Seven HISD high schools crack top-100 list of
America’s Most Challenging High Schools
The Washington Post’s 2016 list of America’s Most Challenging High Schools features 37 Houston ISD schools, led by Energized for STEM Academy in the No. 4 slot.
Four out of every five HISD high schools made this year’s list recognizing the top 10 percent of campuses across the nation. HISD schools also accounted for 19 of the top 100 schools in Texas. The rankings are based on the number of seniors taking college-level Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and Cambridge tests.
This year, HISD’s highest-rated high school is Energized for STEM Academy, a district charter school that emphasizes science, technology, engineering and math. The six other HISD schools making the national top-100 list include: Carnegie Vanguard (No. 11), Mickey Leland College Prep Academy for Young Men (No. 38), High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (No. 76), DeBakey High School for Health Professions (No. 82), Challenge Early College (No. 86), and Jones Futures Academy (No. 89). Twenty of HISD’s comprehensive neighborhood high schools also appear on this year’s list of America’s Most Challenging High Schools.
“No city in America has as strong of a collection of high schools as Houston,” said Interim Superintendent Ken Huewitt. “We are proud of the phenomenal teachers, students, administrators and support staff who pull together every day to make HISD great.”
HISD’s strong showing in the Washington Post rankings are due largely to a 2009 decision by the HISD Board of Education to boost the number of AP course offerings in all schools, and to waive the AP exam fees for all students in those courses. In 2015, HISD students passed a record 8,277 college-level Advanced Placement exams, a 60 percent increase from 2009.
In addition to the national recognition, HISD had 16 schools rank among the top 100 Texas schools, including seven that were among the top 50 schools in the state and two that were among the top 20. Carnegie Vanguard High School placed 3rd out of the 169 Texas schools, while Eastwood Academy ranked 19th.
HISD National Rankings (schools marked with * are among Texas’ top 100)
*4 – Energized for STEM Academy
*11 – Carnegie Vanguard HS
*38 – Mickey Leland College Prep Academy for Young Men
*76 – High School for Law and Justice
*82 – DeBakey HS for Health Professions
*86 – Challenge Early College
*89 – Jones Futures Academy
*115 – North Houston Early College
*119 – Eastwood Academy
*151 – Young Women’s College Prep Academy
*277 – Lamar HS
*367 – Sharpstown International HS
*387 – Bellaire HS
*497 – High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
*512 – Westside HS
*573 – Houston Academy of International Studies
*622 – Westbury HS
*623 – Reagan HS
*635 – East Early College
*668 – Sam Houston HS
932 – Waltrip HS
1,001 – Sharpstown
1,080 – Chavez HS
1,015 – Austin HS
1,062 – Washington HS
1,124 – Sterling
1,299 – Mount Carmel Academy
1,324 – Scarborough HS
1,378 – Davis HS
1,492 – Madison HS
1,855 – Milby HS
1,913 – Lee HS
2,066 – Worthing HS
2,178 – Kashmere HS
2,233 – Liberty HS
2,247 – Furr HS
2,267 – Yates HS