By Mary Whitfill
Staff Writ
er
Coppell High School was made proud when it ranked among the best in North Texas.
A non-profit organization, Children at Risk, rates the best public schools in the state, based on everything from class size to test scores. Though many organizations rank top schools, Children at Risk use more measures than most.
The rankings are dependent on 12 different variables, such as number of dual credit students and students who graduated with honors. Many schools were left out of the race due to insufficient data, but CHS came in eighth.
Children at Risk calculates its own statistics based on the most recent available. The graduation percentage is calculated on students who entered the high school in 2003 and graduated in 2007. This leaves out schools like McKinney High School who don’t have enough data available to collect due to the short number of years they have been in operation. Despite the strict requirements, 158 schools were ranked by the organization.
In order to be ranked No. 8, CHS had to perform at the top of its game in every aspect of academics.
“This shows the quality of the students and teachers,” assistant principal Mike Dominguez said.
Five of the top eight high schools on the list are magnet or charter schools. Following only Highland Park High School and School of Health Professions, CHS ranks as the third school that is not a magnet or charter school.
“I think we are doing a great job and the rankings show that students and teachers are working very hard,” algebra teacher Ginger Smith said.
A few of the factors for ranking each high school include average SAT and ACT scores, the number of students who took AP and IB exams and class size.
“The students will benefit from our rank because it opens doors for us,” Smith said.
CHS has approximately 530 students taking AP classes and 49 participating in the IB program, out of roughly 2,800 students.
“I am very proud of CHS for ranking so high of all the schools,” senior Christian Shanks said.
For most of the requirements, CHS was at an advantage, but one measure was a set back. The last of the 12 requirements was the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced price lunches. Schools with these higher rankings are weighted differently because they face greater challenges teaching students.
