NEWSWEEK COVER: America's Best High Schools, 2006
Newsweek Ranks Public High Schools Across America; Talented and Gifted in
Dallas Scores Top Spot; Florida Has Three in Top Ten and Most in Top 100
(20); New York (17); D.C. Metro (14); Texas (9)
Schools Ranked by Number of AP and IB Tests Taken, Divided by Number of
Graduating Seniors; List Recognizes Those Schools That Do Best Job of
Preparing Average Students for College
NEW YORK, April 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The High School for the Talented and
Gifted in Dallas, Texas, is the top public high school in the United
States, according to Newsweek's new compilation of America's best public
high schools. The Jefferson County School in Irondale, Alabama, which had
the top spot in Newsweek's 2005 ranking, is number two on the list,
followed by BASIS Charter in Tucson, Ariz., City Honors in Buffalo, N.Y.,
and Stanton College Prep in Jacksonville, Fla. Florida has three schools in
the top ten and five in the top 25, and Texas has five in the top 25. The
list is the subject of the May 8 Newsweek cover story, "America's Best High
Schools, 2006" (on newsstands Monday, May 1).
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060430/NYSU006 )
The schools are ranked according to a ratio devised by Contributing
Editor Jay Mathews: the total number of Advanced Placement (AP) and
International Baccalaureate (IB) tests taken at a school and divided by the
number of graduating seniors. All public schools that achieved a ratio of
at least 1.000, meaning they had given as many tests in 2005 as they had
graduates, are on the list on the Newsweek Web site, www.Newsweek.com, and
the top 100 schools are listed in the magazine. Mathews ranks 1,139
schools.
Also as part of the cover package, Senior Editor Barbara Kantrowitz and
Washington Correspondent Pat Wingert report that with the Best High Schools
list, Newsweek recognizes those schools that do the best job of preparing
average students for college. AP and IB courses-the measure for the
list-are indicators of a school's efforts to get students to excel and
prepare for college. But many schools not on our list are also challenging
students in innovative ways, Newsweek reports-proof that the national
experiment in high- school education is just beginning. Newsweek examines
what the goals of high school should be, from stressing creating good
citizens, celebrating liberal arts and preparing for work, to single-sex
education and emphasizing science and technology.
A one-size-fits-all approach no longer works for everyone, the new
thinking goes; a more individualized experience is better. "We are changing
the goal of high school and what it's possible to achieve there," says Tom
Vander Ark, executive director of the Gates Foundation's education
initiative, which has spent $1 billion in 1,600 high schools in 40 states
plus the District of Columbia over the last six years.
(Read cover package and see the entire list of high schools and FAQ at
www.Newsweek.com.)
Rank School Location State Index
1 Talented
and Gifted Dallas Texas 14.128
2 Jefferson
County** Irondale Ala. 9.914
3 BASIS
Charter Tucson Ariz. 9.909
4 City
Honors** Buffalo N.Y. 8.140
5 Stanton
College Prep** Jacksonville Fla. 7.973
6 Eastside** Gainesville Fla. 7.535
7 Suncoast Riviera
Community** Beach Fla. 7.532
8 Science/Engineering
Magnet Dallas Texas 6.275
9 International Bloomfield
Academy* Hills Mich. 6.127
10 Academic North
Magnet Charleston S.C. 5.833
11 Science Academy of
South Texas Mercedes Texas 5.776
12 North Hills
School** Irving Texas 5.660
13 H-B Woodlawn Arlington Va. 5.575
14 Eastern
Sierra Academy Bridgeport Calif. 5.500
15 Richard
Montgomery** Rockville Md. 5.409
16 Myers
Park** Charlotte N.C. 5.047
17 Classen
School of
Advanced Oklahoma
Studies** City Okla. 4.803
18 Highland
Park Dallas Texas 4.735
19 Clarke
County** Berryville Va. 4.633
20 Little Rock Little
Central Rock Ark. 4.626
