(Undated)– An analysis of college grades for freshmen students at Iowa’s three state-run universities suggests academic success depends more on the quality of classes taught in high school than the size of the district.
Harris-Lake Park High School ranked at the top of the list when it comes to the highest grade point average for graduates, at 3.38.
West Bend-Mallard, Okoboji, Sibley-Ocheyedan and Pocahontas also made the list.
Okoboji ranked third among schools with graduates taking the largest share of difficult classes as freshmen at the universities.
West Bend-Mallard, Alta, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, Sheldon, Sibley-Ocheyedan and South O’Brien made that list as well.
The analysis looked at annual reports on the freshmen-year academic performance by students at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa. The reports show the grades earned by college freshment from each of Iowa’s public and private schools.
The quality of education in Iowa schools has become a public policy issue as lawmakers argue over whether the state should assert more control over curriculum from the traditionally independent and locally controlled school districts.
(Some of the information in this story provided by the Associated Press.).
