Do High School Rankings Mean Anything?

Over the past couple of weeks, several sources — both local and national — have issued their rankings of high schools in Rhode Island.

And while it may be an accomplishment to be named the state's top high school by one group, parents and students may be left scratching their heads when they read other results.

Take Smithfield High School, for example.

GoLocalProv.com named the home of the Sentinels number 22 out of 49 in Rhode Island — and The Daily Beast didn't include it at all in its national rankings.

And the advocacy group RI-CAN listed Smithfield fifth out of 39 school districts in school performance.

In the end, the question remains for parents of current — and future — high school students: Do these rankings mean anything?

What do you think?

Are the rankings for your high school fair? What do you think they say about the community? Should high schools be ranked the same way as colleges have been?

Does a student from a 15th-ranked school actually get a poorer-quality education than someone attending a high school ranked in the top 5? 

Have your say in the comments section below.