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Five Mendocino County schools
have received nationwide recognition
as being among the best high schools in the country!
U.S. News and World Report has released its second annual survey of the best high schools in America after analyzing data from over 21,000 public schools.
The top schools fall into four categories: gold, silver, bronze, and honorable mention. Within Mendocino County, Fort Bragg High School and Anderson Valley Junior-Senior High won the distinction of “silver” ranking. Leggett Valley High School, Redwood Academy of Ukiah, and Willits Charter School each received “bronze” rankings.
The U.S. News and World Report America’s Best High Schools methodology, developed by School Evaluation Services, is based on the key principles that a great high school must be able to produce measurable academic outcomes to show that the school is successfully educating its student body across a range of performance indicators.
Data was gathered from the 2006-2007 school year in three steps. The first step determined whether each school’s students were performing better than statistically expected for the average student in the state, especially in the areas of reading and math.
The second step determined whether the school’s least-advantaged students (black, Hispanic, and low income) were performing better than average for similar students in the state.
Finally, the third step judged students on their college readiness by using Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate test data as the standards.
Only schools that met all three steps and earned rankings of more than 20 in their college readiness index were eligible for gold and silver selection. The highest-ranking schools that met only the first two criteria were eligible for bronze ranking.
Anderson Valley Junior-Senior High School—Silver
This rural school, serving just over 250 junior and high school students, scored very high on the college-readiness index. J.R. Collins, Anderson Valley School District Superintendent, states, “This is an incredible honor for our school, students, teachers and all the staff; all the hard work and dedication paid off.”
Anderson Valley Junior-Senior High School is a high-performing school with mentor support for new teachers, low class size, and weekly staff planning time. AVUSD is also the recipient of the 21st Century Grant with a comprehensive after-school program.
Fort Bragg High School—Silver
Fort Bragg High School also scored well enough in all three areas to earn the silver ranking. With 575 students, almost 50% of which are classified as “disadvantaged”, this coastal community school stands out, offering a college prep program, including Honors classes that prepare students for community or four-year colleges and Advance Placement exams.
According to Lura Damiano, Director of Special Programs for FBUSD, “The principal at the high school told me that after the article was published in the Advocate News, the phone was ringing off the hook. The community has expressed so much pride; they really felt validated because they know it’s a great school.”
“We are geographically remote and a small district, so it seems that often we’re overlooked for this type of recognition. We have so many English learners and students with low socio-economic status…the U.S. News and World Report rankings handicap for that….it’s probably only with that kind of math formula that we could do so well.”
Leggett Valley High School—Bronze
Leggett Valley, with only 53 students, ranked well in the first two categories and earned a bronze designation. With almost 72% of its student body classified as disadvantaged, this rural school continues to meet their needs.
Lynn Shansky, Fiscal Technition for the district, says, “We have a very small population, so it’s easy to give the students lots of attention.” She also proudly points out that “all the graduating students in 2007 were college bound.”
Redwood Academy of Ukiah—Bronze
Redwood Academy is one of Mendocino County’s two charter schools to earn the bronze distinction. With 137 students in grades 7-12, roughly 42% of whom are disadvantaged, this school is boasting strong scores on state testing.
Kim Logan, Executive Director for the school, expressed surprise at the distinctive honor. “Usually,” she says, “things that involve honors require work to achieve them—some kind of application or competition. This time, we just got a letter in the mail! The faculty is delighted to see the achievement of our students in the spotlight. It reinforces that what we’re doing is the right thing and that the path we’re on is a good one.”
Willits Charter School—Bronze
Willits Charter School serves just over 100 students ranging from grades six to twelve, 41% of whom are disadvantaged. Very strong performances on state tests helped to rank this school among the best in the category.
“It is so rewarding to receive such prestigious recognition for our efforts,” said Willits Charter School Director Sally Rulison. “I have known for many years that we are providing a quality education for our students, but it’s great that it’s being acknowledged outside of our small community.”
More high schools were recognized in the State of California than in any other state—335 of 1,999 awards. For additional information about the report or the honored Mendocino County schools, visit http://www.usnews.com/sections/education/high-schools.
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