Area high schools among best in U.S.

June 10, 2009 - 9:47am

Montgomery County classroom (Photo courtesy of Montgomery County schools)

In Montgomery County, 61.5 percent of students took at least one AP exam. (Photo courtesy of Montgomery County schools)

UNDATED - A number of local high schools have made Newsweek's "Top of the Class" list, which ranks the top 1,300 high schools in the nation.

H-B Woodlawn High School in Arlington was the highest ranked local high school on the list, coming in at 16th. Virginia had seven schools in the top 100: Clark County in Berryville (41); George Mason High School in Falls Church (66); Washington-Lee High School in Arlington (67); W.T. Woodson High in Fairfax (71); Yorktown High School in Arlington (98); and Langley High in McLean (100).

Montgomery County had six schools make the top 110 of the list. Richard Montgomery High School had the highest ranking school in the group, coming in 38th. Also making the list were Bethesda-Chevy Chase (55), Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville (58), Winston Churchill High in Potomac (94), Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda (104), and Walter Johnson High in Bethesda (109).

"This is an extraordinary accomplishment for our schools and students," said Montgomery County Board of Education President Shirley Brandman, in a news release. "Again this year, we are seeing the benefits of providing the academic support that allows our students to aim high and achieve at the highest levels."

Overall, Maryland had 73 schools on the list, while Virginia had 84.

D.C. had three schools place. Banneker High School ranked No. 162. Woodrow Wilson was No. 242 and The School Without Walls also made the list at No. 360.

The list was based off a ratio where the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students in 2007 was divided by the number of graduating seniors.

Newsweek did not include some of the top magnet and charter schools because their test scores indicated they have few or no average students. One of those schools was Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County.

For the complete list, click here.

UNDATED - A number of local high schools have made Newsweek's "Top of the Class" list, which ranks the top 1,300 high schools in the nation.

Overall, Maryland had 73 schools on the list, while Virginia had 84.

D.C. had three schools place. Banneker High School ranked No. 162. Woodrow Wilson was No. 242 and The School Without Walls also made the list at No. 360.

For the complete list, click here.

< Back