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2003 List: The Top High Schools
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May 24, 2003 - Public schools are ranked according to a ratio called the Challenge Index devised by Jay Mathews: the number of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate tests taken by all students at a school in 2002 divided by the number of graduating seniors. Schools that chose more than half of their students by grades or test scores were not considered because the index is designed to identify schools that challenge average students and does not work well with schools that have few or no average students. The schools ranked below have the strongest AP or IB programs in the country. Each of them is in the top four percent of all American high schools measured this way. * gives International Baccalaureate tests
--Expanded list based on additional school data received by 6/6/2003.
Rank | School Name | City | State |Score
1 | International Academy* | Bloomfield Hills | Mich. | 6.323
2 | Stanton College Prep* | Jacksonville Fla. | 5.639
3 | Paxon* | Jacksonville Fla. | 4.668
4 | Alabama School of Fine Arts | Birmingham Ala. | 4.567
5 | Jericho | Jericho | N.Y. | 4.519
6| George Mason* | Falls Church Va. | 4.365
7| Eastern Sierra | Academy | Bridgeport Calif. | 4.250
8| Myers Park* | Charlotte N.C. | 4.086
9| Science Academy of South Texas | Mercedes Tex. | 4.024
10| H-B Woodlawn | Arlington | Va. | 3.961
11| Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies | Los Angeles Calif. | 3.893
12| Manhasset | Manhasset N.Y. | 3.840
13| Wyoming | Cincinnati Ohio | 3.782
14| Bellevue | Bellevue Wash. | 3.755
15| Highland Park | Dallas Tex. | 3.693
16| Edgemont | Scarsdale N.Y | 3.673
17| International | Bellevue Wash. | 3.643
18| Great Neck South | Great Neck | N.Y. | 3.640
19| Newport | Bellevue | Bellevue Wash. | 3.625
20| Cold Spring Harbor | Cold Spring Harbor N.Y. | 3.573
21| Mills University Studies | Little Rock Ark. | 3.564
22| Lincoln Park Academy* | Fort Pierce Fla. | 3.521
23| W.T. Woodson* | Fairfax Va. | 3.448
24| Yorktown | Arlington Va. | 3.422
25| St. Petersburg* | St. Petersburg Fla. | 3.403
26| Brighton | Rochester N.Y. | 3.357
27| Great Neck North | Great Neck N.Y. | 3.298
28| Greeley | Chappaqua N.Y. | 3.240
29| Washington-Lee* | Arlington Va. | 3.192
30| Wheatley | Old Westbury N.Y. | 3.146
31| Langley | McLean Va. | 3.144
32| Indian Hill | Cincinnati Ohio | 3.100
33| Fort Myers* | Fort Myers Fla. | 3.075
34| Pittsford Mendon | Pittsford N.Y. | 3.053
35| Vandermeulen | Port Jefferson N.Y | 3.040
36| Weston | Weston Mass. | 3.009
37| Westlake | Austin Tex. | 3.004
38| Richard Montgomery* | Rockville Md. | 2.969
39| University Laboratory | Urbana Ill. | 2.932
40| High Technology | Lincroft N.J. | 2.917
41| Miami Palmetto | Miami Fla. | 2.914
42| Pittsford Sutherland | Pittsford N.Y. | 2.881
43| Lyndon B. Johnson | Austin Tex. | 2.879
44| Enloe* | Raleigh N.C. | 2.879
45| Rye | Rye N.Y. | 2.878
46| Eastside* | Gainesville Fla. | 2.868
47| Walter Johnson | Bethesda Md. | 2.848
48| Westfield | Chantilly Va. | 2.848
49| La Jolla Calif. | La Jolla Calif. | 2.802
50| Providence | Charlotte N.C. | 2.800
51| Bronxville | Bronxville N.Y. | 2.780
52| Banneker | Washington D.C. | 2.796
53| Gunn | Palo Alto Calif. | 2.791
54| Hewlett | Hewlett N.Y. | 2.780
55| East Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill N.C. | 2.774
56| University | Irvine Calif. | 2.772
57| Atlantic Community* | Delray Beach Fla. | 2.745
58| Robinson* | Fairfax Va. | 2.736
59| Wilson Magnet* | Rochester N.Y. | 2.735
60| Westwood* | Austin Tex. | 2.709
61| Bernards | Bernardsville N.J. | 2.707
62| Miller Place | Miller Place N.Y. | 2.700
63| Syosset | Syosset N.Y. | 2.699
64| Wootton | Rockville Md. | 2.699
65| South Side* | Rockville Centre N.Y. | 2.690
66| Millburn | Millburn N.J. | 2.673
67| Kennedy | Bellmore N.Y. | 2.668
68| Harding University* | Charlotte N.C. | 2.665
69| Stevenson | Lincolnshire Ill. | 2.658
70| Foshay Learning Center | Los Angeles Calif. | 2.651
71| Chagrin Falls | Chagrin Falls Ohio | 2.625
72| Chantilly | Chantilly Va. | 2.620
73| East Hampton | East Hampton N.Y. | 2.598
74| North Shore | Glen Head N.Y. | 2.591
75| Buchholz | Gainesville Fla. | 2.573
76| San Dieguito Academy | Encinitas Calif. | 2.566
77| Scarsdale | Scarsdale N.Y. | 2.565
78| Churchill | Potomac Md. | 2.557
79| Torrey Pines | San Diego Calif. | 2.541
80| Cresskill | Cresskill N.J. | 2.533
81| Edina | Edina Minn. | 2.528
82| Marine & Science Tech | Miami Fla. | 2.520
83| Roslyn | Roslyn Heights | N.Y. | 2.505
84| Duxbury | Duxbury Mass. | 2.502
85| Mamaroneck | Mamaroneck N.Y. | 2.500
86| Bellaire* | Bellaire Tex. | 2.493
87| Stonewall Jackson* | Manassas Va. | 2.489
88| Monta Vista | Cupertino Calif. | 2.470
89| Whitman | Bethesda Md. | 2.450
90| Ardsley | Ardsley N.Y. | 2.448
91| Lynbrook | San Jose Calif. | 2.442
92| Fairfax | Fairfax Va. | 2.436
93| Spruce Creek* | Port Orange Fla. | 2.436
94| Palos Verdes Peninsula | Rolling Hills Estates Calif. | 2.435
95| East Mecklenburg* | Charlotte N.C. | 2.434
96| Irondequoit | Rochester N.Y. | 2.432
97| Calhoun | Merrick N.Y. | 2.419
98| Troy* | Fullerton Calif. | 2.407
99| Sunny Hills* | Fullerton Calif. | 2.384
100| Oak Park | Oak Park Calif. | 2.382
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