U.S. News and World Report has ranked three Fayette County high schools as being among the best in the nation for preparing students for college and careers.
McIntosh High, Starr’s Mill High, and Whitewater High were among the nation’s top performing public high schools included on the 2016 “Best High Schools” list that is published annually by the digital news and information company.
All three schools received a silver medal. Medals of gold, silver and bronze are awarded to schools based on their academic performance on state assessments, graduation rates, and how well they prepare students for college. Only 6,218 high schools out of more than 21,500 nationwide received a medal. Just 10.9 percent of the schools earned silver medals.
A four-step process determined the rankings on the “Best High Schools” list. The first three steps ensured that the schools serve all students well, using their performance on the math and reading parts of their state proficiency tests, and graduation rates as the benchmarks. For those schools that made it past the first three steps, a fourth step assessed the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work.
On the national list, McIntosh High is ranked 876, followed by Starr’s Mill High at 1,021, and Whitewater High at 1,176.
For Georgia, McIntosh High is ranked 26, followed by Starr’s Mill High at 31, and Whitewater High at 36.
The “Best High Schools” rankings are available on usnews.com, and feature data on a number of factors, including enrollment, graduation rates, diversity, participation in free and reduced price lunch programs, and the results of state assessments and Advanced Placement tests.
