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Monmouth County's Career Academies Honored As America's Best
FREEHOLD - Four of Monmouth County's career academies are listed in the 2008 U.S. News & World Report magazine's list of America's Best High Schools. The four schools are:
• High Technology High School in Lincroft is ranked No. 7 overall out of 18,790 public high schools and is included on the magazine's Gold Medal school list.
• Allied Health and Science High School in Neptune and the Marine Academy of Science and Technology at Sandy Hook were recognized as Silver Medal schools.
• Communications High School in Wall received Bronze Medal honors.
"Wow! Four of Monmouth County's career academies continue to be models of excellence and achievement," Freeholder Barbara J. McMorrow said. "Day in and day out, the staff work to educate and elevate our youth. These students excel because they are interested and engaged in education. I am so glad the c ounty began the career academies as a way to provide more opportunities for students and as a way to enhance our vocational school district."
According to U.S. News & World Report, the America's Best High Schools methodology was developed by School Evaluation Services, a K-12 education data research run by Standard & Poor's.
It is based on the "key principles that a great high school must serve all its students well, not just those who are bound for college, and that it must be able to produce measurable academic outcomes that show the school is successfully educating its student body across a range of performance indicators."
All four schools are part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District (MCVSD), a program of the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders. A fifth career academy, Biotechnology High School in Freehold Township, was opened in 2005 and therefore is not eligible for consideration by U.S. News & World Report because it has not yet graduated its first class of students.
"The students at all five of Monmouth County's career academies are very focused and committed to a rigorous course of study," said Brian D. McAndrew, superintendent of the Monmouth County Vocational School District. "This community of learners is ready to move on, as is evidenced by the high preparedness rankings given. I look forward to Bio-Technology High School graduating its first class of students in 2009 and being able to join this group."
The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders also recognized that the Freehold (Borough) High School is also a Silver Medalist in the U.S. News & World Report 2008 America's Best High School rankings.
The Monmouth County Vocational School District prepares students for an evolving workplace and further education through specialized academic, career and technical programs and lifelong learning opportunities. The district's career academies prepare students for higher education through a rigorous program of study and for the evolving workplace through relevant, structured learning experiences and collaborative partnerships.
For more information about the vocational school programs, visit www.mcvsd.com.
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