There are 18,000 public high schools in the U.S. and public opinion about how those schools are doing is pretty low. So, we'd like to offer a big pat on the back to U.S. News & World Report for their December 10, 2007 cover story, "America's Best High Schools." The magazine's first ever ranking of high schools is in-depth, solutions-oriented, and provides useful resources for parents."The top schools are a diverse bunch," says the report, "and each one has found its unique way to best teach our future leaders." The survey unearthed a lot of surprising, positive news:
Like any good photograph, the details of the data gathered for this project reveal a number of fascinating stories. Most notable is the variety among the schools that have earned the highest honor. Our first-place winner, Thomas Jefferson High School in suburban Washington, D.C., picks its students from the children of the nation's leaders. Yet just 10 slots lower, Hidalgo High School on the border of Texas and Mexico has found success educating a student body comprising the children of challenged immigrants. And in Boston, the nation's oldest school carries on an exemplary tradition while a new charter school explores innovations such as housing tutors in dormitories on the third floor of its building.The report, with its various rankings (100 Gold Medalists, Silver and Bronze, too) and resources, is another good conversation-inducing story to share with your kids.
To find out how the schools in your state ranked, click here.
