The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Gilbert named a Silver School for second time in two years
WINSTED — Not only was The Gilbert School named a “Silver School” for the second time in two years, it also improved its ranking for top Connecticut schools from 37th to 32nd in one of the country’s most sought-after educational barometers: The U.S. News and World Report’s Best High Schools issue.
During an interview May 17, Principal Anthony Serio said The Gilbert School is the only educational institution in Litch- field County to be recognized in the national report.
“We have project-based learning and we work to attain a final product” for student success, he said.
U.S News notes that the rankings are chosen by evaluating more than 20,500 public high schools.
“Top-ranked schools succeed in three main areas,” according to a news release. They are “exceeding expectations on state proficiency tests, offering challenging coursework and graduating their students.”
The Gilbert School has a graduation rate of 84 percent, with 41 percent of its students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses, the rankings show.
This achievement is reached despite nearly 50 percent of the student body is considered “totally economically disadvantaged,” as listed in the report. “We can work with kids and help them believe in themselves,” Serio said.
Some of the AP courses have as few as 13 students, he said, and most classrooms have an 11-to-1 student-teacher ratio.
“We have independent study for some AP courses,” he added, including an art class that teaches students to prepare a portfolio which is needed to apply to selective art schools.
The location of the Northwest Community College is a benefit for the students, Serio said. “It’s a gem.”
Graduates can attend the two-year school at an affordable price and go on to top-tier four-year colleges, Serio said.