The claim and the verdict
VERDICT — MISLEADING. A Republican advertisement supporting Senator Susan Collins says Maine's high schools dropped to “dead last” under Democratic challenger Troy Jackson. Maine did finish last in the cited U.S. News state ranking, but the ad leaves out a major methodological reason.
FactCheck.org reported that Maine had not allowed Advanced Placement data to be supplied for the ranking. U.S. News bases the state table on the proportion of schools reaching the top quarter of its national list, and missing AP or International Baccalaureate data makes that threshold much harder to reach.
The ranking did not measure every outcome directly
For the 2025-26 edition, Maine was the only state that withheld the relevant AP data and finished 51st, with four schools in the top quarter. In the next edition, Vermont, Colorado and New York also withheld data and fell near the bottom after previously ranking much higher.
That pattern shows the table is sensitive to data availability. It does not prove Maine's performance is strong; it means the last-place label cannot be read as a clean, comprehensive exam comparing every high school on identical information.
Other evidence shows real problems without proving the ad
The National Assessment of Educational Progress offers a separate, government-run measure. Maine's 2024 fourth- and eighth-grade math and reading scores were among its weakest in roughly two decades, according to the review. Those results are legitimate warning signs.
Maine nevertheless was not last in the nation on the cited NAEP measures. An honest assessment can say student outcomes deserve concern while rejecting a campaign shortcut that converts one private ranking, affected by missing data, into a universal verdict.
Political responsibility is also more complicated
Jackson served in state Senate leadership during parts of the period used in the ad, but governors, education agencies, local districts, federal policy, economic conditions and the pandemic also shaped schools. A state legislator's record can be evaluated without attributing every statewide result to one person.
Campaigns should identify the metric, edition, methodology and policy connection when claiming a school system moved from first to last. Without those details, the phrase functions as a dramatic attack rather than a reliable explanation of what Maine students know.
Limits and what to watch
Maine did place last in the cited U.S. News state table, but the ranking was heavily affected by unavailable Advanced Placement data and does not make one politician solely responsible for all student outcomes.
The next development to watch is future rankings with complete data, updated NAEP results and candidate explanations of measurable education policy.
Sources and further reading
FactCheck.org: Review of the Collins campaign's Maine education claim ↗
Maine Department of Education: Official NAEP dashboard ↗
National Center for Education Statistics: Nation's Report Card ↗