WKU News

The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky has been named the number one high school in the nation by The Daily Beast for the third consecutive year.

The Gatton Academy, which is located on the campus of Western Kentucky University, ranked number one in 2012 and 2013 on the Newsweek/The Daily Beast joint list, and this year’s list is solely from The Daily Beast, an award-winning online news site.

BASIS Scottsdale (Arizona), School for the Talented and Gifted (Texas), the International Baccalaureate School at Bartow High (Florida), and BASIS Oro Valley (Arizona) round out The Daily Beast’s top five.

Dr. Lynette Breedlove, Director of The Gatton Academy, was excited to receive the news from The Daily Beast.

“I am thrilled by The Daily Beast’s recognition of The Gatton Academy as the number one high school in America. I am grateful for the dedication of the WKU faculty and the Gatton staff to the success of our students,” she said.

The ranking from The Daily Beast used six indicators from school surveys to compare public high schools in the United States, with graduation and college acceptance rates weighed most heavily. Other criteria included college-level courses and exams, percentage of students with free or reduced lunch, as well as SAT and ACT scores.

Dr. Julia Roberts, Executive Director of The Gatton Academy, emphasized the importance of this day for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

“Having The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky listed as the number one public high school in the country should be a source of pride for all Kentuckians,” Dr. Roberts said. “It is indeed a tremendous honor to be named the top school in the U.S. for the third year in a row.”

The Gatton Academy ranked as the number one high school in three of the five main categories judged. The Gatton Academy ranked first in college bound students, as 100 percent of the students go to college, and first in graduation rate, where 100 percent of the students graduate high school.   The rigor aspect was the Gatton Academy’s other number one ranking, with 100 percent of the students enrolled in AP/IB courses, and students taking an average of 3.3 exams.

“I am especially excited to see The Gatton Academy listed as highest in the category of rigor,” Dr. Breedlove said. “Rigor is the reason students choose the Gatton Academy. Here they have the opportunity to take on challenging, robust educational opportunities within a supportive environment.

“Students have the opportunity to pursue hands-on, in-depth research with university professors. Students can choose to participate in STEM + Critical Languages to become fluent in Chinese or Arabic. Students not only have the opportunity, but are encouraged to travel abroad, studying global cultures and world history first hand or researching cloud forest habitats. The Gatton Academy students have access to educational resources often reserved for graduate students, within a living environment designed for high school students.   It’s the best of both higher education and high school.”

WKU President Gary Ransdell said the Academy’s continued reign “is a great tribute to our faculty and to the students in the Gatton Academy. Sustaining such a high level of performance is something in which all Kentuckians should take pride, and I am certainly pleased that WKU has created such a scholarly environment on our campus.”