New Century Technology Demo High School placed second among high schools based on US News & World Report’s new Best High Schools in Alabama.
Five other high schools in North Alabama also placed in the top 25, including Bob Jones High School at #6 and James Clemens High School at #7; Huntsville High School came in at #17; Muscle Shoals High School was ranked #23 and Madison County High School placed 25th.
All schools were ranked based on a scorecard that measures their Advanced Placement participation, whether they passed their AP exam; proficiency in math, reading, and science; and graduation rates.
New Century Tech has a 92% student participation rate; 62% passed an AP exam; 76% math proficiency; 85% reading proficiency; 78% science proficiency, and a 100% graduation rate for a total score of 99.07.
Furthermore, the total minority enrollment at New Century Tech is 56% and 49% of students are economically disadvantaged.
256 Today recently visited with New Century Tech and reported on a building project the students there are building for Habitat for Humanity, led by New Century Tech instructor Caroline Reed.
“We are helping build a workforce at the most basic level,” said Reed who teaches Introduction to Engineering Design, Civil Engineering and Architecture, Scientific Payload Design, and Computer-Aided Drafting. “I read somewhere that we are so busy educating people to fill the corner office, we forgot to teach them how to build it.”
