America's Best High Schools: Top Charter Schools
Charter schools are public schools that have been released from some of the regulations governing other public schools as long as they succeed in meeting the criteria agreed upon in their original charter. Charter schools tend to have limited enrollment and usually accept students through an application process. The following are the nation's top charter schools, according to the America's Best High Schools analysis.
| Overall Rank | School Name and Location | College Readiness Index | Quality-Adjusted Exams Per Test Taker |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Pacific Collegiate SchoolSanta Cruz, CA | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| 9 | BASIS TucsonTucson, AZ | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| 13 | IDEA Academy and College PrepatoryDonna, TX | 97.7 | 97.7 |
| 16 | KIPP Houston High SchoolHouston, TX | 95.7 | 95.7 |
| 23 | Animo Leadership Charter High SchoolInglewood, CA | 91.6 | 91.6 |
| 24 | Raleigh Charter High SchoolRaleigh, NC | 91.2 | 91.2 |
| 25 | Lennox Mathematics, Science and Technology AcademyLennox, CA | 90.5 | 90.5 |
| 27 | Benjamin Franklin High SchoolNew Orleans, LA | 89.8 | 89.8 |
| 32 | The Preuss School UCSDLa Jolla, CA | 86.2 | 86.2 |
| 49 | The Charter School of WilmingtonWilmington, DE | 77.0 | 77.0 |
| 53 | Signature SchoolEvansville, IN | 76.4 | 76.4 |
| 54 | Hawthorne Math and Science AcademyHawthorne, CA | 76.3 | 76.3 |
| 68 | YES Prep SoutheastHouston, TX | 70.9 | 70.9 |
| 76 | Peak to Peak Charter SchoolLafayette, CO | 68.8 | 68.8 |
| 79 | Coeur d'Alene Charter AcademyCoeur d'Alene, ID | 68.0 | 68.0 |
| 91 | Fort Worth Academy of Fine ArtsFort Worth, TX | 65.0 | 65.0 |
Reader Comments
Be educated about your choices
Sorry if you had a bad experience with a militaristic or overly religious charter school, it is not typical of charter schools to be that way. I have been working the last four years in a California charter school that is doing wonderful things for the students. We follow an inclusive model for education and also use positive behavior support to encourage our children to be an integral part of the community. As is with any school or charter we have our ups and downs, but the overall benefit to all the students is our focus. Many a battle is being fought regarding charter schools and their ability to serve local populations, and it is this battle that keeps our school serving that population to make it the best it can be. Give all schools a fair chance and I think you will be surprised what you can find right there in your local community.
public charter school vs."regular public schools"
I am a mother of 8. My oldest six attended and graduated from our local pubic school system with a vey good experieces and preperation for college. The college prep program had 15 AP courses, a fabulos arts department, etc. Our kids did fabulous. Then the county school districts consolodated. Because the great college prep programmed appeared to be watered down in our local school as a result, we decided to send our last 2 children to the newly formed public charter school in a nearby county. It has been a fabulos expeience as well. It is excellent in every aspect and comparable to the top track collge prep program our oldest six enjoyed. The only thing it lacks is a good foot ball team which is not a big deal, believe me. We know that they are 16th from the lowest in ranking state wide, but figure the SAT scores of our team members are number 1 ;-)!!
All charter school are different as determined by their charter. It is short sighted to assume all schools, whether charter or "regular" are the same. Look at your specific charter school and don't eithr condemn it or assume it is great based on preconceived ideas or experiences. You may be denying your child a geat education if you do that.
And, by the way, just because a school is set up as a "Catholic" school doen't make it bad. Some of the finest private schools in our nation are the Catholic ones. We don't have any available in our part of the state or else, we would have conidered those schools as well.
Our Son Takes College Classes for FREE thru our Charter School
Keep an open mind about charter schools!!! I'm a Mom of 4 and have a master's degree. I was very skeptical about our charter school, especially because of its claims to provide college classes at a local 4-yr college for free...textbooks, tuition, fees...for high school jrs and srs. I checked it out thoroughly...accreditation, colleges the graduates go to, etc. etc. before allowing my child to apply.
Now my child is about to start his second semester (as a sr) there. He has indeed taken college classes with high school graduates in them, and is earning dual high school & college credit. And made straight A's in his first semester. The charter school requires all students to take a study skills/college prep class for an entire year to help the students adapt to college. And it is all free...they will even pay for transportation if a student cannot otherwise get to classes! Students who start as junior can, potentially, receive an Associate's Degree and high school diploma after completing their senior year!
My son has applied to several outstanding colleges and we are confident that this choice to take all college classes this year, and his outstanding grades in them, will give him a strong edge over other applicants. And he will still be considered an incoming freshman--important since these great colleges accept few transfer students. We don't care even if none of the credits transfer--the experience, knowledge, and confidence he's gained are...as they say in the diamond ads...priceless!!!
And: our charter school is not sponsored by a religious organization or the military. It's just a school for regular kids! For those with further educational ambitions, it's stellar preparation.
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