Hamilton dominates area top public high schools

Hamilton County Schools has the top four and six out of the top ten best public high schools in the Chattanooga area according to the latest ranking by the NICHE website. The Chattanooga area included surrounding counties in Tennessee and public high schools in north Georgia. Niche ranks places to live, schools, colleges, and places to work on niche.com. Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences (CSAS) Upper School earned the top spot in the rankings; Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts (CCA) was second; STEM School Chattanooga, third; Signal Mountain Middle/High School, fourth; Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State, seventh; and East Hamilton Middle/High School rounded out the top ten in the tenth spot. According to the Niche website, academic and student life data are the basis of the rankings based on rigorous analysis of from the U.S. Department of Education along with test scores, college data, and ratings collected from millions of Niche users.

Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences (CSAS) received an overall Niche grade of A to land the #1 spot on the ranking of the best high schools in the Chattanooga area. CSAS earned an A- in academics, B+ in teacher information, A in diversity, and an A- for college prep. Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences is a magnet school in Hamilton County Schools which follows the principles of The Paideia Proposal written by Mortimer Adler. Paideia advocates the same curriculum for all students. CSAS is one of only two K-12 schools in the country to be founded as a Paideia School and maintain its principles throughout its history. CSAS was a Level 5 school in 2019, one of 21 schools in Hamilton County Schools to earn Level 5 in all five state categories and designated a Reward school for 2019 by the state.

Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts (CCA), also had an overall Niche grade of A and was #2 on the list of the best area public high schools. CCA earned an A in academics, B+ in teacher information, B+ in diversity, B+ in college prep, and A- for health and safety. Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts, founded in 1998, is a National Certified Magnet School. The school is unique in offering a dedicated fine arts magnet program promoting academic and artistic excellence for students in grades six through twelve. Arts programs are available in communications, music, dance, theatre, and visual arts. Excellence in every area is the goal of the Center for Creative Arts. The school was designated a Reward school for 2019 by the state.

Coming in third on the list of top area public high schools was STEM School Chattanooga. STEM School also received an overall grade of A in the review. The school earned an A- in academics, an A in teacher information, A- in diversity, B+ in college prep, and A- for health and safety. A magnet school in Hamilton County Schools, STEM School Chattanooga’s name is what the school stands for in the academic growth of students. The school is all about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for grades 9 through 12. STEM School seeks to develop and share a new paradigm for world-class education using technology as a gateway to cultivate a student’s inquisitive nature. Students are encouraged to exercise innovation, think critically, and collaborate to become leaders who are self-sufficient learners. STEM School Chattanooga is a 2019 Tennessee Reward school.

Signal Mountain Middle/High rounded out the top four with Hamilton County Schools sweeping the top spots in the review. Signal Mountain received an overall grade of A- in the report. The school scored an A in academics, B+ in teacher information, C in diversity, B+ in college prep, and A- for health and safety. The school has a vision to create a community of caring and committed learners with a passion for excellence. Every student in grades six through ten is part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Program (MYB) that provides a challenging framework to encourage students to make practical connections between what they are learning and the real world. Juniors and seniors have the option of continuing in the IB Diploma Program. The IB Diploma Program is a rigorous university preparation program to develop critical thinking and research skills.

Coming in seventh is Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State. The Niche Top 20 listed the school under its old name (Chattanooga State Middle College High) in the online review. Collegiate High received an overall B+ in the review. Other grades included a B for academics, B+ for teacher information, B- for diversity, B+ in college prep, and A in health and safety. Hamilton County Collegiate High School is a partnership between Hamilton County Schools and Chattanooga State that serves as a launching pad for students in grades nine through twelve. Students at Collegiate High can expedite their education by earning a high school diploma, and an associate’s degree while in high school. Collegiate High supports students with college credit hours, knowledge, and the skills necessary for success in school after high school graduation. The school was also a Level 5 school for academic growth for 2019 and one of 21 in the district to earn Level 5 in all five categories the state measured. Collegiate High was a state Reward school for 2019.

East Hamilton Middle/High School completes the six Hamilton County Schools listed in the top ten. East Hamilton has an overall score of B+ in the review with a B+ in academics, B in teacher information, B+ in diversity, B in college prep, and a B in health and safety. East Hamilton Middle/High is a 2019 Tennessee Reward School for outstanding student growth and success in academic achievement. The school was also a Level 5 school for student growth and one of just 21 in the district to earn Level 5 in all five categories the state measures in student academic growth. East Hamilton School was also a Tennessee Reward school for 2019.

Soddy Daisy High School came in at #14 on the review of the Top 20 area public schools to complete Hamilton County Schools representation in the listing. Soddy Daisy received a B in academics, B in teacher information, C+ in diversity, B- in college prep, and A- for health and safety.

The Niche rankings weighted the categories used to rank schools with academics counting 60 percent; culture and diversity, 10 percent; parent and student surveys, 10 percent; teacher information, 10 percent; clubs and activities, 2.5 percent; health and safety, 2.5 percent; resources and facilities, 2.5 percent; and sports, 2.5 percent.