Every year U.S. News & World Report ranks schools across America on how they’re educating kids.
One of the best high schools in Texas is an all-girls science and leadership school in Dallas ISD, which is doing so well, that the district is paying close attention to their success.
"I never knew like the actual scale of the sun," said Samantha Wang in her 6th-grade science class learning about the solar system.
"I just think it's harder to see that the sun is so much bigger than them if you can't see it in 3D."
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It’s all part of science at Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership Academy in Dallas ISD. The 6-12 campus is the first all-girls public school in Texas and was recently named the #2 high school in the state. It’s in the top 20 nationwide.
"One of the reasons why I wanted to come here is because it's a school for young women, which are heavily underrepresented in the STEM fields, specifically in science. And it's motivating to me to see so many of our girls just so engaged," said Ari Torralba.
Torralba, a sixth-grade teacher, has a doctorate and comes to class with a suit and tie daily.
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There’s a level of seriousness here at this school that focuses on STEM and leadership and helping young women grow in those areas.
"We also do a lot of like, confidence building. And we even like, for example, in our debate, we learned how to public speak. We have a bunch of electives here so that people can find out like, 'Oh, I want to be this when I grow up," said Alexa Torres, a student in the school.
The girls say their school's combination of advanced science, learning to speak up for themselves, and yes, the single gender is all part of the secret sauce of success here.
Dallas ISD is giving it an extra look too, there are three similar all-girl schools in the district.
"There's the ability to yet compete, but yet also lift each other up, because it's such a sisterhood. And you know, there is some real truth to the fact of the of the sisterhood that's created in the bonds that are created," said Principal Yvonne Denise Rojas.
And with that confidence of speaking your mind, Alexa Torres happily says she likes her all-girl, stem-focused school, but she thinks something else is behind the success.
"Oh, without boys, it's gonna be so different. It's the same. I think the personality is what matters more, because people like to say boys are very loud. Well, at least in my experience, but I think it's, yes, like the same with girls. It depends on the personality," she said.
