What to Know About STEM Public High Schools
Categories: US Education News
Every student has their own strengths and skills – some shine on stage while others prefer conducting lab experiments or coding software.But students don't have to wait until college to pursue their academic interests at a deeper level. There are public high schools dedicated to specialized subject areas, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM."If your child is truly interested in science and math, for example, and they have the opportunity to go to a school specializing in those fields, ultimately you're in a position where you are stimulating their thinking and putting them into a condition that potentially accelerates their growth, development and learning," says Ronald Chaluisán, executive director of the Newark Trust for Education, a nonprofit focused on improving the quality of public schools. Students at Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics & Engineering Technologies in New Jersey, for example, pick a "major," and they receive in-depth instruction about that subject area each day. Most of the teachers have experience working in STEM fields they bring to the classroom."Other subjects are just as valuable because they inform how we use the different fields in STEM," says Christine Anne Royce, professor at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania and 2018-2019 president of the National Science Teaching Association. Schools that emphasize STEM often offer more Advanced Placement and dual enrollment courses than traditional schools. These courses can lead to college credit, which gives students a chance to test out of introductory or prerequisite college classes."They're able to really dig into what they would like to do for their major, instead of taking those freshman college courses that make you think, 'What's the point?,'" says Amanda Austin, director of Iberville STEM Academy in Louisiana. To enroll in a STEM school, students often have to enter a lottery. Some schools require an application and for students to demonstrate proficiency in STEM subjects. Attending a public STEM high school may also come with additional fees to account for laboratory equipment, technology and competitions, but financial assistance is often available."Picking a STEM school in the hope it is a resumé-builder for college admissions, as opposed to having a love of STEM, would be a misguided first step in exploring fit," Ann N. Bonitatibus, principal of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia, which earned a spot in the top 10 of the STEM rankings, wrote in an email. For a STEM school to be a good choice, "students must display commitment to STEM and have an innovative or entrepreneurial spirit." STEM schools may offer fewer options for extracurricular activities, like sports and theater, if they enroll fewer students than other schools. However, some high schools have a STEAM emphasis, with the "A" representing arts."We've seen parents who want the school more than their kids and the kids don't pass the entrance requirements or they're miserable in class," Weinstein says. "So kids need to want it as much as the parents do." Previously ranked as No. 6, The Davidson Academy of Nevada climbed to the No. 1 spot in the U.S. News Best STEM High Schools rankings this year. Three schools – Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, The School for the Talented and Gifted (TAG) in Texas and The Davidson Academy – ranked in both the top 10 for STEM schools and top 10 overall.Each school in the rankings receives a STEM Achievement Index – a combination of the STEM Math Achievement Index and the STEM Science Achievement Index – that has a maximum score of 100. Only the top 250 high schools that earned a score of at least 76.6 on the STEM Achievement Index receive a numerical rank. "Because students in STEM schools are often accelerated in mathematics and science, they may access AP courses a year or two earlier than peers in non-STEM schools," Bonitatibus says. "This means STEM schools often offer post-AP courses and research opportunities to extend student learning."The chart below features the schools in the top 10 of the 2022 Best STEM High Schools ranking, along with their location, enrollment size, STEM index and rankings. These schools either explicitly emphasize STEM in the curricula or offer a variety of STEM AP courses.