Seven Treasure Coast high schools made Newsweek’s Best High Schools list this year, according to a report released Tuesday.
The report recognizes the top 1,300 high schools across the country for offering challenging courses to its advanced students in Newsweek’s annual study of “America’s Best High Schools.” Only the top 100 schools are listed in the magazine, but the entire list of schools is available on the magazine’s Web site, www.newsweek.com. Making its first appearance this year — and ranking as one of the highest of the area schools — was Jensen Beach High School. Its 636 ranking was only behind two other Treasure Coast schools — Lincoln Park Academy in Fort Pierce and South Fork in Stuart, which placed 312 and 464, respectively.
Reappearing on the list after a year’s hiatus is Sebastian River High School, which ranked 766 this year. In 2007, the school ranked 1,028.
For the study, Newsweek surveyed more than 27,000 high schools in the United States and the listed schools represent the nation’s top 5 percent of public high schools.
Newsweek’s formula ranks schools according to a ratio that looks at the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students at the school and then divides that by the number of graduating seniors. Jay Mathews, a Washington Post staff writer and Newsweek contributing editor, developed the formula more than 10 years ago.
AMONG THE BEST
Seven Treasure Coast high schools are among the top high schools in the country, according to Newsweek magazine. Here are their rankings.
Lincoln Park Academy, Fort Pierce
2009 rank: 312
2008 rank: 249
South Fork High, Stuart
2009 rank: 464
2008 rank: 329
Jensen Beach High
2009 rank: 636
2008 rank: N/A
Sebastian River High
2009 rank: 766
2008 rank: N/A
Jupiter High
2009 rank: 884
2008 rank: 859
Martin County High, Stuart
2009 rank: 1,116
2008 rank: 1,061
Vero Beach High
2009 rank: 1,347
2008 rank: 1,218