By Carl Zielinski
Gargoyle staff reporter
Posted Monday, May 21, 2007, The OG, news

FOR THE SECOND year in a row, Newsweek has named Uni one of the nation's “public elites” as part of its ranking of the top U.S. public high schools.

“I think it's fantastic,” said Director/Principal Kassie Patton. “Any external validation of our excellence is important. It lets the world know what we already know: It's a great school.”

This year, Newsweek's list comprises more than 1,250 public high schools, supplemented by the 19 elites that did not fit the list due to exceptionally high test scores. Any school with an average SAT score over 1300 on the reading and math sections would not be considered, nor would any with an average ACT score over 27.

In its FAQ section about the rankings, Newsweek states, “We do not include any magnet or charter high school that draws such a high concentration of top students that its average SAT or ACT score significantly exceeds the highest average for any normal-enrollment school in the country.”

Newsweek ranks schools based on a “Challenge Index” devised by education reporter Jay Mathews of The Washington Post. The index consists of the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school divided by the number of graduating seniors. All public schools with an index of at least 1.000 made the list; they are in the top 5 percent of public schools measured this way, according to Newsweek.

Because this system of measurement leaves out many of the nation's most academically celebrated public schools, Newsweek last year added the category of “public elites.” In 2006, Uni was one of 21 schools on that list. This year, the overall number dropped to 19.

Here are the public elites for 2007 (all comments are Newsweek's):

• Benjamin Franklin, New Orleans

“Highly competitive school; doubled courseload in spring ‘06 to make up for lost semester after Katrina.”

• Bronx Science, New York City

“Ethnically and economically diverse; specializing in science and math.”

• Gretchen Whitney, Cerritos, Calif.

“Award-winning school with special emphasis on college admissions.”

• High Technology H.S., Lincroft, N.J.

“Takes top students from over 55 N.J. districts.”

• Hunter College H.S., New York City

“Highly competitive, affiliated with the City University of New York system.”

• Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Aurora

“State-run, 10th- to 12th-grade school that counts the founders of Netscape, PayPal and YouTube among its alumni.”

• Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts, Natchitoches

“Two-year competitive school, adding a sophomore class in August.”

• Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies, Richmond, Va.

“Selective school that stresses the importance of leadership and cultural issues.”

• North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Durham

“In July will become a full constituent of the UNC system.”

• Northside College Preparatory School, Chicago

“All courses taught at either the honors or Advanced Placement level.”

• Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics, Oklahoma City

“Highly selective public boarding school that serves students from all 77 counties.”

• Pacific Collegiate School, Santa Cruz, Calif.

“Emphasizes global awareness and foreign-language proficiency.”

• Pine View School for the Gifted, Osprey, Fla.

“Admission based on IQ-test scores; selected students score in the top 2 to 3 percent of applicants from Sarasota County.”

• South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics, Hartsville

“All students do a summer research internship.”

• Stuyvesant H.S., New York City

“One of the most competitive public high schools in New York City; average student SAT score is above 1400.”

• Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, Denton

“TAMS offers college-level coursework in a residential high-school setting.”

• Thomas Jefferson H.S. for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Va.

“Fairfax County businesses and schools work together on curriculum.”

• University H.S., Tucson, Ariz.

“An accelerated subschool within the larger Rincon High School.”

• University Laboratory H.S., Urbana, Ill.

“Closely affiliated to the University of Illinois.”

RELATED

— 2006 Gargoyle coverage: Newsweek touts Uni as one of nation's “public elites”

— 2007 Newsweek link: The Public Elites

— 2007 Newsweek link: The Top of the Class: The 1,200 Top U.S. Schools

— 2007 Newsweek link: FAQ: America's High Schools