Best Higher secondary schools in United States

Our children are excelling at this IB school, benefiting from a rigorous curriculum and a supportive community. We've made great connections with other families in the elementary school and look forward to many more successful years.

We’ve had our children at Riverstone from preschool onward (they’re now in 4th and 7th grade). The education and educators are great. We value particularly the outdoor program (one fifth of the curriculum is focused there), as well as the flexibility the teachers have to tailor learning uniquely to a child. They’ve fostered a culture of learning at Riverstone, and since learning is never done, our kids are in an environment that encourages trying new things, exploring pathways to different ideas and new discoveries for themselves. And yet, for us all the growth and challenging learning our kids have received over the years, it’s second to how happy they are everyday to go to this school. I can’t underestimate the value we as parents get from seeing our kids wake up excited to go to Riverstone International School.

I have been fortunate to be a student, a staff member, and now a parent at Riverstone. The school has evolved over its almost 30 years, but the same small community that deeply cares about the success of its students continues to be at the heart of everything.

I am thrilled to have my kids attending now. I love that their teachers get to know them so well and see the care afforded to them in the small classes. I look forward to them gaining the same experiences at Riverstone that I did as a student. The international diversity and the outdoor education are two of the most important aspects of the Riverstone experience to me. My kids get to know students from around the world and gain a better understanding of different cultures. They also learn important outdoor skills through exciting and empowering outdoor experiences, I know that they will develop the same appreciation for nature and our world that was instilled in me.

This school is a gem and we are lucky to have such world class academics a d programming here in Boise.

Riverstone has been an amazing experience for our two daughters. The academic standards are excellent, and the school’s ability to connect and foster growth within each child is something we hadn’t experienced at previous schools. The teachers are highly qualified, caring, and motivated to push each child to achieve their personal best.

We moved to Idaho from another state, and Riverstone has truly helped us to find a caring and supportive community within Boise.

We absolutely love Riverstone International School! This year has been incredible for our son, and we’ve already seen so much progress thanks to the personalized attention and the small class sizes. The teachers really get to know each student, which has made a huge difference in his confidence and learning. The supportive and nurturing environment helps him thrive, and we couldn’t be happier with our choice. Highly recommend Riverstone for anyone looking for an amazing, individualized education experience!

I have had two children attend Riverstone International School from elementary school through middle school and into high school. Both have benefited greatly from the school's academically rigorous IB program, its unique outdoor experiences, and its incredibly kind and supportive student body. The faculty have been very accessible and helpful in personalizing education for each child, and I have seen the results of the education when my children have participated in programs outside the school and received recognition for outstanding performance. I would recommend Riverstone highly and without reservation to anyone looking for an outstanding academic education within a supportive environment that helps them develop a range of important life skills including critical thinking, community involvement, and communication skills.

I’ve been teaching at Riverstone for the past five years and I’ve seen first hand the energy, compassion, critical thought, and love that our faculty pours into our students and community! 😊 I’m grateful to work alongside such stellar educators and such motivated students. The culture at Riverstone is unmatched - social-emotional learning is prioritized, as are transferable skills like self-management and communication. Our rigorous, real-world applicable, inquiry-driven approach to academics sets our students up for success in higher education pursuits. Our outdoor education program offers incredible opportunities to raft, climb, bike, and pack across gorgeous areas while fostering leadership and independence. We truly believe in our mission to enable students to lead purposeful lives. I love this school community!

The primary years and elementary school programming that we have experienced so far have helped both my children learn and grow with confidence socially, emotionally, and academically. The teachers are thoughtful in their approach and individualize learning to meet the child where they are. The growth in reading that occurred in Kindergarten was amazing to see. The staff genuinely cares about how they can support any needs or concerns related to life outside school as well. Additionally, the outdoor programming has really challenged my kids and has encouraged them to want to try new things.

