North Carolina ranks amongst the top eight states in the nation for high school math and science education with seven of its schools making the list.
U.S. News and World Report released its first-ever list of the top math and science schools in the nation Sept. 29. Of the 207 high schools on the list, 15 were charter schools, 21 were magnet school and a quarter had formal application processes and determined admittance based on merit.
The rankings were determined by participation rates of schools in STEM—science, technology, engineering and math—courses and student performance in those courses as well as math and science AP exam results. Ranking methodology was based on the key principle that students attending these top math and science high schools must take and pass the rigorous, college-level STEM curriculum offered at their respective schools.
Ranked first was High Technology High School in Lincroft, New Jersey, followed by BASIS Tucson in Tucson, Arizona and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. With 40 schools on the list, California was the most highly represented state, followed by New York with 30 and Illinois with 15. North Carolina placed eighth with seven schools.
The new math and science rankings reflect a growing concern in the United States over education in the sciences, math, technology and engineering. Recent studies show that American students are falling behind students from other countries in the math and sciences. Of the 34 countries participating in international testing of math-science proficiency, American students ranked 25, behind countries including China, Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong.
“STEM education is critical in the twenty-first century,” said Stephanie Knott, assistant superintendent for community relations for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.
Two schools in this district were ranked on the list.
Knott postulated that the reason for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro district’s success was its proximity to the vibrant research community centered around research triangle park, in conjunction with its challenging AP curriculum.
“Many of the children in our district are connected to faculty members or parents involved in research or at the hospital,” Knott said. “Accordingly, parents encourage students to pursue studies in the sciences, math, technology and engineering.”
Knott noted that these rankings reflect a national shift towards more STEM-focused curriculum. In the 2012-2013 school year, all states will be required to adopt a new curriculum called the “common core.”
“There will be a substantial curriculum change for the entire nation,” Knott said. “Common core brings about changes that focus on larger concepts and a different organization of the STEM courses. There will be more standardization across the country and we will see some testing that accompanies the changed focus in time.”
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