Top 100 Best High Schools 2013 – Westlake Academy – Newsweek – 52/100
Top 100 Best High Schools 2013 – Westlake Academy – Newsweek – 52/100
City: Westlake
State:TX
School Classification: C, O
Grad Rate(%):100
AP/IB Tests:1.6
College Bound(%):100
AVG SAT: 1736
AVG ACT: 26.1
SUBS LUNCH:1
AVG AP SCORE:3.1
NEWSWEEK SCORE: 3.71
2600 J T Ottinger Rd, Westlake, TX 76262
Phone: 817-490-5757 Fax: 817-490-5758
Westlake has three main academic programs: The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) program lasts from kindergarten to sixth grade, while the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) program runs from seventh grade to tenth grade. The school has also been certified for the IB Diploma Programme (DP), which began at the start of the 2008-2009 school year with the addition of an eleventh grade and now a twelfth grade. The school’s first graduating class was in the 2010-2011 school year.
HISTORY and ACADEMICS:
Westlake Academy opened its doors in September 2003 when the Town of Westlake officials took advantage of the state of Texas’ acceptance of charter schools and thus became the first and only municipality in the state to receive a charter designation. In 2008 the Texas Education Agency (TEA) renewed the charter until 2016. The officials who pioneered the school also decided to follow another brave path in offering the internationally recognized International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum which is now being provided in over 900 schools nationwide and over 2300 in 128 countries worldwide. Westlake Academy became an IB World School in 2006 after it was authorized for the Primary Years Program (PYP) and further accreditation followed in 2007 with the Middle Years Program (MYP) and 2008 for the Diploma Program (DP), making it one of only five schools in the United States to offer all three programs and the only one in Texas. The school will eventually graduate its first class in 2010 when it will be fully functional from Kindergarten through to 12th grade. In 2008, this class became the first in Texas to graduate from the MYP program. As well as this international accreditation, Westlake Academy will also meet state standards. For 2008, the Academy was proud of the fact that it received an ‘Exemplary’ rating from TEA for the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) tests, the second time it has achieved this.
The Academy receives operating funds from the state although charter schools receive appreciably less than other public school systems. In order to remedy this shortfall of funds, the Academy relies heavily on the support of parents and other members of the community. The Westlake Academy Foundation is invaluable in raising much of the financial assistance without which the school could not exist. Westlake Academy is situated on a beautiful site, in a carefully designed campus which helps to foster a love of learning. In June 2008 this was further expanded with the ground breaking for a new Arts and Science Building, which is scheduled to be operational for the start of the 2009-10 school year.
The Westlake Academy athletics program is superb as well as its rigorous curriculum.
Vision:
Westlake Academy inspires students to achieve their highest individual potential in a nurturing environment that fosters the traits found in the IB Learner Profile.
~Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced, and Reflective~
Mission:
Westlake Academy is an IB World School whose mission is to provide students with an internationally minded education of the highest quality so they are well-balanced and respectful life-long learners.
Values Statements:
Maximizing Personal Development
Academic Excellence
Respect for Self and Others
Personal Responsibility
Compassion and Understanding
Source: http://www.