Today my son proudly passed the road test for his driver’s license. His first time ever behind the wheel was with Larry at Telos Academy last summer. This morning’s achievement was a monumental moment for him, and a marker in my mind how Telos was nothing short of transformational for our whole family. In everyday virtual conversations and at the well-run family days gatherings on-site, it impressed me how staff expertise and program effectiveness have been honed over the school’s history in developing healthier student and family connections. Following three months of our son’s intensive winter wilderness program engagement in Utah, we found that the Telos program approach provided a pivotal environment for redoubling his own resilience before coming home. The combination of classes, activities and physical training alongside therapy showed him what was possible and that he was more than capable. In every instance and across all types and levels of staff we encountered, the Telos team focused on identifying and supporting specific needs of students AND their families, reinforcing skills development and steps required to build confidence, competence and compassion in planning for successful transition back home and beyond. Acknowledging the need for help as parents from a place like Telos isn’t easy; it takes courage, humility and a good dose of grit. Looking back on the past year of progress and now again living together in our home with the endearing young man he’s become, I’m certain we made the right move in choosing Telos to support and secure his best future potential. There’s no doubt that a big bunch of healing happened here.

Telos is an amazing place of recovery and healing. This organization has taught me so many lessons that I will carry throughout my life. They’ve taught me leadership, assertiveness, and the importance of being open with the people I care about.

I have worked at Telos for almost a year now as a resident advisor. Every person I have met who works at telos genuinely cares for the clients and families they work with. It’s amazing to see the way students learn and progress with support from people who genuinely care about their potential and their success.of all the treatment centers I’ve come across, this is my favorite one.

After months of our son being in wilderness therapy, the last decision we wanted to make was to have him away from home for an unknown amount of time. We knew he needed a healthy place to transition back to school and an opportunity to prove he could live within new boundaries. After weeks of research and visits, we chose Telos and haven’t regretted a day since. He has newfound confidence, appreciation, and structure to go with his positive mental health and we couldn’t be more proud. Our family therapist Jessica has been a godsend. She broke through barriers with our son that countless therapists were never able to do. We would highly recommend Telos!

This was a great job environment, my manager Aaron was incredible and accommodating! Treatment centers can be stressful at times, with lots of different behaviors and what not, but the way Telos is set up is incredible and helps both the staff and the students grow a ton. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to work there!

We had the experience of having two boys attending. Both boys and the rest of the family benefited from the experience. We only know this program and can't speak for others but the strengths of Telos are many:
1) Caring and nurturing staff. The staff really cares about the boys and wants them to do well. The therapists give their all while building relationships with the boys. The care and connections by the staff to students gave us comfort while the boys were away from home.
2) Progress towards goals. We felt that Telos worked through issues and they don't give up when faced with inevitable backsliding. The treatment team stays focused on goals set for kids and adjusts when needed to maintain progress or solve new problems.
3) Educational progress: The boys were able to maintain their high school progress while at Telos and are now back at comprehensive public high schools.
4) Therapeutic environment: Telos creates a milieu of students that learn from each other and learn how to support each other. They have a careful selection process and maintain behavior standards for the kids.
5) Opportunities for sports and physical activity. Telos has a great sports program where kids can play high school sports. They also encourage outdoor activity such as skiing and mountain biking. This became part of the therapy for my boys.

Telos has been instrumental in helping our son and healing our family.

If you are reading these reviews, you are likely in the midst of making a very difficult decision for your son and your family. I want to encourage you that there is a program full of people who care and who work very hard to build a relationship with your son so that they can come along side him in whatever he is struggling with to help navigate him through and ultimately out of those struggles.

Here are my top 3 favorite things about Telos -

1. Telos has a culture of excellence. It is apparent from the leadership all the way down the chain of command. Leadership is highly involved in the daily lives of the boys. They got to know my son and built a positive relationship with him. They are open to feedback and are constantly working to provide the highest level of care and customer service.

