More on U.S. News’ ‘Best High Schools:’ Top-Ranked Campuses Include Magnets, Charters
Among the top 20 campuses in U.S. News & World Report’s new rankings for the “Best High Schools” were two magnet schools and four charter schools, indicating that some students are indeed thriving in alternative public education environments.
In addition to the overall rankings, the publication also had
separate rankings for charter schools (BASIS Tuscon in
Arizona was the highest ranked) and
magnet schools (the top honor went to Connecticut
International Baccalaureate Academy, in East Hartford).
Magnet schools are also public schools, and offer specialized
programs in areas such as science, math and technology, and
enrollment is typically determined by a competitive application
process. Given that magnet schools attract standout students
who are highly motivated to succeed, why include them in the
rankings of traditional campuses that can’t practice selective
enrollment?
“That’s a fair question,” said Robert Morse, U.S. News’ director
of data and research. “In our view, a public school is a public
school. Magnet schools are free to attend, even if there are some
barriers to entry. The education system has set them up for a
reason, and they are competing with other public schools. By
including them in the rankings, it shows that these types of
schools are producing really good results, and that deserves to
be pointed out.”
Charter schools are publicly funded, but are typically granted
more autonomy in staffing, instruction, and student
enrollment. A criticism of the charter school movement has
been that on the whole, according to some studies, these campuses
haven’t performed much better than their traditional public
school counterparts. The new rankings are a reminder that each
sector of the public education system can point to pockets of
excellence that merit attention.
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