Three Wicomico County high schools received national ranking or recognition and medals in the 2016 U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools Rankings released this spring.

James M. Bennett High was nationally ranked in the report. James M. Bennett High was ranked #1,789 in the nation and 51st in the state of Maryland, and received a silver medal.

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/maryland/districts/wicomico-county-public-schools/james-m-bennett-high-9213

Parkside High School received a bronze medal and was a school recognized nationally.

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/maryland/districts/wicomico-county-public-schools/parkside-high-9215

Wicomico High School received a bronze medal and was a school recognized nationally.

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/maryland/districts/wicomico-county-public-schools/wicomico-high-9216

The rankings provide information on nearly 20,000 public high schools across the country. Since private schools do not have the state accountability testing data that U.S. News uses for the Best High Schools rankings methodology, they are not included in the rankings.

“These rankings provide some very good information about our excellent high schools, though they only give one perspective on schools based on the data that were chosen for the rankings,” said Dr. Margo Handy, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction. “These rankings are one measure of the success stories that are happening in Wicomico County Public Schools every day.”

The U.S. News & World Report did not rank or recognize Mardela Middle and High, a school serving grades 6-12. The listing for the school shows impressive numbers, however, including a 93% graduation rate, a “college readiness index” near the state average, and strong numbers for Advanced Placement participation and success.

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/maryland/districts/wicomico-county-public-schools/mardela-middle-and-high-9214

The Best High Schools rankings identify the country's top-performing public high schools. According to U.S. News & World Report, the goal is to provide a clear, unbiased picture of how well public schools serve all of their students in preparing them to demonstrate proficiency in basic skills as well as readiness for college-level work. The first list of the U.S. News Best High Schools was posted online in 2007. The current 2016 edition of Best High Schools was published online on April 19, 2016.

According to U.S. News & World Report, a state-by-state breakdown of the 2016 Best High Schools rankings shows that Maryland is the leading performer for the second year in a row.

This year, 28.9 percent of Maryland's eligible schools earned gold and silver medals from U.S. News. Connecticut came in second with 24.9 percent, and California came in third with 23.8 percent.

Only CRI (College Readiness Index) values greater than 20.17 – the 2016 Best High Schools median CRI – meet the criteria for selection as gold and silver medal winners. Gold medal high schools are the top 500 high schools that met the CRI criteria. The 2,173 schools ranked 501 through 2,673 – the silver medal schools – also met this CRI criteria. Gold and silver awards reflect which schools are most successfully preparing students for college, based on students participating in and achieving passing scores on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests.

An additional 3,545 high schools that passed the first three steps in the methodology were awarded bronze medals and are listed alphabetically.

A number of data sources are used to produce the Best High Schools rankings:

• The Common Core of Data is the U.S. Department of Education website, updated annually, that contains basic data on enrollment, student ethnicity and other profile information on all public high schools in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Education collects the data found on this site directly from the schools themselves, school districts or state departments of education. The data used in the 2016 rankings are for the 2013-2014 school year.
• College Board was the source of the Advanced Placement test data for each public high school, when applicable, that were used to create calculated values used in the rankings. The AP test data used in the analysis are for 12th-grade students in the 2013-2014 school year.
• International Baccalaureate was the source of the International Baccalaureate test data for each public high school, when applicable, that were used to create calculated values used in the rankings. The IB test data used in the analysis are for 12th-grade students in the 2013-2014 school year.
• Each high school's statewide accountability proficiency test results and graduation rate were collected directly from official sources in that state. The statewide assessment data are from the 2013-2014 school year and the graduation rates correspond to the 2014 graduation cohort.