The National Center for Education Statistics recently released U.S. high school graduation rates for the class of 2008. The good news is that more public high school students across the country are earning their diplomas, with almost 75 percent graduating on time (compared to 72 percent in 2002).
The high school graduation rate is an important criteria of the effectiveness of a state’s education system. States with the highest high school graduation rates have obviously made a commitment to education, investing in programs and staff that help students prepare for college and beyond. A high graduation rate also indicates that citizens of the state recognize the importance of education. Young people armed with a high school diploma are better prepared to enter the workforce and have more options when it comes to choosing careers, increasing the chances that they will become productive members of society.
Although the U.S. population is densest along the East and West Coasts, the states with the highest rates of graduation are clustered in the central and northern portions of the country. These are the top five states with the highest graduation rates:

1. Wisconsin

Leading the nation with a 90.7 percent high school graduation rate, Wisconsin has ranked either first or second for the past five years. The state’s continuing success in achieving a high graduation rate can be attributed in large part to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s “Every Child a Graduate” initiative, which focuses on standards, instruction, assessment, accountability and school funding. The state also strives to ensure that the graduation rate for students with disabilities is the same as for all public school students.
Find out how to become a teacher in Wisconsin.

2. North Dakota

With an 87.4 percent high school graduation rate, the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction is now committed to improving the number of college graduates (especially in the fields of math, science and engineering). The state expects to see a 13 percent increase in well-paying jobs that require some post-secondary education and would like to see more students become qualified to step into these jobs.
Find out how to become a teacher in North Dakota.

3. Minnesota

According to Minnesota’s Parents United for Public Schools, an advocacy group, the state’s 87.4 percent graduation rate is due to raised expectations for students. The state has established rigorous course requirements and academic standards, and is working to narrow the achievement gap between demographic groups of students.
Find out how to become a teacher in Minnesota.

4. Iowa

The Iowa Department of Education attributes its 85.7 percent graduation rate to several programs that target both students and school district funding. Iowa’s Rapidly Improving Schools (IRIS) programs is a multi-year initiative that targets high school reform and reinvention. The Iowa High School Project, a collaboration between the Iowa Department of Education and the International Center for Leadership in Education, provides support to struggling high school learners. Iowa has also provided a funding mechanism that helps school districts provide additional services for potential high school dropouts.
Find out how to become a teacher in Iowa.

5. New Jersey

While the State of New Jersey is proud of its 85.3 percent graduation rate, Governor Chris Christie has challenged the public school system to increase accountability, reward highly effective teachers and empower parents. The Governor’s Reform Agenda seeks to expand professional opportunities for teachers. The Excellent Educators for New Jersey initiative is a pilot program designed to improve public schools by using evaluations to recognize and reward the state’s best teachers.
Find out how to become a teacher in New Jersey.

Subscribe to Certification Map’s monthly newsletter to receive updates about teacher certification, education news and much more.

Most students love a change of pace. Sitting in a classroom day after day can become tiresome and predictable, so it’s up to you to keep things fresh and exciting for your students. As a science teacher, you are liable to fall into a comfortable rut, teaching out of a textbook and getting things done the easy way. But we all know that what differentiates the good teachers from the great is the ability to get your students thinking and doing.

One way to attract your students to the study of science is to sprinkle in fun and easy science projects for your students to get their hands dirty with. A science fair is a great way to teach your students about long-term investment in a project and about the proper application of the scientific method. To help you out, we put together a list of five great science projects; some are award-winning science fair projects, others are just a great way to get your students excited about the world of science.

Cool Roofs
More often than not, students are able to glean the most valuable knowledge from lessons that draw on aspects of their lives that are tangible — for example, roofs. In this project, the students investigate the influence of roof color on the energy efficiency of homes in their neighborhood. This project won first prize in the 2010 Canada-Wide Virtual Science Fair and can be modified to match the appropriate grade level of your students.

Flying Cars
Once a student’s imagination is piqued, there’s no guessing what he or she will think of next. In this case, our young scientist displays her winning middle school science fair project. Clearly, this winner was endowed with a healthy imagination as well as a thirst for scientific knowledge. In the experiment, the student tells us how she was able to harness the power of electricity to create an uncommon mechanism for flight. And although you don’t actually get to see her prototype lift off, she has all the equipment and some good pictures of the flight. Her project displays a mastery of difficult scientific concepts but can certainly be re-purposed for any classroom setting. It can also be offered as an idea for a challenging, yet extremely rewarding, science fair project. All in all, this is a great project for your students who love science and whose imaginations you hope to spark.

Cornstarch Monster
Want a great science project for Halloween season? Or maybe you have a student who’s into monsters and ghosts, and is looking for a fun and easy science fair project. This video clip features a scientist father with his inquisitive son. Together they show us how sound wave frequencies affect and alter the physical qualities of a cornstarch-and-water mixture. The experiment is aptly titled, and the payoff at the end is actually quite entertaining. This will surely get your class excited about understanding the science behind the monster. Some uncommon equipment is required to do this experiment properly.

Global Warming in a Jar
It sounds strange, but creating “global warming in a jar” is an excellent way to teach the science behind an extremely topical subject to your students. You may not be able to fit the globe in a jar, but you will be able to mimic the way gasses interact with infrared light to create the greenhouse effect that has caused an environmental and political maelstrom within the past decade. The experiment itself is simple enough, although it requires some uncommon equipment. It would make an excellent science fair project or in-class activity.

Algae and Biofuel
In this YouTube clip, we are introduced to a Canada-Wide Science Fair winner in eight grade. Her story does not just give you a good idea for a rather advanced science project; it serves to show you that students truly have infinite potential. A student like this one should be an inspiration not only to your students, but to you as a teacher. She is smart, eloquent and interested in the science that she researched. Teachers with accelerated students should use this project, which deals with growing algae (a process that can be done safely and simply at home or in the classroom), if they want to give their students a feel for serious application of the scientific method. This is a far cry from a cornstarch monster.

Subscribe to Certification Map’s monthly newsletter to receive updates about teacher certification, education news and much more.