2. Therapy - Our therapist (Aaron) was a perfect fit for our son and our family. He is an expert in his field with many years of experience. It was apparent from the very beginning that he understood our son, his struggles, and most importantly, how to help him. I always felt very informed about all that was happening during my son's treatment. And as a parent who has entrusted the care of my child to others, I very much appreciated this. He did not shy away from difficult topics and was always open and honest with us. When my son began to regress after several months into treatment, the entire team came together to intervene and come up with new strategies to help him. They did not give up on him and for that I am forever grateful.

3. Family Days - Telos believes in and values the entire family. They encourage and expect a high level of family involvement. We have 2 younger kids who missed their brother terribly and didn't understand all that was going on when he left. Family Days offered my kids the opportunity to spend quality time together and to reunite with their brother and see that he is okay. There are so many fun activities planned during Family Days, we loved them all. They also offer parent support groups, small group training sessions, and family therapy. It was always a highlight for our family and one of the main reasons why we chose Telos.

I hope this helps anyone trying to make such a difficult decision. Our son is doing so well and we have a relationship with him that I treasure.

Thank you Telos!

In a long and difficult journey for our son and our family, we could not have had a better guide than Telos. The therapists and staff there were kind, knowledgeable, and supportive. The medical staff and teachers on the team were also great.
The mentors and friends our son met there were able to help him make real changes in how he feels about himself. It is a great program and we are very grateful for this fresh start.

Howard academy will continue to stand out in academic excellence the level of care and attention is unmatched.
I challenge everyone seeking an alternative path in academic excellence relating to college preparation to enroll their wards at Howard.
Howard continue to raise the bar in education.
Apart from being an academic institution, Howard principal continues to establish excellent relations with past students and takes keen interest on their achievement and relates excellent with parents.
I recommend Howard highly to every family home and abroad seeking the best academic laurel for their wards and I guarantee you an unflinching results 100% fulfillment.
Howard will continue to remain a leading academic institution second to none. 🤝✌🏿

Both my child and I (as a parent) like Pinnacle Academy. My child has consistently enjoyed all the activities and events offered by the school. For me, I appreciate how close-knit the environment is. Because the school is not too big, all parents and students tend to know each other and work toward fostering a cooperative, familial sense of goodwill. Staff members are not only attentive to concerns but also proactive in finding solutions to any issues that may arise. I really like the personal approach to students. In short, I find Pinnacle Academy a great school for kids to attend.

Pinnacle Academy offers a small school environment that is like a safe haven from the wild world. Their curriculum challenges all kids to excel. There is no cap on how fast your child may learn, and there is a very productive type of support for those who need it. The environment amongst kids is eons better than in public school.

Pinnacle offers Pre-K through high school. The high school program is very unique and particularly attractive. Students have dual enrollment with NOVA Community College. They can start earning college credits as early as their freshman year, if they are ready. The NOVA credits readily transfer to Virginia universities and most colleges, and is much better than the AP programs that give a few college credits if you do well on a single end of year exam.

Many families enroll their children for 10+ years. Its a welcoming community and one we are fortunate to be a part of. The adage "it takes a village to raise a child" really comes to life when you engage a healthy community like the Pinnacle one.

There are plenty of academic extra curricular activities, such as robotics, future city, the bees, and more. There are also school plays. We love the foreign language options that start at an early age. Kids play during P.E., recess, and after school as one imagines a good school environment to be. One should note there are limited formal athletics programs through the school. Families enroll in outside programs, rec leagues, etc. I have heard that "athletic enrollment" at public schools may be possible, if that is important to you. The school is working to make investments into the athletic facilities at their new building, though things have been slowed down by COVID.

Overall, we are so grateful we found Pinnacle, and offer our sincerest thanks to the teachers and administration for their devotion to our kids growth, safety, and education.

I met with this school when I moved to NOVA. I have two kids graduated from Pinnacle Academy. First of all, the teachers are so passionate and dedicated to their craft. My kids had incredible opportunities in fine arts, and other extracurricular activities. The school administrators recognize the children by name and have a loving community.
Secondly, the school has the powerful and challenging academic curriculum. I followed my kids improving themselves at finding out and expecting higher from themselves as well. Now, my daughter and my son get accepted good universities with good scholarship. The school has a dual credit enrollment opportunity with NOVA College for eligible students that help students get acceptance good colleges.
They loved the school environment and they were happy.
Highly recommend!

