Baton Rouge Magnet and McKinley high schools are among the nation’s best high schools, according to a report from U.S. News & World Report that came out today, December 10. These East Baton Rouge Parish School System schools are two of only three in the parish to be recognized in the ranking.
This is the third year in a row that Baton Rouge Magnet High School (BRMHS) has made the list and the second year in a row for McKinley High School (MHS). Thirty-one Louisiana Schools made the overall U.S. News list.
“This is truly outstanding!” John Dilworth, district superintendent of schools said, “The students are to be commended for their hard work and determination. Principals Nanette Greer (BRMHS) and Armond Brown (MHS) and their staff are to be applauded for their leadership in offering students the best in academics, from Magnet and Gifted and Talented programs and Advanced Placement classes to college-prep courses through our dual enrollment program.”
Baton Rouge High earned a silver award, while McKinley High earned a bronze. There were only three schools recognized in this parish. According to the rankings, BRMHS’s overall student performance was 94.3 on the state test performance index and 2.56 on the poverty-adjusted performance index. MHS was at 55 and 1.16, respectively.
Baton Rouge Magnet High provides an award-winning college preparatory and visual and performing arts curriculum. The faculty and staff are committed to providing a learning climate to help students develop the skills and attitudes of successful citizens in a global environment. The high school offers 18 Advanced Placement, 22 Honors and four foreign language courses. In addition, the school also maintains a strong curriculum in visual and performing arts, with special classes for those students identified as "talented."
Besides the U.S. News designation, Baton Rouge High has received the following awards:
• 2008 Magnet Schools of America
• 2007 College Readiness Award
• 2007 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics & Science Teaching
• 2007 Toshiba/NSTA Exploravision Award
• 2006 Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement
• 2006 Magnet Schools of America School of Distinction
• 2005 Magnet Schools of America School of Distinction
• 2004 Creative School Ticket of Excellence
• 2003 Blue Ribbon School
A truly comprehensive high school, McKinley High School emphasizes academics as the main focus of its students’ educational experiences. Students have opportunities to follow curricula for jobs and for college preparation. In addition to traditional high school courses, McKinley has the only comprehensive self-contained Gifted Program in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. It offers 21 Advanced Placement classes; courses in visual and performing arts for “talented” students; concurrent enrollment at Louisiana State University, Southern University and Baton Rouge Community College; an honors curriculum; and a Great Scholars magnet component. Numerous courses provide a plethora of opportunities for all students in: music, dance, theater and visual arts; four foreign language programs; computer science and technology opportunities; classes in graphic arts, business and family science; athletics; auto mechanics studies; and special education services.
In addition, McKinley students have been the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships. McKinley High School has recently been recognized for:
• 2008 Siemens Award for Advanced Placement
• 2006 National Quiz Bowl Playoff Team
• 2005-2008 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills State Competition (winner/place)
• 2007 Siemens Foundation National Science Fair
The magazine and School Evaluation Services collaborated on the 2009 Best High Schools list. School Evaluation Services is a K-12 education and data research and analysis business that provides parents with education data (www.schoolmatters.com). Together, they analyzed academic and enrollment data from more than 21,000 high schools to find the very best across the United States. The top schools were placed into gold, silver, bronze or honorable mention categories.
U.S. News uses a three-step process that analyzes first how schools are educating all of their students, then their minority and disadvantaged students, and finally their college-bound students based on student scores on statewide tests, Advanced Placement tests, and International Baccalaureate tests.
For more information about the Best High Schools list, log on to:
http://www.usnews.com/directories/high-schools/.
