By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green High School has been recognized by a national organization for preparing its students for life after high school graduation.
“It was good news this morning,” Bowling Green Superintendent Francis Scruci said of the award from GreatSchools, a national nonprofit organization that provides parents with information about pre-kindergarten-12 schools and education. The website provides ratings based on test scores and a variety of other factors for schools in all 50 states.
The recognition was based on college-readiness and how well the students do once they are in college.
“They follow that data,” Scruci said of the information collected for the awards.
“I think it speaks to the things going on in Bowling Green High School and the Middle School,” Scruci said. A total of 814 schools in nine states were recognized.
“It’s a nice feature in the district’s cap to be included,” the superintendent said.
Other area schools to make the list are Ottawa Hills, Perrysburg, Sylvania Northview, Sylvania Southview, and Toledo School for the Arts.
“That’s a pretty good group to be a part of,” Scruci said.
All were honored for having a successful track record of helping their graduating students succeed in college. GreatSchools reported it selected high schools based on college preparation, enrollment and performance. The award-winning high schools stood out based on school-level post-secondary data collected and shared by each state.
The organization compiled data including college entrance exam scores and participation rates, college enrollment rates, the percentage of students enrolled in remedial courses in college, and college persistence rates.
“We’ve put more emphasis on college-prep curriculum,” with more classes added, Scruci said.
“We want to get them as well prepared for their futures, whatever that might be,” he said.
As of July 2017, the GreatSchools database contained information on more than 138,000 public, private, and charter schools in the U.S.
With the list of College Success Award winners, GreatSchools had the following statement: “A high-quality public education should empower today’s young people with the skills they need to forge a path to bright futures. With this in mind, GreatSchools is proud to announce the winners of the 2018 College Success Award. This honor recognizes 814 high schools across nine states that have a successful track record of going beyond simply graduating students to helping them enroll in college and succeed once they get there.
“The College Success Award-winning high schools stand out based on school-level postsecondary data collected and shared by their states. This data tells us whether students enroll in college, are ready for college-level coursework, and persist on to their second year. The award-winning schools are located in nine states where this postsecondary data is available: Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio.”
