Shiner High has been ranked #52 out of all 1018 Public and Charter Schools in the State of Texas by the Children at Risk organization.  This puts Shiner High School in the top 5% of all high schools in the state.  There are a total of about 2200 high schools in the state and some of the schools did not have enough criteria to meet the standard to be ranked.  All the schools were ranked by the factors listed below.  Congratulations to all Students, Teachers, and Parents in the Shiner ISD.  Your hard work and support of students at Shiner High School are to be commended.

You can find the entire list in the April 26, 2010 issue of the Houston Chronicle.
 

TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOL RANKINGS 2010: METHODOLOGY

Introduction
Since 2006, the high school ranking system developed by CHILDREN AT RISK has highlighted the successes and need for improvement of Houston area high schools. As an advocacy organization, the purpose of the rankings is not only to provide a tool to parents and students, but also provide information to campuses and districts on how they perform relative to their peers and on successful models of high performing public schools. In 2009, CHILDREN AT RISK began to include all eligible high schools in the state of Texas as well as extend the ranking system to include eligible elementary and middle school campuses. Thus far, the CHILDREN AT RISK rankings have proven to be instrumental in generating conversations among educators and the public regarding methods for improving our public education system.

Data/Methodology
While there are a myriad of factors responsible for the overall success or failure of a campus, the data used in CHILDREN AT RISK’s ranking system represents a compilation of factors that indicate the degree to which a campus has prepared students for secondary and post-secondary success. The data used were obtained from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and is reported for the 2008-2009 academic year. Much like the methodology used by other institutions to rank higher education programs (e.g. MBA programs and law schools), CHILDREN AT RISK’s method uses the z-score statistic to standardize the data compared to all campuses across the state and compute a ranking among campuses included in the analysis.

When the 14 variables used for CHILDREN AT RISK’s high school rankings are examined in conjunction with each other, they provide a more accurate assessment of how well a campus has prepared students for a post-secondary education. Included indicators are specifically geared toward determining the college-readiness of graduates: the percentage of students achieving TAKS Commended Performance standards in Mathematics, English Language Arts, Social Studies and Science; the percentage of ACT/SAT test-takers; mean SAT and ACT test scores; enrollment in advanced courses; completion of the Recommended High School Program; participation and performance on AP/IB exams; graduation rate; and, attendance rate.

Similarly, a middle school campus has data for 10 variables and elementary campuses have data for 12 variables that provide a picture of how primary schools are preparing students for secondary and post-secondary success. Middle schools are evaluated based on the following variables: Commended Performance rates for TAKS Reading, Mathematics, Writing, Science, Social Studies, and all tests taken; attendance rate; and retention rates. Indicators for elementary campuses are as follows: Commended Performance rates for TAKS Reading, Mathematics, Writing, Science, and all tests taken; attendance rate; retention rates; and, average class size.

One adjustment variable is included for all campuses. Research has consistently shown that poverty is a predictor of whether or not a student will graduate and achieve post-secondary academic success. The percentage of students that are economically disadvantaged at each campus is thus included in the rankings analysis. CHILDREN AT RISK assumes a school must put forth more effort to retain and support these students through primary and secondary education. For this reason, these schools are given credit for having this at-risk student population.
 

Thanks for all you do!!!!

Don Wild
Shiner High School Principal