May 19, 2014 – Eight Round Rock ISD schools received top 10 rankings in the Austin area while Canyon Vista Middle School took first place honors from Children at Risk, a Houston-based nonprofit recognizing the best public schools regionally and statewide.
Representatives with Children at Risk announced the top elementary, middle and high school winners on Monday at an event at Canyon Vista Middle School.
Children at Risk ranked 422 schools in a seven-county area. Canyon Vista earned the top ranking in the middle school category from the organization. Westwood High School received the fifth-place ranking in the high school category while McNeil High School earned the No. 9 spot. Walsh Middle School joined Canyon Vista in the top rankings by winning third place while Cedar Valley Middle School rounded out the top 10 with a seventh-place ranking. Canyon Creek, Laurel Mountain and Spicewood elementary schools earned the second, third and fourth-place spots as the best elementary schools in the Austin area.
“We’re proud of our elementary, middle and high school campuses that were ranked highly on this list,” said Deputy Superintendent of Instruction and Administration Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora. “These schools continue to be leaders in Central Texas and in the state in education. We will continue to work with our campuses to provide quality education in Round Rock ISD as we move from first class to world class.”
Some Round Rock ISD schools were also highly ranked in compared to the state. Canyon Vista earned the fourth highest rating among middle schools in the state while Walsh ranked No. 14 in the state.
“We thank our teachers, staff, students and parents for their hard work,” Canyon Vista Principal Nicole Hagerty said. “Being honored allows our staff to see the positive outcomes of their efforts. Our teachers really know how to prepare our students for the rigor they will have at the college level. These rankings are not unique to just Canyon Vista. Our district does a great job of educating all students.”
Children at Risk used several indicators to measure the data they compiled. These indicators included performance on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness reading and math tests, graduation rates, campus performance and improvement over time. After analyzing the data, the organization gave each campus a grade of A, B, C, D or F.
“We compile this list to let parents know we have some really great public schools in the state of Texas,” Children at Risk CEO Dr. Bob Sanborn said.
Children at Risk is a nonprofit organization leading the way to improving the quality of life for Texas children through research, collaboration, advocacy and legal services. They have compiled this best schools in the Austin area list since 2006. The organization educates the community on its research which includes tracking items such as safety and education.
For more information on Children at Risk, visit childrenatrisk.org.
