SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½, TX—Four SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Independent SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ District high schools are among the best in the nation, according to the 2012 U.S. News and World Report Best High SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ rankings. Liberal Arts Science Academy, Anderson High SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½, Bowie High SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ and McCallum High SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ earned national and state recognition in the annual report.
To be eligible for a state ranking, a school must be awarded a national gold or silver medal. Liberal Arts and Science Academy earned a national gold medal for being ranked 54th in the nation and 7th in the state. Anderson, Bowie and McCallum High SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½s earned silver medals for their rankings. Anderson is 676th in the nation and 61st in the state, Bowie is 704th in the nation and 64th in the state and McCallum is 712th in the nation and 66th in the state. Data was analyzed from more than 21,000 schools across the country to determine the rankings.
"We are thrilled four of our high schools are among the best in the nation," Paul Cruz, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ ISD Chief SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½s Officer said. "Our students and staff members have worked diligently throughout the year and we congratulate each of these schools for this prestigious recognition."
The national rankings are determined through a three-step process. The first step determined if students perform better than average in the state. The next step compared the school's math and reading proficiency rates for disadvantaged students to determine if the students performed better than average. The third and final step uses Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test data to measure which schools produced the best college-level achievement for the highest percentages of their students.