Redmond's Tesla STEM School Ranked Among Best In U.S.

REDMOND, WA - A local high school has been ranked among the top 30 high schools in the U.S. The annual U.S. News and World Report best high school rankings came out today, and Tesla STEM High School in Redmond - part of the Lake Washington School District - was ranked No. 28, and No. 1 overall in the state. There are over 2,500 schools on the list.

The honor for Tesla STEM is particularly notable since Washington state fell in the bottom 50 percent of the rankings overall. The state came in No. 28 for total number of schools on the list. Fifty-four Washington schools made the list, but only eight were awarded the "gold" award distinction.

In making its list, U.S. News and World Report considers several factors: students who perform better than expected; disadvantaged students performing better than average; graduation rates exceeding the national standard; and the number of students ready for college-level work.

According Lake Washington School District spokeswoman Kathryn Reith, Tesla STEM focuses on student success in two major ways. First, the district makes sure that students who attend are devoted to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) training.

"They're self-selecting kids who want to focus on STEM; this is their passion," she told Patch.com. "And it's really clear when you walk into this school."

Second, the school gives students the chance to solve real-world problems. For example, Tesla STEM students recently partnered with Washington State Patrol to test the effectiveness of a machine for crime scenes that measures blood spatter patterns. Not to mention, a group of Tesla STEM students were the first group of high school students to compete in a college-level rocketry event. Watch:

According to its 2016-2017 annual report, Tesla STEM was performing well above state standards in many areas: 100 percent of students met state math standards; 95 percent met literacy standards; and 95 percent met state standards for biology.

Tesla STEM was founded in 2012 and has an enrollment of about 600 students. There are approximately 150 students per grade, and the school is full - although the school periodically draws from a lottery to select new students.

Image via Lake Washington School District