-friendly and whose leaders support parent power tip higher than those that make it difficult or impossible to navigate or personalize their child’s education.
CER’s Parent Power! Index provides snapshots of each state’s policy landscape through the lens of its laws allowing for charter schools, school choice (including scholarships, vouchers, educational savings accounts, etc.), and support for flexible learning models and other innovations. Examples of notable moves include:
Texas – Soared from 28th to 13th
Wyoming – Leaped from 47th to 17th
DC – Dropped from 13th to 16th
Louisiana – Jumped from 24th to 12th
Nebraska – Slid from 32nd to 50th
Driven by a desire for learning environments that align with their values and meet the individual needs of their children, American families are seeking more personalized and flexible options. In response, education innovators and state leaders are rising to meet this demand. This is the promise of education freedom: not just implicit choice, but innovative change. Not just access, but transformation. The 2025 Parent Power! Index makes it clear: when families are truly empowered, the future of education gets brighter, bolder, and better for every student.
Explore the full 2025 Parent Power! Index, interactive rankings, and state profiles at parentpowerindex.edreform.com.
