The Best Public Schools

This is the fourth time we’ve published a list of the top public schools in Texas, and the second year in a row that we’ve presented the higher-performing schools ranked according to the number of subjects (such as reading, writing, math, science, and social studies) in which they excel. Our partner in this effort is once again the National Center for Educational Accountability (formerly Just for the Kids), which analyzed student test results for the past three years as the basis for this year’s ranking. Students at the elementary schools that are included here performed better, across all grades, on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test than did their counterparts at other schools around the state. Middle schools and high schools made the list because their students’ improvement on the TAKS test was higher than predicted by their previous test scores. For a detailed explanation of the methodology behind the ranking, go to just4kids.org. Let us be the first to congratulate you if your school is on the list—and if it isn’t, we hope you make it next year.

Methodology

The National Center for Educational Accountability (NCEA) looked at student test results for the past three years to create this year’s higher-performing schools list. Using NCEA’s own College and Career Readiness (CCR) benchmark as a measuring stick, the top 5 percent of schools are automatically included. The rest are added because they perform better than predicted using statistical analyses. For elementary schools, this means students in all grades perform better on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) than in similar elementary schools in the state. Middle schools and high schools are on the list because their students’ academic growth on the TAKS is higher than predicted based on their previous test scores. For more information, please visit just4kids.org.