By Katherine Mueller
On November 8, Newsweek released its list of the best STEM high schools in the country, with Costa’s STEM program ranking 384th out of the 500 top schools chosen.
American magazine Newsweek, along with STEM.org, ranked Costa in the 90th percentile of all 5000 STEM high schools in America, additionally ranking the 40th best public STEM high school in California.
“I am absolutely proud of this ranking,” Vice Principal Debbie Hofreiter said. “For us to get a ranking like that so quickly [after 5 years] is kind of cool.”
Costa’s STEM program was implemented five years ago, and has grown exponentially in the past few years, going from 6 technology and engineering courses to 15 courses. Technology and engineering clubs have also evolved, with the Cybersecurity Club going from four competing teams to sixteen teams within a few years.
“Over the last 4 years we’ve created more and more sections,” technology and engineering department head Leanne Weaver said. “This year we had a wait list for computer science principles because our classes were filled.”
Nearby high school Palos Verdes Peninsula High School ranked in the 92nd percentile of STEM high schools, and 288th overall. Redondo Union High School did not receive a ranking on the list.
“Redondo doesn’t offer that many tech and engineering classes,” Hofreiter said. “Our intro to engineering class is an advanced class in most other schools but for us we teach it as an intro.”
Officials from Newsweek ranked by judging the number and type of each STEM course offered, each school’s access to technology and the original STEM content each school provides. Newsweek collected this data from 2012-2018, and did not include standardized test scores in the data.
“My idea is that we would’ve ranked higher [if test scores were accounted for],” STEM parent Janet Tsai Dargan said. “Mira Costa has ranked higher on other [websites] that have taken into account SAT’s and ACT’s, and that’s what parents care about.”
Costa’s technology department constantly changes due to the ever evolving modern era. Costa has no set curriculum for technology, and instead adapts to support the most important advancements in technology each year.
“[We need to get] students to realize that this is the technological age where no matter what they decide to pursue they’re going to need a technology background to support their passion,” Weaver said.
Costa’s Robotics, Solar Boat and Code Quest teams have won awards in every year of their existence, with the Code Quest team winning all awards at last year’s Lockheed Martin Competition. Currently, the STEM department is preparing for it’s 2nd annual STEM night on Feb. 12, which proved to be wildly successful last year.
“I think the math and science teachers this year are really high quality, especially math,” sophomore Xavier Dargan said. “I think [Costa’s ranking] could be higher..I think Costa’s a great STEM school.”
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