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Highest Ranked Public High Schools in U.S. (2009)
Jill Hare | Editor, TheApple
The importance of a good high school didn’t hit home with me until just recently. My husband and I are relocating and had to think about where our daughter, who is only 1, would ultimately go to high school. This kind of list is not only important for parents, but for teachers who strive to find a work environment that is top notch. This is not to say that high schools who didn’t make the list are not great, but not all could be named. Jay Matthews from the Washington Post has devised a system for ranking the top 1500 public high schools: the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in 2008 divided by the number of graduating seniors.
Most Appearances in the Top 100
Focusing just on the top 100, some surprising states control a large percentage. Florida appears the most in the top 100, with 22 high schools making the list. Second is Texas with fourteen schools, followed by California with nine, New York with eight, Virginia with six, and North Carolina and Washington each with five. There’s a smattering of other states sneaking a school or two into the top 100.
The Top 20
1. Talented and Gifted: Dallas, TX
2. Science/Engineering Magnet: Dallas, TX
3. Jefferson County IBS: Irondale, AL
4. Stanton College Prep: Jacksonville, FL
5. BASIS Charter: Tucson, AZ
6. Paxon School for Advanced Studies: Jacksonville, FL
7. Suncoast Community: Riviera Beach, FL
8. Corbetter: Corbett, OR
9. North Hills Prep: Irving, TX
10. Preuss UCSD: La Jolla, CA
11. International School: Bellevue, WA
12. Academic Magnet: North Charleston, SC
13. City Honors: Buffalo, NY
14. Classen School of Advanced Studies, Oklahoma City, OK
15. School for Advanced Studies: Miami, FL
16. Oxford Academy: Cypress, CA
17. Communications Arts: San Antonio, TX
18. Interlake: Bellevue, WA
19. The Early College at Guilford: Greensboro, NC
20. Eastside: Gainesville, FL
Read the full 1500 schools at Newsweek.
kimtaylor
24 days ago
238 comments
It would seem that high schools that do not offer Advanced Placement courses do not qualify. Do I have this right? If so, where does this leave specialized high schools (technical, performing arts, etc.) whose students are not on a conventional path to college and career? Should readers assume that none of these qualify to be counted among the nation's "best"?
My daughter is enrolled in a competitive public school in Queens, NY, run by Bard College (Bard High School Early College). Students there do university level coursework in lieu of AP and graduate with both a high school diploma and an Associate's Degree. She is happy and thriving, and she's getting a top-notch education. Such a school deserves to be ranked alongside the rest, as do all the others that do not meet your rigid criteria.
I would like to see a more comprehensive assessment that includes untraditional and pioneering public high schools, so that excellent work being done there can be recognized, as well.
omega 3
jaya_1970
4 months ago
2 comments
I want to know if any of the top schools are boarding schools.
simpleleap
4 months ago
4 comments
I am very eager to read the qualifications for schools to make this list.
BrendaDKaye
4 months ago
2 comments
The Center for Advanced Studies at Joseph Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia is not listed, as well as 2 other Cobb County, Georgia High Schools (South Cobb High School and Kennesaw Mountain High School). They are all Institutional Members of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools which is the reason why they are not featured in the Newsweek Top High Schools 2008 edition.
TryScience
4 months ago
10 comments
What an inane ranking system. So the only education that matters is that of the college-bound? What's more, those tests are EXPENSIVE to take, so of course schools in affluent areas will do better because students are more likely to have $70+ to drop PER TEST. Garbage.
markfuson
4 months ago
4 comments
Charters are changing schools because they are allowed to operate outside of government regulations and are encouraged to innovate. That's not a bash on charter schools, but rather a statement on governmental rules and regulations for schools.
tina_011794
4 months ago
2 comments
The schools listed in California come from many different social economic areas. However, I have noticed the lower area schools are mostly Charter schools. Charter schools are changing education in California. It is requiring traditional schools to live up to a higher standard, in order for their enrollment numbers not to decrease. It is great having these choices for our students.
sanmccarron
4 months ago
1216 comments
The value of this list is limited to an understanding of the population of the students and their families. The only Massachusetts community in the top 100 is a very exclusive community where the estimated median household income in 2007 was $118,920, nearly double of the median income of Massachusetts households ($62,365). Additionally, the median home value in the town of Lexington in 2007 was $746,804, compared to the median of Massachusetts state of $366,400. Overall, the cost of living in Lexington is high: 137.9 as compared to a U.S. average of 100.
The question I would like see answered is which schools raise the standard of living for people within the area, given an average cross section of people, not which schools are the most exclusive.