U.S. News & World Report just released its 2012 “Best High School” list. Based on the evaluation of nearly 22,000 public high schools, the magazine ranked the magnet School for the Talented and Gifted in Dallas, Texas number one. [Out of the School’s 229 students, 60% are minorities (30% Hispanic, 20% Black, 10% Asian), and 32% are economically disadvantaged, i.e., they are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.]
The School for the Talented and Gifted is considered a public school as it receives funding from the government and tuition is free, but there is a selection process used to gain admission, e.g., incoming students must have a reading score of “80” or higher. So the Texas school has no students who read below grade level, while according to the Nation’s Report Card, a mere 38% of American high school seniors are reading at or above the “proficiency” level.