By Charley Falkenburg, Staff Writer
The rankings for the top high schools in America for 2012 are in and it looks like the Princeton High School, Montgomery High School and both West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North and South all made the grade.
Both “Newsweek” and “U.S. News and World Report” recently released their top picks for this year’s best high schools throughout the country. Each magazine used different methodologies and criteria, which affected how each school ranked.
In “Newsweek,” America’s top 1,000 high schools were ranked according to six data components, which were compiled by 2,300 high school administrators.
Graduation rate, college acceptance rate and number of college-level exams taken per student make up 75 percent of the score. Average Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or American College Testing (ACT) scores and college-level test scores each make up 10 percent and the number of college-level classes a school offers makes up 5 percent.
Out of the three school districts, only the West Windsor-Plainsboro district placed in “Newsweek’s” nationwide list.
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South and North ranked 132 and 197 respectively. Out of the 76 New Jersey high schools that made the list, the High School South was number 8 and the High School North was number 17.
High School South Principal Roseann Bonino said she was extremely proud of her school and that their student success stems from teacher and parent support.
”We truly have one of the most devoted, caring and talented group of educators at South. Our teachers have a ‘whatever it takes’ attitude in terms of assuring the success of each and every one of their students,” said Ms. Bonino. “Our students also have the support of their parents who ensure that their educational needs are always a priority that’s a winning combination.”
According to “Newsweek,” both schools had a 100 percent graduation rate, an average score of 27 out of 36 on the ACT exam and an average score of 4 out of 5 on Advanced Placement (AP) exams. They each roughly had an average SAT score in the 1,800 range, more than 90 percent of their students were accepted into college.
However, all four high schools earned gold medals by placing in “U.S. News and World Report’s” top 500 out of nearly 22,000 public high schools.
Only 2 percent of schools on the list received national gold medal recognition. Medal winners were determined by overall performance on state tests and how their least advantaged students performed in comparison to the state average. If schools passed those two steps, they were then judged on “college readiness.” College readiness was judged by how many students in the 2009-2010 academic year took and passed at least one college-level exam before or during their senior year.
Princeton High School ranked 196, an achievement that Gary Snyder, the high school principal, attributed to support from the community and the preparation students receive in the elementary and middle schools and the high school staff.
”The high school faculty, comprised of teachers with content expertise, pedagogical skills and a care for the wellness of each high school student, nurtures and enriches student learning,” said Mr. Snyder. “It’s demanding and ever changing work with a myriad of factors, influences and distractions, but we strive to focus on the mission of teaching and learning every day.”
West Windsor-Plainsboro South ranked number 271 and Montgomery followed close behind at number 290 and West Windsor-Plainsboro North nabbed number 354.
The analysis found that all the schools had more than 50 percent of college ready students, scored close to 100 percent in English proficiency on state tests and were roughly in the 14-1 state range for the student to teacher ratio.
Both West Windsor-Plainsboro schools and the Montgomery High School scored over 90 percent in math proficiency on state tests, while Princeton scored just below at 88 percent.
Because the schools received national medals, they were eligible for state rankings. In New Jersey alone, “U.S. News and World Report” evaluated 389 schools in 294 districts.
In the state, Princeton nabbed the number 10 spot.
”This achievement on the part of our students and staff has many ingredients that shape student success over many years, from the home to pre-kindergarten and through the next 13 years of school,” said Superintendent Judy Wilson. “Our students experience a rich curriculum, are guided by very talented teachers and school leaders and have deep opportunities for experiences that extend the school day.”
The West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, the Montgomery High School and the West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North followed close behind at numbers 14, 16, and 18 respectively.
While Princeton, Montgomery and West Windsor-Plainsboro school officials expressed appreciation for both the national and statewide recognition, they emphasized that student success and their roles as educators goes deeper than the rankings.
”It is important to remember that the rankings are a snapshot in time based largely on standardized test results,” said Martin Smith, the West Windsor-Plainsboro assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. “Our district mission is to develop each child’s full potential to participate effectively in a 21st century global community.”
Mr. Snyder and Montgomery Superintendent Earl Kim echoed the same sentiments.
Mr. Kim said Montgomery appreciates the acclaim, but that it doesn’t ascribe a great deal of value to the rankings due to their flawed average measures that have biases.
”I think the news magazines do it more for profit than try to assess whether or not schools are being effective. They don’t have access to the data they need to determine whether schools or teachers are effective,” explained Mr. Kim. “It’s a popular issue one of the top selling issues of magazines, but is it doing a service to people? Probably not.”
For Montgomery, Mr. Kim said it’s more about getting all students struggling or not up to the district’s standards and encouraging them to continue their education to fulfill their aspirations.
”That’s the purpose of public schools to realize kids’ dreams. It’s something Montgomery tries to do we’re not there yet, but we’re getting better at it,” said Mr. Kim. “We’re using all the information we have in an effort to reveal who the child is and what he or she needs.”

