Two schools in the Dallas Independent School District School (Dallas ISD) continue to earn top spots on the 2018 Best High Schools state and national rankings, according to the U.S. News & World Report. Dallas ISD’s School for the Talented and Gifted at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center (TAG) has been named the second best high school in Texas and No. 11 in the nation.
TAG shares top honors with the School of Science and Engineering (SEM) at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, which placed No. 3 in the state and No. 13 in the nation. In total, 17 Dallas ISD schools were recognized in the magazine’s list of Texas Best High School rankings, and eight received gold medals.
Ben Mackey, TAG principal, says his team has focused on raising the achievement bar, while ensuring equity and access for all students at a campus with a growing number of students from lower income families.
“While rankings never tell the whole story, it’s a great indicator to show the work of our incredible students, dedicated teachers, and supportive community,” said Mackey. “The work we’ve done has paid dividends across the board for our students.”
Nationally, as a school’s enrollment of students from lower income backgrounds increases, the school generally sees a drop in test scores. However, Mackey says at TAG, the opposite has occurred.
“Over the past five years, the percentage of our students from low income backgrounds has risen to more than 40 percent, but each student achievement metric has also increased.” said Mackey. “But more importantly, great things like this are happening across Dallas ISD, and that is most encouraging.”
The following schools earned the “gold medal” designation for demonstrating the highest college readiness, placing them among the top in Texas.
- School for the Talented and Gifted** – No. 2
- School of Science and Engineering ** – No. 3
- Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School – No. 23
- Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts – No. 26
- Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet** – No. 38
- School of Health Professions** – No. 63
- School of Business and Management** – No. 64
- Rosie M. Collins Sorrells School of Education and Social Services** – No. 69
** denotes the school is housed at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center