Our family could not be happier with the Pinnacle Academy. Pinnacle Academy provides a supportive and challenging environment for our children to build their confidence and feel more ready to navigate our ever changing world. Parent involvement is encouraged at all grade levels. To any parent who is thinking about Pinnacle Academy - you will not regret sending your child here!

Pinnacle Academy is a fantastic K-12 school. I have 2 kids here. The faculty and staff are truly amazing. This school is great because it has small class sizes and they are STEAM focused. The students are well behaved too.

We have 3 children were there.I highly recommend this school. Pinnacle academy teachers are fantastic. Our children have been attending the school since 2013′ and I can tell you there is little to none teacher turn-over. The school provides a safe, loving and secure environment. Our children absolutely love attending this school.

I go there and theirs a fight or a drug bust every other day

Very good school but some kids that go there need more discipline

AIS summer camp is so annoying. They cancel anytime before the camp when the registration is low. We were so perplexed when the camp for my children were cancelled by saying they can provide full refund. Why doesn't the school pay the cancellation fee then? I will never register for summer camp with AIS again! So disappointed!!!

Its nice. Good view to the bay area. Peaceful up here. There is always a fresh air feel. Most students are chill. We are very open minded. We are inclusive and mixed in different cultures. We are growing as a big community. We have cool events and fun peraids. Tho it's pretty old but I still rather being in this school.

This school is a great school. I have been here for almost 9 years and have loved it a lot. You make friends easily here and it is a very inclusive community. The cafeteria food isn't really good so get ready to bring your own lunch or buy food from the SAC. Their sports program is good but it is very obvious that soccer is favored here. There are good teachers here and some are ok but your child should have a fun time here with the friends they make. Ignore all of the negative comments, this school is very diverse and kids that are annoying will be like that. They take pride in what they do and from their point of view it might not be annoying.

Cafeteria food isn't the best.
Overall it's a good school, very diverse, very friendly atmosphere. I have enjoyed my nine years here, look forward to maybe spending more. If not I enjoyed my stay at this school and hope to visit in the future.

Oh, you thought I was done. I'm not, last year I had one of the worst teachers you could ever ask for, he only gave out assignments without explaining what to do so half the class people just sat there without clarification. Also the food there hasn't improved in the nine years I've been here; the pizza is dry, the pasta is disgusting and the tacos are nauseating. The only things that seem to be good are the grilled cheese and all the drinks. BRING your own food or eat theirs at your own risk

Great school. Serious about scholarship as well as biblical Christianity engaging the culture.

my daughter is doing well in school im so happy making good friends

The counselors only help those who they prefer. They find the most impossible ways for my other friends to graduate from there with lower credits than me, but my "only option" was to go to brenkwitz. I told her to please try her hardest to find a way to help me as my other friends had told me they made a plan for them to graduate from HHS. But months passed and nothing was done. I accepted my faith and went to brenkwitz sadly, but don't worry, that will be overshadowed by my masters degree one day, no thanks to this school. Only thing cool about it was the friends i made there.

Dreadful experience- My daughter has been there 4 days and now been told she needs a tutor twice a week and had a kid call her dumb. The school is beyond indifferent and we are moving her and now they are saying no refunds. Clear misses on their part which I plan on escalating to the highest level.

Pinnacle Academy is a great school with well-trained staff and visionary leadership. My kids are challenged everyday to achieve their academic potential while maintaining a healthy level of extra curricular activities.
Teachers are positive and nurturing. I am glad to be part of this amazing community where parents take an active part in the development of school and their children's future.

Went there 1972 - 1975. It was an open campus then, no fences then except for the one across from the lawn. the parking lot was a great place to smoke pot before class. And at lunch we would hang out on the lawn, and hand out red vines and trip on LSD. Ah youth .... before the the eighties. Now there's just no fun anymore.

