Phoenixville Named 4th Most Challenging High School In PA, Washington Post Says

PHOENIXVILLE, PA — Compared to most schools across the state and the nation, Phoenixville is exemplary in an interesting category: the degree to which they challenge their students to succeed.

Seeking to understand how schools around the nation were pushing their students to reach their potential, the Washington Post came up with a straightforward measurement. They compared the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and Advanced International tests given at a school each year, divided by the number of students who graduated that year.

A ratio of 1.000 means the school had as many tests as graduates.

Phoenixville ranked fourth in Pennsylvania and 562nd in the nation.

Their enrollment of 1,096 was complemented by 26 AP courses, according to the study. Their "index" measurement, which determined their placing, was 3.385; the school, therefore, had about that many tests per graduating student.

In addition, 69 percent of students attend a four-year college upon graduation.

Notably, Phoenixville ranked ahead of Conestoga, their perennially highly ranked neighbor. Conestoga placed 636th in the nation in this measure, and 5th in the nation.

Julia Reynolds Masterman led the state, placing 265th in the nation.

Patch file photo