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Newsweek Recognizes Gatton Academy as America’s Best High School

May 20, 2012 | News | No Comments

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The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at WKU has been recognized byNewsweek magazine as the nation’s top high school.

America’s Best High Schools 2012, released online Sunday and in the May 28, 2012, print edition of the magazine recognized 1,000 schools from across the United States. The Gatton Academy was ranked fifth in 2011 list.

Rounding out the top five schools were The School for the Talented and Gifted Magnet (Dallas, Texas), BASIS Scottsdale (Arizona), School of Science and Engineering Magnet (Dallas, Texas), and BASIS Tucson (Arizona).

Newsweek’s methodology for their rankings sought to highlight schools that focus on providing solutions to the challenges of 21st century education and prepare students for both college and life. (To read more about the Newsweek list, visit http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/05/20/newsweek-ranks-kentucky-academy-as-america-s-top-high-school.html)

Each school’s score is comprised of six components: four-year, on-time graduation rate (25 percent), college matriculation rate (25 percent), Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) tests per student (25 percent), average SAT/ACT scores (10 percent), average AP or IB scores (10 percent), and AP courses offered (5 percent). (To view the complete list, visit http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/05/20/america-s-best-high-schools.html)

Dr. Julia Roberts, executive director of the Gatton Academy, explained that the components of the methodology reflect the high-level learning necessary for successful students in a globally-competitive society.

“The United States has emphasized proficiency or grade-level learning to the exclusion of nurturing the talents of advanced learners,” Dr. Roberts said. “A promising future for our country is closely tied to the development of talent in science, mathematics, languages arts, the social sciences, and the arts. The purpose of the Gatton Academy is to extend learning opportunities for gifted students who live in all parts of Kentucky.”

WKU President Dr. Gary Ransdell underscored the unique experiences available to Gatton Academy students and the role the campus community has in engaging students at the highest level.

“What a great tribute to everyone on our faculty and to the staff of the Gatton Academy,” Dr. Ransdell said. “The key has been the manner in which WKU faculty have involved these students in serious undergraduate research and opened up international experiences for them.”

Over half of Gatton Academy students engaged in study programs abroad during the previous academic year, with opportunities in Italy, the United Kingdom, Costa Rica, China, and Taiwan. Moreover, 91 percent of recent Gatton Academy graduates participated in a research project sponsored by a university faculty mentor.

The program’s strategic partnership with WKU plays an important role in the development of students both in and out of the classroom, according to Gatton Academy director Dr. Tim Gott.

“This recognition would not have been possible without the full partnership we have with Western Kentucky University,” Dr. Gott said. “Having access to top professors and instructors, the university’s research facilities, and the support of the administration provides a pathway for advanced Kentucky students to be on equal footing with others across from the United States.”

Corey Alderdice, assistant director for admissions and public relations, also noted the recognition is something that should be shared with the more than 100 public school districts in the state that have partnered with the Gatton Academy to engage students from 107 Kentucky counties since the program’s inception.

“At the core of its mission, the Gatton Academy acts as an extension of the nearly 200 public high schools is the state of Kentucky,” Alderdice said. “These students excel not only because of the opportunities they have been provided by the Academy but also because of the preparation and experiences they have pursued at the elementary, middle, and early high school level in their home districts.”

The Gatton Academy, which opened in 2007 and is funded by the Kentucky General Assembly, is the commonwealth’s only state-supported residential high school with an emphasis in math and science.  Roberts added that the announcement is the culmination of over a decade of advocacy to make the program a reality for Kentucky students.

“Fifteen years ago the idea for what has become the Gatton Academy was put forward,” Dr. Roberts said. “Ten years of advocating preceded its opening. Being recognized as the top high school in the country by Newsweek at the conclusion of the Gatton Academy’s fifth year is a dream come true.”

Contact: Corey Alderdice, (270) 705-3632; Dr. Julia Roberts, (270) 745-6480 or (270) 991-6355; Dr. Tim Gott, (270) 745-3605 or (270) 307-0135.

