Report: Westonka Ranks Among Best Schools in the State, Nation

has been named one of the top schools in the nation, according to a recently released online ranking from U.S. News and World Report.

The publication recently reviewed 21,776 U.S. public high schools from 49 states and the District of Columbia. Out of Minnesota’s 423 districts with a total of 786 high schools, 145 schools made the online rankings.

In the U.S. News Best High Schools 2012 rankings, Minnesota has seven gold medal schools, 42 silver medal schools and 96 bronze medal schools.

According to the report, Mound Westonka ranks 17th in the state and 668th nationally—earning a “Best High Schools” Silver Award.

The study was performed by Washington DC-based American Institutes for Research, one of the largest behavioral and social science research organizations in the world.

In determining the rankings, a three-step process was used: the first two steps evaluated whether a school was serving all of its students well—using performance on state proficiency tests as the benchmarks—then selected schools that were performing better than the state average. The third step evaluated a school’s college-readiness performance by measuring which schools produced the best college-level achievement for the highest percentages of their students.

“The ranking really comes as no surprise," Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Mark Femrite, said. "It is the direct result of having a strategy in place, rolling up our sleeves, and working hard to achieve our goals. Yet to be recognized at the national level for our efforts is not only rewarding, but validates everything we do to prepare students for the 21st Century and a rigorous post-high school education.”

Westonka prepares students for college-readiness with a College Prep Program that begins in the seventh grade. The program includes a guide, prepared by the middle school and high school guidance offices, that walks students and parents through academic planning to help them achieve their post-high school education and career goals. For college-bound students, Westonka has a portfolio of AP courses—most recently adding AP Calculus BC and AP Physics to its offerings.

Visit the district's website to learn more about the award, get more details about the methodolog and to see a full listing of the rankings.