Montgomery County Public Schools has eight high schools ranked in the top 20 in the state, according to the U.S. News and World Report 2020 survey of the nation’s best high schools.
Poolesville High School was named number one in Maryland, number 90 in the country, out of almost 18,000 schools ranked.
“The U.S. News Best High Schools rankings include data on more than 24,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia,” according to the website www.usnews.com. “Nearly 18,000 schools were ranked on six factors based on their performance on state assessments and how well they prepare students for college.”
The ranking methodology draws from data for the 2017-2018 school year, using both state and federal data. In addition, the College Board and International Baccalaureate provided data on their respective college-prep programs, Advanced Placement and IB. These are the six indicators of school quality used to calculate the rankings:
College Readiness, which made up 30 percent of the total. Math and Reading Proficiency, 20 percent; Math and Reading Performance, 20 percent; Underserved Student Performance, 10 percent; College Curriculum Breadth, 10 percent; and Graduation Rate, 10 percent.
“I am proud of my students and staff receiving this recognition,” said Mark A. Carothers, Principal at Poolesville High School. “Poolesville High School is a special place with a caring staff, dedicated students, and supportive communities. I am proud of the work we do and the high-level education we offer each and every day, and I believe these rankings are a representation of that work.”
Montgomery County swept four of the top five high schools in Maryland.
In addition to Poolesville High School, the Maryland rankings included all the MCPS high schools serving students from the Potomac area.
Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda is second in the Maryland rankings, number 105 nationally.
Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville ranked third in the state, number 128 in the nation.
Winston Churchill High School in Potomac is number 4 statewide and 133 nationally.
Eastern Technical High School in Baltimore got the number five spot on the state.
Other MCPS schools in the top 20 in the state are:
Walter Johnson High School, Bethesda which ranked number 6 in the state, 344 overall.
Bethesda Chevy Chase High School, number 13; Richard Montgomery, number 14 and Quince Orchard, number 20.
For more information, visit https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/articles/slideshows/us-news-best-high-schools/*