Education Notebook

Century picked one of America's best high schools

Century High School in Rochester has been named among America's best high schools, according to a Newsweek survey. It was ranked 210 out of 500 top schools in its ability to turn out college-ready students. Schools were evaluated against a yardstick comprised of six major components: graduation rate, college matriculation rate, AP tests taken per graduate, average SAT/ACT scores, average AP/1B/AICE scores and AP scores offered.

Century was among nine Minnesota schools to make the list. Edina, Mahtomedi, Lakeville North, Eden Prairie, St. Louis Park Senior, Andover, Apple Valley and Simley were other top-ranked Minnesota high schools.

The Rochester charter school churn

The charter school environment in Rochester has been churning lately, with the arts-based Studio Academy facing closure (and seeking court intervention to keep its doors open) and a new STEM Academy opening this fall.

Today, the Minnesota Department of Education said it had approved eight new authorizers, three from southeast Minnesota. Authorizers serve a key oversight function for charter schools, entering into contracts with the schools to ensure they do what they say they will do. And as the Studio Academy situation illustruates, they wield considerable power with the authority to close down schools when they feel they aren't performing.

The three area authorizers approved by state education commissioner Brenda Cassellius are Rochester Community and Technical College, Winona Area Public Schools and Rushford Peterson Public Schools. The other entities are Augsburg College, Bethel University, Intermediate School District 917, Wolf Ridge Environment Learning Center and YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis.

Under a new law passed by the 2009 Legislature and designed to increase charter school quality and accountability, approved authorizers agree to take on a greater role in overseeing the charter schools they authorize.