21 Hillsborough** Tampa Fla. 4.596
22 San Diego
High School of
International
Studies* San Diego Calif. 4.576
23 John Miller-
Great Neck North Great Neck N.Y. 4.533
24 Wilson
Magnet** Rochester N.Y. 4.522
25 Atlantic Delray
Community** Beach Fla. 4.520
26 Lowell San
Francisco Calif. 4.462
27 Jericho Jericho N.Y. 4.450
28 Paxon
School for
Advanced
Studies** Jacksonville Fla. 4.442
29 Coral
Reef** Miami Fla. 4.401
30 Lincoln
Park** Chicago Ill. 4.338
31 Great Neck
South Great Neck N.Y. 4.321
32 South Rockville
Side** Centre N.Y. 4.202
33 Dreyfoos
School of West Palm
Arts Beach Fla. 4.186
34 Bethesda-
Chevy
Chase** Bethesda Md. 4.179
35 Cold Spring Cold Spring
Harbor Harbor N.Y. 4.165
36 Southside** Greenville S.C. 4.136
37 Newport Bellevue Wash. 4.067
38 Pensacola** Pensacola Fla. 4.053
39 Martin Luther
King Nashville Tenn. 4.049
40 Metro
Academic &
Classical** St. Louis Mo. 4.048
41 George Falls
Mason** Church Va. 4.045
42 Rye Rye N.Y. 4.042
43 Hume-Fogg
Academic Nashville Tenn. 4.031
44 Interlake** Bellevue Wash. 3.980
45 Los Angeles
Center for
Enriched Los
Studies Angeles Calif. 3.964
46 Troy** Fullerton Calif. 3.956
47 Yorktown Arlington Va. 3.926
48 Cocoa Cocoa
Beach** Beach Fla. 3.924
49 Bellevue Bellevue Wash. 3.887
50 Mills
University Little
Studies Rock Ark. 3.886
51 Wootton Rockville Md. 3.856
52 Washington-
Lee** Arlington Va. 3.845
53 Raleigh
Charter Raleigh N.C. 3.837
54 Signature
School Evansville Ind. 3.833
55 Black River Holland Mich. 3.813
56 Edgemont Scarsdale N.Y. 3.772
57 International
School Bellevue Wash. 3.741
58 Pittsford
Mendon Pittsford N.Y. 3.736
59 Enloe** Raleigh N.C. 3.732
60 Design &
Architecture Miami Fla. 3.728
61 Pittsford
Sutherland Pittsford N.Y. 3.718
62 Greeley Chappaqua N.Y. 3.699
63 St. St.
Petersburg** Petersburg Fla. 3.667
64 Communication San
Arts Antonio Texas 3.655
65 Walnut
Hills Cincinnati Ohio 3.635
66 Harding
University** Charlotte N.C. 3.619
67 Miami
Palmetto Miami Fla. 3.615
68 Indian Hill Cincinnati Ohio 3.571
69 Manhasset Manhasset N.Y. 3.482
70 Maritime &
Science Tech(MAST) Miami Fla. 3.473
71 Plant Tampa Fla. 3.462
72 Grimsley** Greensboro N.C. 3.448
73 King** Tampa Fla. 3.448
74 Churchill Potomac Md. 3.436
75 Fort
Myers** Fort Myers Fla. 3.417
76 Riverside-
Brookfield Riverside Ill. 3.415
77 Auburn** Auburn Ala. 3.412
78 Gunn Palo Alto Calif. 3.407
79 Lincoln Tallahassee Fla. 3.407
80 Langley McLean Va. 3.399
81 Boston Latin Boston Mass. 3.398
82 McNair Jersey
Academic City N.J. 3.395
83 Booker T.
Washington** Tulsa Okla. 3.387
84 Spruce Port
Creek** Orange Fla. 3.386
85 McLean McLean Va. 3.377
86 Warwick** Newport News Va. 3.354
87 YES College
Prep
Southeast Houston Texas 3.329
88 Blind Brook Rye Brook N.Y. 3.325
89 Palm Harbor Palm
University** Harbor Fla. 3.250
90 W. T.
Woodson Fairfax Va. 3.233
91 South Texas
High School for
Health Professions Mercedes Texas 3.232
92 Brighton Rochester N.Y. 3.226
93 North
Mecklenburg** Huntersville N.C. 3.212
94 Briarcliff Briarcliff
Manor N.Y. 3.205
95 Diamond
Hill-Jarvis Fort Worth Texas 3.196
96 Vandermeulen Port
Jefferson N.Y. 3.195
97 Chagrin Chagrin
Falls Falls Ohio 3.190
98 Centreville Clifton Va. 3.173
99 Wyoming Wyoming Ohio 3.171
100 Walter
Johnson Bethesda Md. 3.160
* Gave just IB tests.
** Gave both IB and AP tests. AP and IB participation are indicators of a
school's efforts to get students to excel and prepare for college.
What Makes a High School Great?:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12532668/site/newsweek/
Why AP Matters: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12535969/site/newsweek/
The Complete List of High Schools:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12532678/site/newsweek/
The Public Elites: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12551652/site/newsweek/
FAQ: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12535985/site/newsweek/
SOURCE Newsweek
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