Top 100 Best High Schools 2013– School of Science/Engineering Magnet – Newsweek – 4/100

School of Science/Engineering Magnet

1201 E 8th St #216, Dallas, TX 75203, United States

City: Dallas
State: TX
School Classification: M,S
GRAD RATE(%): 100
AP/IB TESTS: 3.9
COLLEGE BOUND(%): 100
AVG SAT: 1786
AVG ACT: 26.8
SUBS LUNCH(%):67
AVG AP SCORE: 2.6
NEWSWEEK SCORE: 4.44

Local Map

The School of Science and Engineering Magnet at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center (known as the School of Science and Engineering or SEM) is located at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center, home of six magnet high schools in the Dallas Independent School District. SEM’s mascot is the eagle, and its school colors are maroon and white. Tiffany Huitt is serving as principal, following Jovan Carisa Wells who was promoted to DISD Executive Director of Division 4 Office. Ms. Wells had served as principal following Richard White who retired suddenly for health reasons.

Academic Activities

SEM offers many Mathematics and Science courses, from Algebra II to AP Calculus BC to AP Statistics. Many Science courses are also offered from the basics of Pre-AP Biology to higher level courses such as Physics C and Chemistry which are taken as Advanced Placement courses allowing the student chances to earn college credit. Tech courses that instruct students in Computer Science concepts and the Java (programming language) are also available. SEM stresses a philosophy of hands-on science education. It is the only high school in the nation to offer concurrent lab classes whose students are exposed to college level laboratory experience along with their AP Math/Science curriculum.
Lauren Liou, a 2012 graduate of SEM, was named Texas State AP Scholar 2012. This AP Scholar Award is granted to the one male and one female student in each U.S. state and the District of Columbia with scores of 3 or higher on the greatest number of exams, and then the highest average score on all AP Exams taken. In her four years at SEM, Lauren took a total of 18 AP exams, and scored fourteen 5’s.

Prestige

•2012 – SEM wins the Intel School of Distinction Award for the Best High School Math Program in the Country.
•2012 – SEM Ranked #2 (out of 1900 public high schools) -Washington Post High School Challenge
•2012 – SEM Ranked #4 (out of 1000 public high schools) -Newsweek.com [1] In 2011, SEM was ranked the number 1 high school in America by the Washington Post.[1] The school was also ranked number 1 in the Newsweek list of America’s Best High Schools.[2] In 2012, it was ranked the number one high school in the North Texas area by Children at Risk, a research and advocacy institute dedicated to helping children.
In both 2005[3] & 2011,[4] SEM has received the Blue Ribbon School award by the U.S. Department of Education.
SEM was ranked as second best high school in the United States in 2007 according to the survey “The 1200 Best Public High Schools in the USA”, it was eighth in 2006 and sixth in 2005. In 2007, SEM was ranked as the 18th best public high school in America by U.S. News & World Report.[5] The College Board announced that SEM is number 1 in the world for passing minorities in Calculus AB and number one in the United States for passing Hispanics in Computer Science. In 2006, SEM was visited by President George W. Bush for excellence in education and the school’s philosophy of emphasising math and science,[6][7] something he stressed in his 2006 State of the Union address. The school consistently ranks number one in D Magazine’s Best Public High Schools in Dallas and has been named the Academic UIL District Champion for District 9-5A and 11-5A in 2006 and 2007 respectively.
SEM graduates have gained acceptance to and have attended many prestigious schools including: Arizona State University, St. Edward’s University, University of Dallas, Louisiana State University, University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, Stanford University, the University of Notre Dame, Duke University, Yale University, Harvard University, Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Wellesley College, Vanderbilt University, Rice University,the University of Oklahoma, Johns Hopkins University,the United States Military Academies, Emory University, California Institute of Technology, Harvey Mudd College, Reed College, Southern Methodist University, University of California-Berkley, University of Southern California, Morehouse College, Tulane University, and Kettering University.