Spartanburg and Woodruff on list of top U.S. high schools
Spartanburg Herald-Journal
By Lee Gray
5/22/08
Two Spartanburg County high schools have been recognized on the 2008 Newsweek magazine / Washington Post list of top U.S. high schools. Both Spartanburg High School and Woodruff High School made the Challenge Index, which aims to measure how students perform given the rigor of the courses.
The formula counts the total number of AP tests taken at a school divided by the number of graduating seniors. Schools with a ratio of 1.000 or higher are placed on the list. This year that includes 1,358 schools, or about 5 percent of public high schools nationwide.
The article in the May 26 issue of Newsweek reads, “We are all seeking the same thing, which is schools that better serve our children and our nation by encouraging students to tackle tough subjects under the guidance of gifted teachers.”
This year is the fifth time since 2003 both WHS (ranked 763) and SHS (ranked 921) have been included on the Challenge Index.
“We pride ourselves on providing for all students,” said SHS principal Rodney Graves. “Anything we offer here we try to do it first class and try to be a leader in the state and a leader in the nation.”
The District 7 school offers 22 different AP courses to its students. Graves said the Index proves the commitment of the school, district and community to offer only the best to SHS students.
“We have a little bit of everything, and our school district has been very committed to having offerings. If students want to take it, we try to offer it,” he said.
Woodruff High School principal Karen Neal said she is thrilled the school is once again included among the nation’s top high schools. She said the ranking is an affirmation of the school’s offering of AP courses to students.
“We can see the results of our high expectations as our students are able to move on to college and are successful,” Neal said. “I think the AP program takes a large part of the credit there.”
Nineteen South Carolina public high schools made the list, up four since last year.
The list does not include schools with an average SAT score of more than 1300 or an ACT score of 29 or higher as it is only intended to recognize schools that challenge average students.
However, rankings of non-eligible schools and a complete list of schools on the Challenge Index can be found on Newsweek’s Web site at newsweek.com.
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