硅谷有4所高中的名字出現在最近公佈的2015年度全美最好的100所公立高中排行榜上，它們分別為:
Saratoga High School, Saratoga (# 23);
Henry M. Gunn High School, Palo Alto (# 25);
Lynbrook High School, San Jose (# 45);
Los Altos High School, Los Altos (# 69)
這次公立高中排名是有史以來涉及面最廣的一次，它對全國50個州、首都華盛頓以及波多黎各的22985所高中進行了普查，對幾十萬名在校學生、校友和家長發出了調查問卷，並且收到了287560份答覆。
一所好的高中必須符合以下4個標準：
1.學生要對課程設置、教師質量、健康安全、資源設備、課餘活動、體育健身等諸方面都滿意；
2.學生要在學業上有出色的表現；
3.學校要接受各色人群，包容各種積極向上的文化；
4.學生要積極參與學校提供的各種各樣的課餘活動和體育運動。
為了全面衡量每一所學校的表現，這次排名過程對以下8個方面進行評估打分，並且以一定的權重來處理這些數据：
評估面 權重
學業成績 50%
師資質量 10%
健康安全 10%
學生生活全面多彩 10%
調查問卷回饋意見 10%
資源設備 5%
課餘活動 2.5%
體育健身 2.5%
每一個評估面都按照統計學方法算出標準化計分（z-score），並且按12段分別記作A+到D-：
A+ (1.96 ≤ z) A (1.28 ≤ z < 1.96) A- (0.84 ≤ z < 1.28)
B+ (0.44 ≤ z < 0.84) B (0.00 ≤ z < 0.44) B- (-0.44 ≤ z < 0)
C+ (-0.84 ≤ z < -0.44) C (-1.28 ≤ z < -0.84) C- (-1.96 ≤ z < -1.28)
D+ (-2.25 ≤ z < -1.96) D (-2.50 ≤ z < -2.25) D- ( z < -2.50)
下表列出的是全美排行榜中前25名學校在學業成績、學生生活、師資質量和資源設備等4方面的得分（它們的總分都是A+）：
依序為：排名 校名 地點 學業 學生 師資 資源
1 High Technology High School Lincroft, NJ A+ B A+ N/A
2 Adlai E. Stevenson High School Lincolnshire, IL A+ A- A+ A+
3 International Academy Bloomfield Hills, MI A+ A A+ B+
4 Stuyvesant High School NY City, NY A+ A A+ B+
5 Staten Island Technical High School NY City, NY A+ A A+ B+
6 Walter Payton College Prep High School Chicago, IL A+ A+ A+ A-
7 Westlake High School Austin, TX A+ B- A+ A+
8 Thomas Jefferson High School for Sci and Tech Annandale, VA A+ A- A+ B
9 Whitney M. Young Magnet High School Chicago, IL A+ A+ A+ B+
10 Granada Hills Charter High School Los Angeles, CA A+ A+ A+ A
11 Gwinnett School of Math, Sci & Tech Lawrenceville, GA A+ A+ A+ A
12 Bergen County Technical High School Teterboro, NJ A+ A+ A+ B-
13 Troy High School Fullerton, CA A+ A+ A+ B+
14 Liberal Arts & Science Academy Austin, TX A+ A A+ B+
15 School for the Talented & Gifted Dallas, TX A+ A+ A+ B+
16 Jericho Senior High School Jericho, NY A+ B A+ A
17 Northside College Prep High School Chicago, IL A+ A+ A+ A-
18 Glenbrook North High School Northbrook, IL A+ B- A+ A+
19 Glenbrook South High School Glenview, IL A+ A- A+ A
20 New Trier Township High School Winnetka, IL A+ C+ A+ A
21 High Tech High School North Bergen, NJ A+ A+ A+ A
22 The Science Academy of South Texas Mercedes, TX A+ A A+ A+
23 Saratoga High School Saratoga, CA A+ B+ A+ A-
24 Rye High School Rye, NY A+ C A+ A
25 Henry M. Gunn High School Palo Alto, CA A+ A A+ B+
從全美學校數据庫中可以查到硅谷地區排名最高的25所公立高中，筆者又花了一點時間查出它們的總分以及在加州的排名：
硅谷# 加州排名# 總分 校名 地點
1 3 A+ Saratoga High School Saratoga
2 4 A+ Henry M. Gunn High School Palo Alto
3 12 A+ Lynbrook High School San Jose
4 19 A+ Los Altos High School Los Altos
5 27 A+ Palo Alto High School Palo Alto
6 32 A+ Mountain View High School Mountain View
7 51 A+ Monta Vista High School Cupertino
8 55 A+ Los Gatos High School Los Gatos
9 80 A+ Homestead High School Cupertino
10 91 A+ Cupertino High School Cupertino
11 136 A Leland High School San Jose
12 174 A Fremont High School Sunnyvale
13 192 A Adrian Wilcox High School Santa Clara
14 247 A Pioneer High School San Jose
15 328 A- Santa Clara High School Santa Clara
16 331 A- Leigh High School Los Gatos
17 335 A- Evergreen Valley High School San Jose
18 355 A- Piedmont Hills High School San Jose
19 377 A- Westmont High School San Jose
20 385 B+ Abraham Lincoln High School San Jose
21 398 B+ Prospect High School Saratoga
22 411 B+ Milpitas High School Milpitas
23 442 B+ Branham High School San Jose
24 466 B+ Gunderson High School San Jose
25 472 B+ Del Mar High School San Jose
從這個表格可以看出，硅谷地區公立高中的優劣隨地區而變，差異極大。排名前10位的公立高中全部集中在從West San Jose到Palo Alto這樣一塊狹小的地段，而東灣地區基本上是空白。近年來，隨著重視教育的華裔、印度裔等不惜重金紛紛擠進這塊“黃金地段”，地區差異有增無減，愈演愈烈。
記者 湯毅堅
