A llentown High School is one of the best high schools in the country, according to Newsweek magazine.
Coming in at number 359 among the top 1,000 public schools in the United States, Allentown High School (AHS) just missed placement in the top third of the rankings.
Thirty-six high schools in New Jersey made it on to the magazine’s list, with two Monmouth County vocational schools named in the top 25. High Technology High School in Lincroft is the highest ranked New Jersey school at 18, and Biotechnology High School in Freehold came in at 25. Other Garden State schools that made the grade are Rumson Fair-Haven Regional High School at 230, Freehold Township High School at 391 and Red Bank Regional High School at 409. The criteria for ranking consisted of six components— graduation rate, college matriculation rate, the number of Advanced Placement tests taken per graduate, college admission test scores, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate test scores, and the number of Advanced Placement courses offered per graduate, according to the magazine’s website.
Christopher Nagy, who has accepted a superintendent position in another school district after serving as AHS principal since 1999, said he knew AHS was a diamond in the rough when he took over the helm.
“Iwas just the catalyst for change, but the staff and students responded,” Nagy said. “My dream was that one day AHS would be recognized for the hard work of the entire organization, and that day has come, most recently with the recognition of being among the top 500 high schools in the nation.” Nagy said a key change took place in 2004 when the high school doubled in size. “We now had the space and resources to take the organization to the next level,” he said. “Having the space, we could promote the arts and respective programs. Having the technology, we could provide opportunities for staff to learn, experience wireless laptop applications and digital projectors and Smartboards to enhance the interactive classroom experience.”
AHS also revised the professional observation process to be more aligned with best practices in professional growth and accountability, according to Nagy.
“This process really ramped up expectations and accountability, which also provided the staff with opportunities to participate in a myriad of professional development opportunities that sparked the informal and formal development of professional learning communities,” Nagy said. “Educators were encouraged to be lifelong learners and were given opportunities to grow personally and professionally.”
He commended the high school staff for taking advantage of professional growth opportunities, embracing changes in both educational standards and technology and for doing more with less.
“Like the movie ‘Field of Dreams,’ the idea of ‘build and they will come’ never was more evident,” Nagy said. “We continued to move up the ranks as we implemented the dream and vision. The town recognized the metamorphosis that was taking place, and people continued to move into the area because they were seeking a great education at a bargain price.”
Nagy said the high ranking on Newsweek’s list is a testament to the staff and the administrative team who worked tirelessly to implement the dream and to the students and parents who supported the extra work to take the organization to the next level. He said the community has provided its children with opportunities to grow, learn and leaveAHS with 21st-century skill sets to compete in a global economy and embrace the mantra of seeking and sustaining innovation.
Superintendent of Schools Dick Fitzpatrick called the Newsweek ranking “a significant achievement” for the community and more importantly, for the success of every student.
In the past four years, the Upper Freehold Regional School District has done its very best to improve every grade level, Fitzpatrick said.
“Our goal is to enable our kids to achieve at their highest level and set personal achievement goals and then realize them,” Fitzpatrick said. “We will continue to focus on offering the best possible program at a reasonable cost, and we will do our best to earn the trust and support of the entire community.”