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By Corey Alderdice

Gatton Academy Named to Newsweek’s “Public Elites” for the Second Consecutive Year

June 14, 2010 | News, Student Success, WKU | No Comments

The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at Western Kentucky University has been named to Newsweek’s list of “Public Elite” American high schools for the second consecutive year.

Each spring, Newsweek recognizes the top 6 percent of public schools as measured by the Challenge Index ratio devised by Washington Post Education Columnist Jay Mathews. The ratio is based, in part, on the number of Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate tests taken by all students at a school in the previous year divided by the number of graduating seniors.   This year, Newsweek recognized 1,600 schools from across the country.

The Challenge Index is designed to recognize schools that challenge average students. Top-performing schools, such as The Gatton Academy, were excluded from the regular list of well-performing high schools because of their exceptional quality and remarkably talented student bodies.  Specialized schools are, instead, acknowledged by The Public Elites.

Though 16 Kentucky high schools appear on Newsweek’s traditional list of top-performing high schools, Dr. Julia Roberts, executive director of the Gatton Academy, noted the Gatton Academy is the only Kentucky high school to have been recognized as a member of The Public Elites.  Roberts also added the Gatton Academy is one of the youngest institutions to appear on the list.

“How outstanding for a program as young as the Gatton Academy to make the Newsweek list of the Public Elites among public high school schools in America for a second year,” Roberts said.  “This recognition reflects entirely upon the dedication of the staff at the Gatton Academy and the outstanding students from across the Commonwealth who participate in research  and advanced classes as well as international experiences and service learning opportunities.  People across the Commonwealth and beyond can share pride in this wonderful recognition for the Gatton Academy.”

The Gatton Academy once again finds itself among the nation’s 20 most distinguished high schools.  Schools such as the Bergen County Academies (New Jersey), Illinois Math Science Academy, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, and Thomas Jefferson High School (Virginia) make perennial appearances on the list.  These schools, along with the Gatton Academy, are members of the National Consortium of Specialized Secondary Schools of Math, Science and Technology (NCSSSMST).

According to Tim Gott, the Gatton Academy’s director and NCSSSMST board member, the Commonwealth’s future leaders and innovators in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) have already begun to distinguish themselves among peers across the nation through sharing research at the consortium’s student research symposium and Keystone National Youth Policy Summit.

“The Gatton Academy has been extremely fortunate to be involved with NCSSSMST peer institutions,” Gott said. “This incredible network of over 200 schools and affiliates creates a strong professional community that provides a collective wisdom on STEM education that cannot be duplicated.  Serving on the board and co-hosting the most recent professional conference has provided us the opportunity to participate and contribute on a national stage.  This experience has been invaluable in guiding our work at Gatton Academy.”

Newsweek’s recognition drew attention to the strategic partnership between the Gatton Academy and WKU, which facilitates all coursework for academy students.  As part of the rigorous curriculum, students earn more than 60 hours of college credit during their four semesters in the program while also earning a high school diploma.

“One of the reasons for our early success is the outstanding partnership we have with WKU,” Gott said.  “Integrating into the college curriculum available on campus allows our students to have a rigorous and relevant learning environment with professors and instructors who are experts in their disciplines and leaders in a vast array of research fields.  WKU, across the board, has made every resource available so Gatton Academy students can truly expand and enrich their educational experience while making significant contributions to academic and student life on campus.”

Though particular attention is given to the academy, Corey Alderdice, assistant director for admissions and public relations, said the Gatton Academy is an educational partnership encompassing districts across the state.

“We are humbled to find ourselves among the nation’s most prestigious high schools once more,” Alderdice said.  “However, it’s not an accomplishment we celebrate alone.  Such recognition is born out of previous and present commitment and dedication of parents, educators and administrators in our students’ local districts.”

Since the program’s inception in 2007, students have been admitted from 95 of Kentucky’s 120 counties.  In all, students from over 100 public high schools across the state have enrolled in the program.

“We believe this program and accomplishment is something all Kentucky educators have ownership in and can celebrate,” Alderdice said.

More WKU news is available at http://www.wku.edu/news/index.html and http://wkunews.wordpress.com/.

For more information, contact Corey Alderdice at (270) 745-6565.

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By Corey Alderdice