DeKalb School of the Arts Ranked Among Best in Nation

AVONDALE ESTATES, GA — The DeKalb School of the Arts was ranked this week among the best high schools in America for college preparedness by Newsweek.

The school, in Avondale Estates, came in at No. 177 out of a total of 15,819 high schools in America.

Newsweek evaluated schools based on state standardized test scores, college acceptance, and enrollment rates, SAT and ACT participation and performance, dual enrollments, and programs like Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate.

“We are proud of this recognition for the great work that our school leadership and teachers do for our students to succeed,” said Superintendent Dr. R. Stephen Green. “Our laser focus on classroom instruction and performance is showing results.”

See also: Newsweek’s Top Public High Schools 2016: 10 Georgia Schools Make List

There are several different school rankings published, particularly as school bells are dusted off in late summer. Newsweek consistently stands out as a college-prep barometer, and rankings are routinely promoted by schools and school districts that perform well, and coveted by those that don't.

Newsweek's school rankings are borne of the magazine's research, along with the analytics firm Westat. They use objective measurements to put together the annual ranking of the country’s best high schools.So, how do they come up with the rankings?

Newsweek looked at six measurements and weighted them to come up with a “college readiness index.” The rankings are meant to show how well high schools do at preparing students for college.
Those measurements and their weight are:

• Holding power: 10 percent
• Ratio of counselor/full-time equivalent to student enrollment: 10 percent
• Weighted SAT/ACT: 17.5 percent
• Weighted AP/IB/dual enrollment composite: 17.5 percent
• Graduation rate: 20 percent
• College enrollment rate: 25 percent

In all, 6,477 of the nation’s 15,819 public high schools met the criteria to be considered in Newsweek’s rankings.
Newsweek used school performance data from the National Center for Education Statistics to narrow down the list of schools.

Of those 6,477 schools, 4,760 were considered for the overall rankings, while 4,452 made the cut for another list of schools that were “beating the odds.” (Many schools made both lists.)

For the the “beating the odds” rankings, a school’s college readiness scores were adjusted for how they compared against other schools that had similar percentages of students eligible for free or reduced lunch.

Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria, Va., took the top spot again in 2016 for a third year in a row. The school has been a regular powerhouse on previous best schools rankings and puts an emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics classes.

“We’re preparing kids to go into fields that have yet to be invented,” Principal Evan Glazer told Newsweek last year. “We’re really focusing more on skills and an appreciation for STEM. But if they decide to become journalists, we convey that they have a unique knowledge base in STEM. They would be able to contribute to articles on energy, the environment, and government policy on those important issues.”
You can view last year’s 2015 rankings here.

Image via Shutterstock