The 2017 U.S. News Best High School rankings have been released. USNews stated the rankings include data on more than 22,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Listed below is a chart with information on six high schools in Leon county. The ranking methodology used by USNews is listed below the chart.
The information for each high school includes the Florida ranking, the US ranking, the graduation rate, and the college readiness rate.
The rankings show that Chiles High School and Lincoln High School were ranked in the top 500 nationwide and therefore received a USNews gold medal designation.
Florida State University School and Leon High School were ranked 742 and 1072 respectively, and received a silver medal designation.
SAIL received a bronze medal designation based on state exam performance. Schools in this category were not ranked, but rather listed alphabetically.
The USNews report can be reviewed here.
About the Awards
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Gold
Top 500 Schools based on highest college readiness -
Silver
High-performing schools based on lower college readiness. -
Bronze
High-performing schools based on state exam performance, listed alphabetically.
Ranking Criteria
STEP 1 | Students perform better than expected in their state.
We looked at reading and math results for students on each state’s proficiency tests and then factored in the percentage of economically disadvantaged students, who tend to score lower.
STEP 2 | Disadvantaged students perform better than state average.
We compared each school’s math and reading proficiency rates for disadvantaged students – black, Hispanic and low-income – with the statewide results for these student groups and then selected schools that were performing better than their state averages.
STEP 3 | Student graduation rates meet or exceed a national standard
We excluded schools from consideration if their graduation rates were lower than 75 percent – a threshold that is higher than a federal law that requires states to give extra resources to schools below 67 percent.
STEP 4 | Students are prepared for college-level coursework.
We calculated a College Readiness Index, which is based on the school’s AP participation rate and how well the students did on those tests. Tiebeakers were used to determine ranks of schools that achieved the same College Readiness Index.
Two Leon County High Schools Receive USNews Gold Medal Designation added by Staff on
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Anybody notice the graduation rate at Godby and Rickards is at 91% but the award winner Lincoln is only at 88%????
Doesn’t pass the smell test. I suspect Godby and Rickards are graduating students who aren’t yet ready for graduation.
In the article from the newspaper, you mentioned that Leon received the silver medal designation. According to the chart and the information given,I assume that FSUS also received the silver medal designation.
I am a little shocked at the comments about Godby High School, specifically as they pertain to the principal, Mrs. Bell. She has worked hard to bring the school back from the poor letter grades the school received prior to her coming to the school. She has expanded dual enrollment offerings with TCC, added a CNA nursing program, established program with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and worked hard to hire teachers and staff who genuinely care about the school. I am not sure how someone could say she doesn’t care. As a parent, I believe she is not only committed, but also dedicated to the school and each and every student at the school. She is also not an elected figure, so to say defamatory remarks about her is careless. I can say that Godby is in a much better place today than it was 6 years ago.
Growing up I went to an urban school in a low income area. My Dad taught at another high school with a little higher income level. I could see the difference in what kids had and what their goals were. It is difficult to start on the bottom rung of the economic ladder. When parents are struggling to survive, either as a single parent or as a couple working multiple jobs, there is very little time or energy left to come home and help the kids with homework, read etc. especially with society pulling people in multiple directions. TV use to be the time waster, babysitter etc. Now add to that the internet, now on everyone’s phone. Throw in the temptations of drug and alcohol abuse, potential for delinquency etc that pull on kids. Later as a teacher I saw that I could do only so much with kids in the few hours they were in my classroom, but there were moments when I felt I made a difference. It really depends on multiples factors to ensure that kids are successful in school, and later as healthy productive adults. How we as a community solve these issues is the question.
Noneya Business sure read more into my comment than was written! Nowhere did I asperse that students or their parents. The parents of those who went to Godby in the 1970’s and 1980’s were’t well-heeled either but the school was academically on a level with Leon and Lincoln at the time (Chiles was only a gleam in developers minds at the time!) and the kids were not being short-changed either.
It all starts at home. It is not all about money either. I have two dear friends who had very little but all of their children managed to graduate from good colleges. An important thing is to read to your kids every night. Books are free at the library. Limit TV. Good luck.
This makes me very proud since I have a sophomore at Chiles this year and reveiving an academic award on 5/17.
So when will our new Superintendent do something about Godby High School? In the 1970’s it was a wonderful school with a fantastic curriculum and great teachers. If it can’t be again then close it down and send the students to one of these Gold high schools before we shortchange them for life.
I resent this remark. Do not talk about schools you obviously know nothing about. Notice the high ranking schools are those where the majority of the students have every privledge available to them. You try to learn when you haven’t eaten all weekend and are wearing the same outfit you wore two days ago because you only have four and you have to rotate them. And you try doing lots of technologically advanced curriculum homework with no computer or internet at home. These kind of things really tear me up. The teachers at Godby work their tail ends off and are among the best in the nation. The privledged little delicate snowflakes at some of these schools could never last a day in the life of some of these Godby kids. So stop judging people and may be donate a computer to a kid that needs one or food for those who only eat twice a day at school.
Godby does not work there tails off .. I’m a student currently and Shelly Bell doesn’t do anything to help or assist our students! We could be like Chiles but Godby simply does not care the admin staff except for Mrs. Blair sucks!!
These student “snowflakes” as you called them have parents that work hard and bust their tails to ensure that their children are getting a good education. Stop blaming me because I work hard to ensure success for my children. Im sorry the majority of children at underprivileged schools have lazy butt parents who suck the gov. Assistance dry. Also they only eat 1 meal a day? Maybe you should ask mommy where the stamps are going, because low income individuals receive food stamps, I know I pay taxes to support it!!!!
I hear you, but what can we do moving forward? It’s not the students’ fault their parents are scum, but it is our fault as tax payers when we continuously dump money into households that have proven they will abuse it. If we don’t change some circumstances for some of these non-snowflake kids, in 10 years (or less) we will be funding a new set of spawn. And FYI, they sold the stamps for hair weave. Not even joking a little bit.
More liberal BS.
The Myth
Due to a Lack of Government Support, Poverty and Deprivation Are Widespread.
Despite the massive spending and expensive benefits available to low-income families, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that in 2014, nearly 15 million children in America were living in poverty. How can government spend enormous sums and still have 15 million children in poverty?
The answer is simple: The Census counts a family as “poor” if its income falls below the official poverty income thresholds, but of the $402 billion spent on cash, food, housing, and medical care for families with children, the Census counts only about $11.9 billion, or 3 percent, as “income” for purposes of measuring child poverty.
Thus, the government’s poverty measure says very little about the actual material living conditions of the poor. Examining other government data provides a very different picture of poverty in the United States. For example, the average poor household in the United States has air conditioning, a car or truck, cable or satellite TV, a computer, a cell phone, and (if the household has children) a video game system. They have enough to eat and are not undernourished. They live in comfortable housing that is in good repair and have more living space than the average non-poor person in Germany, France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The average poor household in the United States also reports that they have access to medical care when they need it.