Best Low-Income Academic School in Massachusetts 2009

BusinessWeek.com worked with GreatSchools, a San-Francisco-based nonprofit organization that rates schools and provides an online community for parents, and came up with the best high schools in each state in a number of different categories. We identified the best overall public high school in terms of test scores, the best public high school with an economically disadvantaged population, and the best improved public high school. In addition, we also offer the top public and private school in each state that parents rated the highest on the GreatSchools.net Web site. However, it is important to note that these last two categories are determined purely by parent participation and does not accurately represent the standing of the school; schools that received the most recommendations scored highest.

The Best Overall Academic Performance, Best Low-Income, and Best Improved schools were selected based on the most recent available state math, reading, and science standardized test scores for public schools. Math and reading were weighted twice as heavily as science. The schools with the Best Overall Academic Performance: had the best weighted test scores. The Best Low-Income school in each state had the highest weighted test score of the most economically disadvantaged schools. The Best Improved school is the school in each state that had the biggest weighted test score improvement compared to the previous year. The Parent's Choice schools are based on ratings given to the schools by visitors to the GreatSchools Web site. Choices were primarily limited to schools with at least 10 ratings, except in states where none of the schools met that threshold. The list included only schools with at least 100 students or a student population of half the median enrollment of all high schools in the state.

Note: the previous material was posted January 16, 2009 on www.BusinessWeek.com.

Itemlive.com Sunday, January 18, 2009

By Dan Baer - The Daily Item

Business magazine lauds Lynn English

LYNN - With a new year comes a new honor for Lynn English High School, which was recognized as the best low-income high school in Massachusetts by Business Week Magazine this week. Working in conjunction with the San Francisco-based non-profit Great Schools, Business Week identified the best overall high school in terms of test scores, the best public school with an economically disadvantaged population and the most improved public high school in each of the 50 states.

The selections were based on the most recent available state math, reading and science test scores. While English took home the best low-income and disadvantaged school honor, Boston Latin High School was named the best academic high school in the state and Harwich High School in Harwich was named most improved. The survey also included a parent’s choice category, where parents on the Great School’s Web site ranked the best public and private schools in each state. The winners in those categories are Acton-Boxborough Regional High School in Acton and Cathedral High School in Springfield.

The honor is the second in as many months for Lynn English High School, which along with Classical High School, was also named to the U.S. News and World Report’s list of the best high schools in America in December. “We are very excited here, we have a phenomenal faculty in this building,” Assistant Principal Thomas Strangie said Friday. “Every decision we make is based on the well-being of the students. We have very high expectations and over and over again the students meet them. The students are what make this work.” Strangie said the school has a variety of programs in place to help students academically both on the MCAS exams and in regular classroom learning.

Aside from daytime tutoring programs, teachers volunteer their time to work with students after school and on Saturdays, and the school’s guidance staff identifies problem students and gives them the help that they need. “It all comes together. When the faculty see a kid slipping, they are there right away to give them the support that they need,” he said. “The SPED department here is outstanding, they volunteer on Saturday mornings to help the kids.”

This state-by-state survey is the first of its kind at Business Week, which released the information in its latest edition and online at www.businessweek.com/go/09/bestschools. The goal is to educate parents of high school students on the best available schools in their state, and help families thinking of making a move do so with the knowledge of which schools will help their children the most.

“This is traditionally the time of year where families start thinking about where their children will be going to high school in the next year,” said Business Week Editor Charles Dubow. “Do you stay where you are? Do you move? Finding the right school for your children is so important that even in this economy parents may be willing to move or stay put. We want to help them make the best informed decision.”