Newsweek has released its 2009 list of the top 1500 public high schools in the United States. There were 26 Massachusetts High Schools that made the list.
The top three in Massachusetts were these charter schools:
Sturgis Charter Public School, Hyannis
MATCH Charter School, Boston
Mystic Valley Regional Charter School, Malden
They were followed by:
Boston Latin, Boston
Weston High School, Weston
Unfortunately, Shrewsbury High School did not make the list.
John Vedder
Thursday, June 18
Ranking Top 1,500 Public High Schools
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14 comments:
This should seriously come as NO surprise to anyone! We do well on the testing because we study for it all the time.
I'm not familiar w/ the specific criteria used for the high school rankings, but when they do the college ones, several financial factors come into play (endowment, tuition, per-pupil spending, etc). If per-pupil spending (esp if expressed in relation to other communities in the same state and/or region) is part of the criteria, then that's probably enough to keep Shrewsbury off the list.
Eventually the cuts in funding for school progams & staff will result in a drop in the ranking of Shrewsbury H S on many measures.
We currently do well on the basics -- MCAS -- but have eliminated many electives and "extra" innovative programs which keep a school at the highest level of excellence.
It's a shame that we built a beautiful 'state of the art' building only to have classrooms empty due to staff cuts and way too many students jammed into study halls, sometimes 2 or more per day!
Until this changes, I doubt SHS will make to the top of Newsweek's ranking.
What were the criteria for the rankings? As we all know, we are at the bottom of the per pupil spending tables. We offer a good but not great selection of AP's, but could do way better there. This year's valedictorian at SHS came to town at the beginning of her junior year and already had taken five. We do not offer enough to even let our students begin them before junior year in most cases. We've cut art and music programs, even auto shop.
Before you jump to conclusions, what is the criteria used? SHS is one of the top ranked HS in the state based on AP scores and SAT scores. We have a diverse and varied program and offer a wealth of AP and elective courses. We have an engineering program. Do you know any other local HS - public or private that have this program? No! Please don't throw out information about the HS that isn't correct. It doesn't help anyone. As far as the valedictorian, the majority of her AP courses were taken right here in Shrewsbury. There are students who take 4, even 5 AP courses in their senior year. Finally, look at the colleges our graduates are accepted to year after year. This fact alone indicates the strong program at the HS. Was Westboro on the list? I don't recall seeing it. Was Lincoln/Sudbury on the list? Don't recall that one either. There are many, many, many great public HS not on this list.
Last poster, don't shoot the messenger. Mr. Vedder provided the link to the actual piece for those you care to read it. Let's face it folks, you eventually get what you pay for.
maybe we need a new/better school! hahahaha
Maybe we need a FEW more better schools. Maybe they'll put it on the ballot.
Just for the record Assabet offers the Engineering program and one of only a few in the country to be certified in one of the programs. Hey and they have AP classes, and oh they have free busing, and NO study halls.
Assabet does not offer the same program. Assabet is a wonderful school and very difficult to get into. It is a different type of education and can't be compared to SHS. It also costs the district more to send kids to that school. Assabet is a technical school. A high percentage of students here also go to college. SHS
is a college prepatory. Apples and oranges comparison. Both are great schools and students going to either are very fortunate.
So much for Shrewsbury Public Schools!
Assabet busing is free to Shrewsbury students because that is the law. Each sending district pays the cost of transporting their students to Assabet or to other "choice" schools such as the Agricultural school in Walpole.
{That's one reason why we charge a bus fee for our 7-12 grade kids and for Gr. K-6 kids who live less than 2 miles from their school -- because we can. The alternative, in these challenging times, might be no busing at all, except where legally required.}
An excerpt from a 6/18/09 T&G article about Worcester's school budget crunch illustrates one of the mandates public schools are required to follow:
" {Worc. School Committee member} Ms. Mullaney gave an example of vocational education reforms she said are outdated and predate the state’s educational reform. For instance, she said, a student could opt to attend any technical school that offers a course of study not provided locally. If a student elects to attend Norfolk Agricultural School in Walpole, it would cost the district $58,000 in school choice: “$20,000 in tuition, and $38,000 for a ride in the van,” Ms. Mullaney said. “For one child.”"
To read the entire article, use this link:
http://www.telegram.com/article/20090618/NEWS/906180667
Until people fully understand both the good AND the bad requirements of education reform, they will not completely grasp how challenging it is today to put together a comprehensive education program for ALL kids, while operating under budget constraints such as Proposition 2-1/2. Many of the schools in the Newsweek survey do not have the same drastic budget constraints as the MA schools.
I think Shrewsbury has done an exemplary job of maintaining a solid program within the very tigh fiscal constraints of the past several years.
Before all everybody starts making 'vote yes' signs, just consider all the big budget communities that didn't make the list. Dollars don't equal excellence.
Amen! youre right 4:55pm poster.
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