Most states could be doing much more to ensure that their colleges of education adequately prepare teachers, according to a report released this morning by Education Week.

As part of its annual report card grading states on their education policies and performance, the newspaper developed a new set of measures for evaluating teacher preparation based on a yearlong analysis of best practices in the field. South Carolina fared the best in the evaluation of teacher preparation, receiving a grade of A-. The newspaper’s average grade for states in this area was a C.

The paper noted that just 30 states rate teacher-preparation programs based on the share of their graduates who pass state licensing examinations, and just 18 hold the programs accountable for how well their graduates perform in the classroom.

The report also faulted most states for not doing enough to make sure high schools adequately prepare students for college. It said that three states make college preparation a requirement for earning a high-school diploma, six align their high-school requirements with college expectations, and 15 have clearly defined college readiness.

The newspaper’s report card includes a “chance-for-success index” that rates states on several indicators shaping the long-term prospects of their residents, ranging from the percentage of children with low-income families to the percentage of adults with college degrees and full-time jobs. Massachusetts scored highest on the index, followed by New Jersey, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Vermont. The lowest scores went to Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, and West Virginia. —Peter Schmidt