New Town High School Recognized for 'Beating the Odds': ICYMI

This article was originally published on Aug. 19.

By GREG HAMBRICK (Patch Staff)

When Newsweek released its list of top high schools nationwide this week, it issued a second set of rankings, and one high school in Owings Mills made the grade.

The magazine compiled what it called “Beating the Odds” rankings, spotlighting schools that excel despite economic and other obstacles.

Two schools in Baltimore County made the list:

• New Town High School
• Eastern Technical High School

New Town High was ranked No. 452 on the list and was recognized for “beating the odds” in terms of having 48.7 percent poverty rate among its student body while also maintaining a 96.6 percent graduation rate, and reporting 87.4 percent of students were college bound, according to Newsweek.

The school is home to Orly Mondell, Baltimore County’s Teacher of the Year for 2015.

And, last fall, senior Delanee-Alexis Coley was selected as the state’s ”Woman of Tomorrow.”

Here were the top 10 schools that Newsweek says are “Beating the Odds”:

1. Success Academy (Cedar City, UT)
2. Northside College Preparatory HS (Chicago, IL)
3. Transmountain Early College HS (El Paso, TX)
4. The Brooklyn Latin School (Brooklyn, NY)
5. West St. John High School (Edgard, LA)
6. Townsend Harris High School (Flushing, NY)
7. Payton College Preparatory HS (Chicago, IL)
8. Hollis F. Price Middle College High School (Memphis, TN)
9. San Gabriel High (San Gabriel, CA)
10. Valley View HS (Pharr, TX)

Check out Newsweek’s full list of school’s beating the odds here.

See which Maryland schools made Newsweek’s Top Public High Schools List.