If you want to know what's good in education, you don't have to look any further than Lake and Porter counties.

Some of the region's public and parochial schools are among the highest-ranking schools in the state in terms of ISTEP-Plus testing, Advanced Placement offerings and innovative technology.

Crown Point High School Principal Ryan Pitcock said 282 students took AP classes in the 2006-07 school year, with 64 percent of them earning a score of 3 or better on the test. That's up from the previous year, in which 180 students took the exam and 61 percent scored 3 or better. A score of 3 or better is predictive of college success, according to the College Board, which administers the AP program. Crown Point High School offers 22 AP classes, including art, computer science, literature, foreign language and math.

Chesterton High School Principal Jim Goetz said the speech and debate team practices daily in anticipation of upcoming state and national competitions.

"Speech and debate is one of the most successful programs we offer," Goetz said.

Like school districts across the region, Washington Township Elementary School has implemented the innovative 6 + 1 Traits of Writing, an assessment tool for teachers and a guide to helping students write better, Principal Rik Ihssen said.

"It has really improved the quality of writing since we've instituted that," Ihssen said.

Bishop Noll Institute introduced a prep academy for seventh- and eighth-graders last fall focusing on science, math and language arts and integrating technology into the curriculum and classroom.

All students were issued a Toshiba tablet-style laptop computer. Classrooms offer digital projectors, SMART Boards, classroom management software and digital workstations.

The school also includes single-sex classrooms in math and science as well as extra class periods in Mandarin Chinese as a language; daily physical education classes; and 40-minute class periods instead of the old 52-minute periods.

School officials say the building -- the environment where students work -- is just as important as what is offered inside the school.

Lake Central School Corp. opened Clark Middle School in January to 1,150 students, while Crown Point schools opened Wheeler Middle School to 800 students in the fall.

Both schools offer the latest in technology to students. So will the new Hobart High School, which is expected to open in January 2009.

The new school is expected to be 330,000 square feet and accommodate 1,400 students. It will include a great hall and cafeteria as well as numerous athletic fields. The old high school will be transformed into the district's middle school.

Hanover recently received approval to build a new middle school for $37.6 million. Officials are working on a land swap with a local developer to build the school at 141st and Parrish avenues, and a fall 2010 opening has been set. Cheryl Musgrave, commissioner of the Department of Local Government Finance, approved the plan despite criticism from community members because of the plan's impact on property taxes.

Tri-Creek School Corp. intends to break ground on a new middle school for fifth- through eighth-graders in late May or early June. It is expected to open in August 2010. The cost of that school is $42 million.

While Gary's three newest elementary schools -- Marquette, Glen Park Academy and Williams -- all offer the latest in technology to students, the district is looking at closing some of its older buildings.

April Goble, principal at KIPP, a charter school in Gary, is waiting to hear whether its bid to purchase the old Locke Elementary School building will be accepted.

She said KIPP is doing very well, and charter schools are making a difference in education and offering parents a choice.

Schererville-based Campagna Academy, which serves at-risk youths and has an on-site charter school, is constructing a two-story building to include classrooms, a laboratory, space for group social activities and food services.

Public schools are not the only educational facilities adding new buildings and regularly reviewing and adding to its academic program.

Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting is building its first new building in its 56-year existence. The $3 million Student Activity Community Center will house a gymnasium, indoor track, conference room, classrooms, locker and shower facility, weight room and offices. It should be complete this fall.

Ivy Tech Community College Northwest, featuring its new building in Valparaiso, has developed relationships with BP, U.S. Steel and most recently ArcelorMittal, which encourages potential employees to improve their jobs skills or earn degrees through Ivy Tech.

Purdue University Calumet, Purdue University North Central, Indiana University Northwest and Valparaiso University are educational leaders in the region.

Purdue Calumet became the first Northwest Indiana regional campus to add on-campus housing when it built University Village, a residence hall including 369 beds in 99 furnished units.

The university recently got approval to build a second, 360-bed unit, adjacent to University Village, which is expected to open in fall 2009.