The 50 Best Public High Schools in the US.docx

1、The 50 Best Public High Schools in the USThe 50 Best Public High Schools in the U.S.A great public high school must serve all students (not just those who will attend college), educate students for a wide range of careers and college options, and provide a rich and multifaceted set of educational an

2、d extracurricular activities.180677839Google +99The rankings contained below are based on many factors, but the high school must produce measurable academic outcomes across a large number of important academic indicators to be included. In addition, a great public high school will have a good reputa

3、tion with recruiting colleges and be highly ranked in measures of student satisfaction and faculty quality. (Compare our article The 50 Best Colleges in the United States.)The first step in the ranking process analyzes whether each schools students perform in the top echelons in academics for a give

4、n U.S. high school cohort. ACT scores, SAT scores, average weighted GPA, and the API (Academic Performance Index) are used as a proxy for the educational environment within a high school.These scores must be adjusted for the fact that students who come from challenging socioeconomic backgrounds tend

5、 to score lower, so higher proportions of such students with good scores lead to a higher ranking.The second criterion used to evaluate the public high schools on this list is the degree to which they prepare each student in the high school community to enter and excel at college. The number and bre

6、adth of AP courses offered, Honors courses, International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, and relationships with local colleges are major factors in determining the level of academic preparedness for college. The number of students scoring 3 or better (a passing grade) on final AP tests is a telling pr

7、edictor of posthigh school academic performance.The third aspect of schools assessed for this listing consists of intangible factors, such as innovative degree programs in the arts, diversity of the student body, current student satisfaction with their high school, quality and experience of the facu

8、lty, or modern lab or athletic facilities. Also, we have striven for as much geographical diversity as is consistent with our other criteria.* * *1. Bronx High School of Science (New York, NY)Bronx High School of Science, founded in 1938, is part of New York Citys system of selective public high sch

9、ools.Bronx Science, as it is commonly known, is renowned for the number of Nobel Prize laureates (eight in all) and National Academy of Science members among its alumni. It is commonly considered the premier science magnet school in the country.A large number of Bronx Science students have gone on t

10、o distinguish themselves in other fields, as well, including six recipients of the Pulitzer Prize.The schoolattracts an intellectually gifted student body of diverse cultural, ethnic,and economic backgrounds from across New York City.Awards, Rankings, and Alumni:Ranked one of the 22 Top-Performing S

11、choolsin America by the Washington PostRanked among top 100 inU.S. News and World Reportslist of Americas Gold-Medal high schools (public and private)Nobel Prize laureates include Leon Cooper, Sheldon Glashow, and Steven WeinbergPulitzer Prize winners include William Safire and Joseph LelyveldOther

12、prominent alumni include critic Harold Bloom, novelist E.L. Doctorow, author Richard Price, architect Daniel Liebeskind, businessman and public servant Ronald Lauder, and Tumblr founder David Karp 2. Northside College Preparatory High School(Chicago, IL)Northside College Preparatory High School is a

13、 public magnet high school located on the north side of Chicago. Northside Prep is a selective enrollment school, teaching at the Honors and AP levels only.Northside Prep is nationally known for the success of its students in the college admissions process, with over a quarter of the matriculating c

14、lass admitted to top universities. More than 99% of Northside Prep students go on to college of some sort.Awards, Rankings, and Alumni:Ranked #1 Public High School in the State of Illinois, 20012011Ranked among Gold Medal Schools byU.S. News & World Report, 20072009Ranked #37 in the nation in 2010 b

15、yU.S. News & World ReportRanked #24 in the nation, and #1 in the state of Illinois, in 2011 byNewsweek3.Connecticut IB Academy(East Hartford, CT)Connecticut IB Academy (CIBA) is a magnet school located near Connecticuts state capital. The school is a distinguished Blue Ribbon School that is ranked a

16、mong the best in America by the U.S. Department of Education.Freshmen and sophomores take full Honors courses, while juniors and seniors take IB courses exclusively. Seniors must write an Extended Essay, which is “an in-depth study of a focused topic chosen from the list of approved Diploma Programm