I went to high school here and I loved it!!!! 1990-1994. 😊🎓

Boston Baptist College is housed in an older brick building. All the staff and students here are nice and go out of their way to help out others. The curriculum is all biblical and well structured. A great school!

Show up on time, remain dedicated to your core values, and know that each second is an opportunity to succeed.

This school is really good, a very international, friendly environment. Teachers can be really good but like in any school there are bad teachers. A negative about this school is that many teachers, principals etc. do have favorite students depending on how they act and what projects or favors they do for them, meaning that SOME teachers, principles etc. may be unfair.

This is a amazing school were everyone is very open minded. Everyone there are really nice and help you in the areas that you are struggling in. If you get a chance to visit its something that you won't forget.

*Short-term Student Review*Hayward High is one of those school's where the staff,teachers, and overall curriculum/challenge may not be of the best quality but it is a school where great fun is to be had as well as being a good place to build good relationships. Although that depends purely on where you look for said relationships, this school has a lot of negative influences so if you're child is easily influenced by others and peers then this isn't the school for them. But if you're child is more resilient then Hayward High is a good place to build quite a few unique social skills. Conclusion: if you care about the quality of your child's education more than anything else, this isn't the place for them. But if you want a somewhat balanced high school experience for them then hhs is a school to consider. P.S.: CVHS is probably better if you can get in.

UPDATED review
I wanted to update my review from two years ago, which is listed below. My wife and I put our second child into the Spanish immersion program at AIS two years ago, so we have had two children at the school for 3 and 2 years respectively (from 3K to 1st Grade). Regrettably we have decided to move both children OUT of the school. This is a good school but it is NOT for everyone.

Pros: Great parent community - we have made some great friends who we will miss dearly. The Early Learning Center (ELC) (3K and 4K) is excellent. The cultural awareness at AIS is good and obviously a main focus of the school.

Cons: Our AIS experience began to go sour in 5K and 1st grades. In 5K there was some bullying (fortunately our child was not directly involved) and the school didn't effectively handle the situation. It left a number of parents frustrated. We found that children whose family's speak the target language at home will do better than children whose family's do not. As a family which does not speak Spanish at home, we found that our child fell behind on basic English language convention standards (such as writing in full sentences, printing in upper and lowercase letters, etc.) and we had to get an outside tutor to get him caught up. My son's challenges were exacerbated because the school teaches these basics in Spanish and English on alternating days. Our concerns were confirmed by an independent psych/educational assessment which indicated my son's English language skills were below expectations for his age.
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1st review 2016
I have one of my son's in the 3K Spanish program. I am extremely happy with the level of teaching and my son is thriving. The program is 100% Spanish immersion (you may also enroll in French or German). Neither my wife or I speak Spanish fluently and were concerned that this would restrict his progression. Far from it - he is talking and comprehending Spanish in his second term. The school has frequent parent observation days where you can see them work on science, language, technology and math projects. All in all we are very happy and believe this is a worthwhile investment. We plan on sending our second son to AIS next year.

I have been going to this school for a while now. Coach Q definitely shows her expertise in her home economics class. Unfortunately, every time the class prepared meals, I found that our food would come out unusually salty and reeked of cactus meat. Luckily for me, during my stay here, I was only stuck in four air conditioning units. The maintenance staff was very helpful and deserve to be treated with respect.

best school ever ignore the fools who gave it 1 star (1 person) it is an amazing school and my ninth year here

P.S.

+Jack drum really dude your in my grade

Pinnacle Academy is an exceptional school with initial focus on nurturing the whole child.
Last year I had two of my kids and this year I registered all my four kids. It is more academically challenging in all grades.
The school handles all types of learners reaching out to the level of the child. The art, music, especially science and all other programs are outstanding!
Most important of all, we as whole family feel the worm and friendly environment of Pinnacle Academy. We found all teachers and personnels of PA are outstanding...
As a private school, the tuition is very affordable.. It's well worth the money.
Highly recommended...
Parent of four..