America's Best High Schools

[chanel]

NEWSWEEK, which has been ranking the top public high schools in America for more than a decade, revamped its methodology this year in hopes of highlighting solutions. We enlisted a panel of experts—Wendy Kopp of Teach For America, Tom Vander Ark of Open Education Solutions (formerly executive director for education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), and Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford professor of education and founder of the School Redesign Network—to develop a yardstick that fully reflects a school’s success turning out college-ready (and life-ready) students. To this end, each school’s score is comprised of six components: graduation rate (25%), college matriculation rate (25%), AP tests taken per graduate (25%), average SAT/ACT scores (10%), average AP/IB/AICE scores (10%), and AP courses offered (5%). (

America's Best High Schools - Newsweek

Interesting list. What I'd like to see is a further breakdown of parental income and education, race, and disabilities.

Cherry Hill East NJ was 226. Cherry Hill West was 402.. I'd love to see the researchers do a "twin study". Same budget, teacher qualifications, curriculum and course offerings, methods, sports, etc. , yet East scored so much higher.

I am familiar with the difference in demographics of these two schools. One significant difference (besides household income) is that "East" has a large number of Chinese students. Hmmmm. Educational social justice? Perhaps these "reformers" might want to look at "Redistribution of the Chinese". It's not fair!!!!

Seriously, educational research needs to compare apples to apples. They might want to look at Cherry Hill. (Attention Gov. Christie!)

The entire list is at the link. Anyone know anything about these schools?

 

[Ravi]

The school I went to made it onto the list. The school my children went to did not.

 

[chanel]

I am very surprised that my alma mater did not make the list. They were tops in NJ years ago.

One problem with the methodology is the "number of AP courses offered". There are many schools that are now offering on-line AP courses, with very few students participating. It's an excellent idea, but not a particularly valid measurement IMHO.

 

[editec]

How the hell does one determine what "BEST" means in relation to HS?


These claims are always dubious.

 

[chanel]

You're right. But they looked at college preparedness, and this is the most objective data. I'm just curious at what "solutions" they come up with. That's why I'd like to see further breakdown in the numbers.

I would place a wager that socioeconomic status is the top variable. What shall they do with that obvious conclusion?

 

[tonystewart1]

No surprise that there was not a WV high school listed. There seemed to be a lot of schools from NY, and TX listed.

 

[editec]

Without even looking at the list?

Let me guess, the vast majority of them also happen to be in the most affluent towns in the nation.


Que surprise!

And FWIW, these lists of the best are largely BS.

 

[flacaltenn]

Agree with Editec -- These lists are not REAL informative, but I'd want my kid to be at ANY of the top 200 or so..

Not a measure of income level.. Because you could plop one of these schools down as a charter in the ghetto and beat the crap out of the rest of district ---- IF --- you let parents apply for slots.

It's correlated with GIVEADAMN.. Pure and simple.. Find parents who attend Parent Night and sign report cards and you'll find performance.

BTW: Would be more helpful to insult the WORST 500 High Schools in the US. THAT -- in terms of graduation rates and college bound would be a tearful read.. OR -- match-up the Top 500 Public Schools against the Top 500 Private Schools and add "tuition/pupil" to the chart..

 

[Warrior102]

Washington, DC - which of course should be the "shining example" of public school excellence in our nation's capitol - not there.

Thoughts Liberals?

 

[Warrior102]

Washington, DC - which of course should be the "shining example" of public school excellence in our nation's capitol - not there.

Thoughts Liberals?

http://cricketsound.net/?gclid=CJXWz4Po7akCFQ2A5QodWXg9sw

 

[rightwinger]

NEWSWEEK, which has been ranking the top public high schools in America for more than a decade, revamped its methodology this year in hopes of highlighting solutions. We enlisted a panel of experts—Wendy Kopp of Teach For America, Tom Vander Ark of Open Education Solutions (formerly executive director for education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), and Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford professor of education and founder of the School Redesign Network—to develop a yardstick that fully reflects a school’s success turning out college-ready (and life-ready) students. To this end, each school’s score is comprised of six components: graduation rate (25%), college matriculation rate (25%), AP tests taken per graduate (25%), average SAT/ACT scores (10%), average AP/IB/AICE scores (10%), and AP courses offered (5%). (

America's Best High Schools - Newsweek

Interesting list. What I'd like to see is a further breakdown of parental income and education, race, and disabilities.

Cherry Hill East NJ was 226. Cherry Hill West was 402.. I'd love to see the researchers do a "twin study". Same budget, teacher qualifications, curriculum and course offerings, methods, sports, etc. , yet East scored so much higher.

I am familiar with the difference in demographics of these two schools. One significant difference (besides household income) is that "East" has a large number of Chinese students. Hmmmm. Educational social justice? Perhaps these "reformers" might want to look at "Redistribution of the Chinese". It's not fair!!!!

Seriously, educational research needs to compare apples to apples. They might want to look at Cherry Hill. (Attention Gov. Christie!)

The entire list is at the link. Anyone know anything about these schools?

High Tech High (18) is in my district. It is a magnet school and takes the best kids from the county. Great school and a good local asset

 

[CitizenPained]

My son's school isn't on there. They have a 99.99999999 per cent grad rate, everyone does AP, and a lot of kids go to Ivy League or 'second tiered' ivy-like schools.

It's private, but not sure if that anything to do with it.

f that list.

*scoffs*

 

[California Girl]

My son's school isn't on there. They have a 99.99999999 per cent grad rate, everyone does AP, and a lot of kids go to Ivy League or 'second tiered' ivy-like schools.

It's private, but not sure if that anything to do with it.

f that list.

*scoffs*

I guess the 'public schools list' went over your head, huh?

 

[Douger]

In America ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colegio_Nacional_de_Buenos_Aires

 

[chanel]

I thought this map was interesting.

Dear Gov. Christie:
NJ schools do not suck.

In recently released rankings of how states' primary education systems are preparing students for careers in engineering, Massachusetts, Minnesota and New Jersey top the list. Mississippi trails as the worst in the country, following West Virginia and Louisiana.

The Science and Engineering Readiness Index (SERI) measures how high school students are performing in physics and calculus -- based on publicly available data, including Advanced Placement scores, National Assessment of Educational Progress reports, teacher certification requirements by state and physics class enrollment data. State Education Rankings: The Best And Worst For Math And Science

Sincerely,
Chanel