17、e subjects . . . intended to promote high-level research and writing skills, intellectual discovery, and creativity.” (CIBA website)Awards, Rankings, and Alumni:Ranked Best Magnet School in America by U.S. News & World ReportRanked among the Best in America by the U.S. Department of Education4. Bost

18、on Latin Scho0l(Boston, MA)Founded in 1635, Boston Latin is the oldest public schooland the oldest still-existing school of any sortin the United States.The schoolscurriculum is based on the traditional educational philosophy which holds that theclassicsarethe foundation of an educated mind. Four ye

19、ars of Latin are mandatory for all pupils who enter the school in seventh grade, three years for those who enter in ninth.Awards, Rankings, and Alumni:Ranked among Top 20 High Schools in the United States in 2007 byU.S. News & World ReportNamed a Blue Ribbon School of Excellencein 2011 by the U.S. D

20、epartment of EducationNumerous famous alumni include Cotton Mather, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Ward Beecher, William Sumner, George Santayana, Joseph Kennedy, Leonard Bernstein, and Nat Hentoff5. Stanton College Preparatory School(Jacksonville, FL)Stant

21、on College Prep is the oldest continually operating high school in Florida, and was originated in the 1860s as a segregated school for African American children.To many students, Stanton is known for its challenging academics and rigorous standards. Stanton College Prep also has a nationally recogni

22、zed student newspaper, The Devils Advocate,which makes it an excellent choice for aspiring journalists.Awards, Rankings, and Alumni:First in Newsweeks list of top 1000 public schools from 20002003#9 onU.S. News and World Report s list of Americas Best High Schools#1 in the U.S. for IB diplomasConsis

23、tently in the top three schools in Florida for the number of National Merit ScholarsNamed as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education6.Maine School of Science and Mathematics(Limestone, ME)The Maine School of Science and Mathematics (MSSM) is apublic, residential magnet

24、 school chartered and funded by the Maine State Legislature. It is located in the northeastern part of the state near the Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge, a stones throw from the Canadian border.MSSM features a community learning environment with excellent teacher-to-student ratios, extracurricul

25、ar activities, and work education credits. The curriculum at MSSM includes rigorous AP courses in the hard sciences, literature and humanities, and the social sciences.The school has a unique January Term where students participate in experiential learning, internships, and self-directed research pr

26、ojects.Awards, Rankings, and Alumni:#38 on U.S. News and World Reports list of Americas Best High SchoolsMember of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (NCSSSMST)Gold Medal from U.S. News and World Report for Best High Schools in America7.

27、 Signature School(Evansville, IN)The Signature School is located in the Ohio River town of Evansville, near the point where Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois all meet. The school offers students three major study paths: math and science, fine and performing arts, or liberal arts/humanities.The high sc

28、hool has been accepted into the IB program. However, the school also offers AP classes for those who choose to not to graduate with an IB diploma.The Signature School has a focus on academics and the arts. It is well known for its many contributions to summer musicals in the region, as well as for s

29、hows by the “Signature Singers.”The Signature School prides itself on offering challenging courses for the “self-motivated learner,” and for being different from other area schools. The student to teacher ratio is 20-to-1.Awards, Rankings, and Alumni:#7 on the Newsweeks list of Americas Best High Sc

30、hoolsRanked #8 by the Washington Post in 2011In the top 10 charter schoolsConsistently ranked the #1 school in Indiana8. International Academy(Bloomfield Hills, MI)TheInternational Academy (IA) is located in Oakland County,Michigan, north of Detroit. The school is a public, tuition-free high school

31、of choice for students across the county.Students, who are required to earn both high school and IB diplomas, are selected by a lottery system to ensure fair enrollment standards. IA has an extended school year (205 days) and an extended school day.According to school data, 94% of the Class of 2011

32、earned IB diplomas, as compared to the world average that year of 76%.Awards, Rankings, and Alumni:21% of Class of 2011, National Merit ScholarsRanked #2 byU.S. News and World Report for Best High SchoolsRanked #1 School in the Nation by Newsweek in 2003Average ACT Composite Score of 299.BASIS Scottsdale(Scottsdale, AZ)BASIS Scottsdale, located in a suburb of Phoenix, is part of the BASIS network of high-performing, open-enrollment, tuition-free, public