Two new high school rankings have come out recently – one from the folks at US News & World Reports and the other from the Washington Post. Both prominently feature several of our ALSDE/A+ College Ready Schools!
The Washington Post Challenge Index uses AP and IB participation as compared with the number of graduating seniors in each year’s class to determine how well a school is preparing kids for college. They feature over 1900 schools across the nation, and here’s how our ALSDE/A+ College Ready Schools fared:
The US News & World Report’s Best High Schools list uses a more complicated formula to compare schools than the Washington Post. They first analyze how well schools do on state performance tests, especially paying attention to how well those schools help students of color and from low-income backgrounds. Then, they assess a school’s participation in AP and IB programs. They award gold, silver, and bronze medals for over 19,000 schools. Out of 360 eligible schools in Alabama, 3 schools received a gold medal, 12 schools received a silver, and 15 schools received a bronze. The ALSDE/A+ College Ready schools featured on the list are shown below:
We are so proud of our schools for earning these wonderful recognitions!
But the progress we’ve made is only the beginning, and the work is far from done. A recent report by the College Board shows that our Alabama college students struggle to graduate in four years, which could save them thousands in tuition costs:
| School | Four-Year Graduation Rate |
| University of Alabama | 38% |
| Auburn University | 36% |
| University of Georgia | 51% |
| University of Texas | 51% |
We need more Alabama students to be college and career prepared, and taking PreAP and AP courses helps them toward that goal. Using courses aligned with Alabama’s College and Career Ready Standards, students in the ALSDE/A+ College Ready Program are better prepared for whatever path they choose after high school. The more we invest in our students now, the more likely they will successfully navigate whatever road they choose.
Keep up the good work, Alabama teachers and students!
I can’t wait to see even more schools listed among the nation’s best in 2015!
