In the classroom: These public high schools show the best SAT scores, graduation rates in their stat

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"In the classroom: These public high schools show the best SAT scores, graduation rates in their states
Samuel Stebbins and Michael B. Sauter24/7 Wall Street

According to a survey conducted in August, about half of U.S. school districts planned to reintroduce full-time in-person learning this fall, with the remainder either resuming the virtual learning processes introduced during the early months of the COVID-19 outbreak or using a hybrid model.

Many schools throughout the country that have attempted to start the year with full in-person classes have already had to revert to virtual learning. With regional cases high in many parts of the country and the possibility of cases resurging in the future in others, it is unclear how long before normal in-person classes will resume nationwide. Also unclear is the long-term effects that school closure and virtual learning will have on student development.

Already, the public education system in the United States lags behind the schools of many wealthy nations. According to an annual study conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the U.S. trails 24 other countries – Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, and the U.K. among them – in student performance in core subjects.


Nationwide, only about 33% of public school students about to enter high school are considered proficient in math, and 32% are considered proficient in reading, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

These figures offer a grim assessment of the general state of American schools. Encouragingly, however, there are still public schools all over the country that offer a well-rounded and high-quality education, and where student achievement is high.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed rankings for all public schools from school data clearinghouse Niche and identified the best public high school in every state. Niche’s school rating system accounts for a range of factors, including student and parent survey responses, teacher absenteeism, standardized test scores, and other measures of academic performance. A full methodological breakdown is available here.

Nearly half of the schools on this list are either charter or magnet schools. Unlike regular public high schools, where place of residence is typically the only factor in enrollment, many of these schools have competitive admissions processes that are designed to select only the most motivated and talented students from both inside and outside of the school district. Unlike normal public high schools, magnet and charter schools often receive additional funding through private sources such as tuition and donations.


In many non-charter or magnet schools on this list, high student achievement is often due not only to school quality, but also to advantages outside of the classroom. For example, children of better-educated parents are themselves more likely to succeed academically. The vast majority of non-charter or magnet schools on this list are located in school districts where adults and parents are far more likely to have a four-year college education than the typical American adult. These school districts also tend to be relatively wealthy.


Methodology:

To determine the best public high school in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed rankings for all public schools from school and neighborhood data clearinghouse Niche. It is important to note that the grade levels contained in these schools are not uniform. Some schools include grades outside of the 9-12 range and others contain fewer grades.

Data on rank, number of students, student-teacher ratio, average SAT score, average ACT score, graduation rates, and math and reading proficiency also came from Niche. Click here for a complete explanation of Niche’s methodology.

Data on median household income by school district and adult educational attainment rates came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey, when available. All ACS data are five-year estimates.

24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY."



Virginia: Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology

• Location: Alexandria

• Number of students: 1,781

• Student-teacher ratio: 18-to-1

• Avg. SAT score: 1510

• Avg. graduation rate: 99%

Virginia's Thomas Jefferson High School For Science & Technology is one of the most academically strong public high schools not just in the state, but the country as a whole. The school's average SAT score of 1510 and ACT score of 34 compare better than more than 98% of test-takers nationwide. Effectively, the entire student body scores at or above proficiency in math and reading on state exams, and the school has a 99% graduation rate among seniors.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/10/09/top-classrooms-best-public-high-school-in-every-state/42727627/

TJ has the highest average SAT scores in the country.