ANSONIA - Ansonia High School is ranked 34 out of more than 200 Connecticut high schools, receiving a bronze medal in the 2017 Best High Schools Rankings, which was released by U.S. News & World Report this week.
According to U.S. News, the awards “reflect which schools are most successfully preparing students for college, based on students participating in and achieving passing scores on Advanced Placement tests. For a school to be eligible for an award, its students must also do well on the appropriate statewide tests and graduate at high rates.”
A week ago, Gov. Dannel Malloy announced that graduation rates were up throughout Connecticut.
Ansonia High’s graduation rate grew from 76.5 percent in 2012 to nearly 89 percent in 2016.
U.S. News reported that of Ansonia High’s 584 students, 37 percent participated in Advanced Placement tests last year, and 34 percent received a passing grade.
“This is the first time our high school has earned a medal in the Best High Schools Ranking,” Dr. Carol Merlone, Superintendent of Schools, said. “We are thrilled! This is reflective of our students’ desire to prepare for college and take on challenges. While our budgets have been extremely tight and we’ve had to make numerous cuts to programs and staffing in recent years, we have been able to maintain and expand our college-credit courses thanks to the dedication of our staff and the use of grant funds.”
A total of 48 Connecticut high schools received a gold, silver, or bronze medal in the 2017 Best High Schools Rankings.
U.S. News uses four steps in determining the awards:
Step 1: Examining reading and math results on the state’s proficiency tests, then factoring in the percentage of economically disadvantaged students. Step 2: Comparing the school’s math and reading proficiency rates for disadvantaged students with statewide results, then selecting schools that were performing better than their state averages. Step 3: Schools with graduation rates lower than 75 percent were excluded. Step 4: A College Readiness Index was calculated, based on the school’s AP participation rate and how well the students did on those tests.
AHS currently offers 11 Advanced Placement (AP) courses, eight UConn courses, three Housatonic Community College courses, and two University of New Haven courses.
During the 2015-16 year, nearly 100 juniors and seniors earned college credit from one of the UConn, HCC or UNH courses, and 46 seniors enrolled in AP courses.
Ansonia High Principal Terri Goldson said, “This May, 118 AHS students are scheduled to take several different AP exams, and we will continue to seek ways to increase the early college experience courses students are exposed to. We are honored to know that we have been recognized by U.S. News and World Report and received a bronze medal; however, we won’t be satisfied until we attain a gold medal.”
This is a press release from Ansonia Public Schools.
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