Lists assessing high school rankings for K-12 are hugely popular right now because of the intestine scrutiny of American education. These rankings are important because parents make moves to areas, or away form them, based on how schools rate. The schools then get more money per cupil, or less if they are losing students. Using high school rankings for K-12 is different from using them for the lower age groups. To gauge the effectiveness of a high school, these are the things you need to look for.
Graduation Rates Rankings for High School
Graduation rates are key when looking at high school rankings for public schools. Schools with low graduation rates usually face a host of other problems as well. High school drop-out rates are correlated with low income and, sadly, minority status. Of course, that's usually because the minorities in question come from low-income families with little education.
Size Matters with High Schools
Another key component of high school rankings is size. First of all, the size of high schools has become a major concern. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has funded millions of dollars to public high schools to make the transformation from buildings that house a thousand or two thousand students, to smaller and more intimate schools. Studies have found that smaller schools do a better job of connecting with students, result in higher graduation rates, test scores, and lower rates of teen pregnancies and crime involvement. Public High school rankings are great for this type of population size information. But high schools can be ranked according to student teacher ratios which can make a big difference to teenage learners.
Parents Matter with High Schools
While most High School Rankings do not have a way to measure parent involvement, you can look at other factors that will give you an idea of communication at the school. Ratings for the leadership of the principal or the quality or the teachers might give you an idea of what parent communications are like. Usually a school with a strong leader is more likely to have strong communications with parents. And of all the factors mentioned, parental involvement can make or break a school.
It's so easy for parents to get information in this high-tech age. Knowing what information to look can help you make an informed decision and make the best use of high school rankings.