Lexington High School was ranked 3rd in the state in the annual U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools list published on August 19. LHS trailed only Boston Latin, a magnet school, and Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion in Hadley, a charter school, making LHS the top-ranked traditional public high school. Out of more than 24,000 public and charter schools nationwide, LHS ranked 118th overall, improving from 192nd last year.
LHS placed 41st nationally among STEM schools, down from 27th last year. It also held the top spot in the state for assessment proficiency and reported a strong 81% AP participation rate.
The total rankings are based on a composite score across six weighted indicators of school quality: college readiness (30%), college curriculum breadth (10%), state assessment proficiency (20%), state assessment performance (20%), underserved student performance (10%). Much of these scores were based on standardized test scores, whether that be Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or state exams.
“Weights were selected based on research and coordination between U.S. News and education experts at RTI on which factors matter most. State assessments contribute most to the rankings because that data was used for every school,” Eric Brooks, Director of U.S. News Education data team, said in an article detailing their ranking process.
Massachusetts as a whole performed strongly — 43% of eligible schools in the state ranked in the top 25% nationwide, the highest rate of any state. Massachusetts narrowly beat Connecticut, where 41% of public schools made the top quarter.
Despite expert warnings about over interpreting results from school rankings, U.S. News has remained adamant that their scoring system is a resource that parents should use in determining their child’s education.
“Students and families need data to help them make one of the most important decisions of their academic journey,” U.S. News Managing Editor for Education LaMont Jones said in a release Tuesday. “Our Best High Schools rankings provide the insights to help them identify schools that will prepare students for college success. Access to information isn’t just helpful — it’s essential for planning a student’s future.”
Full rankings can be found here.
This article was previously published in LexObserver.
