The magazine, "US News and World Report” divided high schools into four categories, gold, silver, bronze and honerable mention.
In central Alabama, only three schools earned silver medals: Mountain Brook, Ramsay and Vestavia Hills high schools.
This is the third year for the US News and World Report's "Best High Schools" list. Vestavia Hills High School has made it every year. It’s principal is pleased but he does question how the magazine compares schools.
Teacher asks students, "What do we know about point y, point w?"
It's finals time at Vestavia Hills High School.
Teacher said, "Ok, let's knock this one out here."
These students are getting in some extra review time.
Teacher said, "91, that's an easy one."
They're also sitting in a school that has just won a silver award from “US News and World Report.”
Vestavia Hills H.S. Principal, Cas McWaters said, "We love the national attention but at the same time, we really base our success on how well our students do at the next level in colleges."
That's one of the criteria the weekly magazine used to determine a ranking -- how well students did on advanced placement or international baccalaureate tests. These students were also compared with peers from across the state on reading and math scores. That's why it earned a silver award.
This is the third year Vestavia Hills High School has won a silver award, it is one of several from central Alabama. The school's principal does have one issue with the list. Schools in the top 100 are either charter, magnet or private schools, some teaching the best students from all over that state.
McWaters said, "In some ways it's a very exclusive bunch of students from all over the state and sometimes, maybe it's not apples and apples, it's apples and oranges."
No matter where US News ranks Vestavia Hills, its finals time for these students, that's what’s on the top of their lists.
Vestavia Hills adds 30 to 50 new high school students a year. It just finished an addition---and, will soon start a four million dollar renovation of the rest of it's high school.
By the way, the only gold winner in Alabama was Lovelace Academic Magnet Program High School in Montgomery.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement