Carol Lloyd

Parents spend a lot of time searching for the right high school for their child. This is such a huge interest that it has spawned an entire industry. “best high school”Lists from national media outlets like US News to local papers. Such lists are often incomplete. Why is this? It’s because many public high schools are well-known for being the “best”Unspoken benefits exist in the nation.

They are able to teach students who are expected to succeed. Serving wealthy families that can afford tutors or counselors is a benefit for some schools. Some schools do not accept students with high test scores or grades.

Is it possible to find public high schools which succeed without selectively selecting students with special needs? This is the subject of a new report. “Success without Selection,”GreatSchools, a non-profit organization, has published a series of three reports that are based on data gathered from College Success Awards. (The other two reports identify effective districts outperforming charter schools(.)

The report uses new data to track students from high school to college. It examines non-selective public schools whose low income students not only graduate, but also enroll at higher rates than the state’s average and stay in college once they do. Orville Jackson, GreatSchools data scientist, said that focusing on students from low income families is crucial because only 2 percent are college- and career-ready nationally and only 26 per cent earn a college diploma within six years.

This report lists 132 high schools from across the country, representing a broad range of communities. It includes schools in rural areas, such as Sterlington High School (Monte, La.) and Harlan High School (Harlan, Ky.), as well as schools located in suburban and urban areas, such as Dacula High School near Atlanta, Ga. and Waterbury Arts Magnet in Waterbury.

This report includes insights from school principals on the policies and activities they believe are key to their students’ academic success. Surprisingly the practices aren’t just about academics. Some principals have reported that their schools were better when they put the emotional wellbeing of their students first.

 

Carol Lloyd is GreatSchools’ Editorial Director.