Five IDEA schools make NCEA Higher Performing Schools List

The National Center for Educational Achievement, a department of ACT, Inc., identified five IDEA College Prep schools as part of its 2011 Higher Performing Schools in Texas list.

The five IDEA schools included on the list are in Donna, Mission, Edinburg, San Benito and Brownsville. The NCEA identifies schools whose students have consistently performed better than their peers at schools serving demographically similar populations.

“Our students face many obstacles when they first enroll at IDEA, but IDEA is proving that when the adults in the system get it right, all students can achieve at high levels,” said Tom Torkelson, IDEA Public Schools founder and chief executive officer. “We are proud of our students who, with these results, have demonstrated their commitment to achieving college-readiness.”

The NCEA Higher Performing Schools List recognizes schools based on scores from statewide exams that demonstrate college-readiness. The tests include TAKS in grade seven, EXPLORE in grade eight, PLAN in grade 10 and the ACT in grades 11-12. It also compares the scores from the previous year and considers if the student has an above-typical growth for what is expected in their demographic group.

The NCEA Higher Performing Schools List is a more select group of schools than the annual Texas Education Agency list of exemplary, recognized, acceptable or unacceptable schools, IDEA noted in a news release.