The Best High Schools Ranking Roundup

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I managed to flunk out of a public ivy my freshman year in college. My sophmore year I was at another state school without all the publishing and research credentials but with professors instead of TA's. I was on the dean's list the first semester there. I went on to graduate with honors. Later I took classes at another public ivy and pulled A's and B's so it's a s much student motivation as school ranking.
My wife and I sent our children to parochial school for the first six years of their education. When they got to public school in junior high, one child has excelled from the training and gone into the IB programs the high school offered. The other child saw it as their opportunity to now coast into retirement now that they were only fifty years out. You plant corn you get corn!
It's a three legged stool between the institution, the student and the parents. Different kids have differing goals and values and let's not forget friends! Peers have a great deal to do with how well a child is motivated. At which point parents and teachers can guide, but it is ultimately up to the individual.
I was in a high technology career and due to circumstances in and out of my control, my position became obsolete. I have had to return to school as a non traditional student (as a pentagenarian <--- is this a word?) at a local junior college. Some people look upon these institutions with disdain, but they also fill a definite need and educational niche. They may not be as rigorous as the land grant institutions, but they ultimately educate students so they are productive in the workforce as they choose to be, which seems often more productive than some ivy graduates!

William Hoots, III of MN 11:21AM December 11, 2007

It seems very strange that Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin rank very high on the national test scores, yet very few schools from those states received a silver or a gold.

Ken Romenesko of WI 3:34PM December 10, 2007

I question why rankings are needed in public education given that students have little choice where they can go. It is not like they cannot simply say oh that school is better and go there. I think the idea of a gold standard is a good idea, although the superficalness of relying on a rather limited data set obviously hampers it. To me, what makes a quality high school can best be described as the "vibe" which includes:
Students feel cared about by their teachers. This is evidenced in the quality of interactions between faculty and students. They greet each other in the hallways, kids are excited to be at school rather than waiting for the bell. Teachers are excited about not only sharing their kowledge, but contributing to the development of teens.
Schools position themselves as the centre of community and as such are open and interacting with the community through sports, service, and otehr activities. This can be measured by number of students invovled, number of hours contributed, type and impact of porjects undertaken. From Habitat to Basketball, from trash bashes to painting poor kids schools, from dances to multicultural days, it all adds up to invovlement. At its heart are students and teachers working together.
Schools challenge students. Not just through offering AP and IB programs, but also personal challenges such as week without walls and outward bound programs.
Preparation for the next step. My school is a university prep school, so the obvious measurable is the numebr of kids getting into college. But we should be looking at how successfully they transfer to college as well. Were they prepared to succeed academically and socially? are they contributing to campus life? Moreover, schools need to challenge students beyond the curriculum allow students to engage in public issues. Do people come in and talk about things teens should career about? This could be career day or a speaker on environmental issues or AIDS or third world debt.
Schools should feel like a community. They should have a strong identity--not one just by a logo, but by real communion: Assemblies and pastoral care, House systems and fun days, space for students to be with each other in positive ways.
Schools should provide students with plenty of opportunities to apply their learning in authentic ways. Kids need to be connected to the real world through work experience, internships and special projects. Grades should not just be based on tests, but real world assessments that reflect authentic practices in the world of work.
Kids should be allowed to explore and develop specific passions. This requires passionate teachers who are constantly rejuvenating. Measure how much money is spent on professional development? measure how many teachers are putting time in keeping current. Moreover see how many clubs schools have that allow kids more hands on opportunities.
Schools need to have vibrant cultural lives. Performing and visual art courses are only the beginning. How many students are involved in plays and productions, attending concerts and coffee houses. Do they offer poetry competitions along side science fairs and soccer games? Does the school newspaper accompany a literary journal? IS student art prominently on display in the hallways along with trophies from sporting competitions?
I think the vibe of a school is more important than the average standardizes test scores, but the latter is just so easy to access.
Shaun McElroy
www.internationalcounselor.org

Shaun McElroy 8:49PM December 05, 2007