Dallas Magnets schools tops Children At Risk rankings

[skyvolt2000]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/040410dnmetschoolrank.3d77b58.html

Dallas ISD's magnet campuses again dominate a list of the best public high schools in Texas, while several of the city's large comprehensive high schools rank at the bottom.

Across all grade levels, the top schools in North Texas fell mostly into one of two categories: selective magnet schools with double-digit student poverty rates or affluent suburban schools in places such as Highland Park, Plano and Frisco. But a few schools fit neither mold – take Stults Road Elementary in Richardson, ranked seventh among elementary schools in North Texas and 12th statewide. More than three-fourths of students are poor, yet they aced their state exams.

Along with some schools in Dallas, schools in the Richardson and Plano districts made particularly strong showings, Sanborn said. "Parents who are sending their kids to Richardson or Plano should be pretty happy with the school systems there," he said.

The group also came up with the 20 most improved high schools in North Texas, with Dallas' James Madison, Moises E. Molina and Hillcrest high schools topping the list. Those schools made the greatest gains in test scores and other measures over the past three academic years.

The rankings for Dallas ISD also revealed that low-income students did better in smaller, specialized schools where they're less likely to get bored or feel disconnected, Sanborn said. (no BLEEP!)

The study added another new measure for high schools: the percentage of students who graduate within six years. Rates ranged from 100 percent at Dallas' Talented & Gifted magnet to only 35 percent at L.G. Pinkston High in Dallas and 33 percent at Duncanville High.

As before, the Children at Risk rankings include charter schools, which are public schools run by private groups. A handful of charter schools earned high marks, such as Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts (10th among North Texas high schools) and North Hills Primary in Irving (16th among local elementary schools). But most charters fared poorly. For instance, the 10 lowest-ranked elementary schools in North Texas include six charter campuses.

Top 20 high schools
N. Texas rank State rank School District
1 1 School of Science and Engineering Dallas
2 2 School for the Talented and Gifted Dallas
3 5 School of Health Professions Dallas
4 7 Highland Park Highland Park
5 10 Magnet Center for Public Services Dallas
6 13 School of Business and Management Dallas
7 21 School of Education and Social Services Dallas
8 25 Booker T. Washington Dallas
9 27 Plano West Senior High Plano
10 29 Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts Charter school
11 31 Coppell Coppell
12 34 Colleyville Heritage Grapevine-Colleyville
13 36 Plano Senior Plano
14 38 Flower Mound Lewisville
15 46 Grapevine Grapevine-Colleyville
16 54 Allen Allen
17 55 Pearce Richardson
18 57 Argyle Argyle
19 66 Keller Keller
20 68 Plano East Senior High Plano

All those highlight schools are located in the same building-Townview.

http://www.childrenatrisk.org//cmsFiles/Files/Greater%20Dallas%20High%20School%20Rankings%202010.pdf
http://www.childrenatrisk.org//cmsFiles/Files/Greater%20Dallas%20Middle%20School%20Rankings%202010.pdf