Clifton Park, NY – Today, US News & World Report released its annual "America's Best High Schools" report and fifteen of the nation's top 100 high schools are Project Lead The Way Schools, including five of the top 30. The goal of the report is "to provide a clear, unbiased picture of how well public schools serve all of their students – from the highest achieving to the lowest achieving – in preparing them to demonstrate proficiency in basic skills as well as readiness for college level work." "We are extremely proud of the work PLTW schools do to engage students in science, technology, engineering and math fields," said John Lock, CEO of Project Lead The Way. "By challenging students to solve problems and think critically, educators are creating a generation of students who will go on to college and enter the workforce with the skills necessary to compete in today's high tech economy. We offer our congratulations to all of the students, teachers, counselors and administrators recognized by US News & World Report." Project Lead The Way Schools recognized by US News & World Report include:
  • High Tech High (Lincroft, NJ) #11
  • Academic Magnet High School (Charleston, SC) #12
  • California Academy of Math and Science (Carson, CA) #22
  • Lennox, Mathematics, Science and Technology Academy (Lennox, CA) #25
  • Martin Luther King Academic Magnet School (Nashville, TN) #30
  • The Preuss School (La Jolla, CA) #32 Bergen Academies Hackensack (Hackensack, NJ) #39
  • Jericho High School (Jericho, NY) #48 Hawthorne Math and Science Academy (Hawthorne, CA) #54
  • ronx High School of Science (Bronx, NY) #58 Brooklyn Technical High School (Brooklyn, NY) #63
  • Henry M. Gunn High School (Palo Alto, CA) #67 Pittsford Mendon High School (Pittsford, NY) #69
  • Pittsford Sutherland High School (Pittsford, NY) #84 Cold Spring Harbor Junior/Senior High School (Cold Spring, NY) #85
To view the full report, visit: http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/high-schools/2009/12/09/americas-best-high-schools-gold-medal-list.html. About Project Lead The Way (PLTW) PLTW is a national, non-profit organization that provides rigorous and innovative science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for middle schools and high schools. The PLTW comprehensive curriculum, which is collaboratively developed by PLTW teachers, university educators, engineering and biomedical professionals, and school administrators, emphasizes critical thinking, creativity, innovation, and real-world problem solving. The hands-on, project-based program engages students on multiple levels, exposes them to areas of study that they typically do not pursue, and provides them with a foundation and proven path to college and career success in STEM-related fields. PLTW began in 1998 in 12 high schools in upstate New York as a program designed to address the shortage of engineering students at the college level and has grown to a network of almost 3,400 middle and high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. More than 300,000 students are enrolled in PLTW courses.