ALEC gives N.C. education policy a C+

The American Legislative Exchange Council has graded every state on its education policy -- and North Carolina received a C+.

But the conservative group commonly referred to as ALEC had higher praise for the state legislature in 2013. They praised laws that mandated A-F letter grades for schools and private school voucher programs.

"North Carolina lawmakers went big and broad in 2013," their report says.

ALEC gave the state middling grades in most areas it evaluated, including the "regulation burden" on home schools and the state's charter school law. North Carolina got an A in private school choice, likely a reaction to that voucher program that's currently in limbo.

The state received an F in "exiting ineffective teachers."

The state had received a C in 2010, 2011 and 2012. ALEC is known for giving model legislation to state lawmakers.

North Carolina's overall grade also took into account student performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a math and reading exam given to fourth and eighth graders. By that measure, ALEC ranked North Carolina at No. 16 in the country.

Indiana received the highest grade, with a B+. North Dakota ranked at the bottom with a D.

See the whole report card for yourself here. Look at every state here.