North Shore School Among Wisconsin's Top High Schools: U.S. News

WISCONSIN — Of over 300 schools ranked in Wisconsin, Whitefish Bay High School is one of the top schools in the Badger State, according to a survey by U.S. News and World Report. The news service's list of high schools evaluated more than 17,800 schools across the U.S. this year.

Surveyors for the 2022 ranking looked at how the nation's public schools served all students, regardless of achievement level, by teaching them basic skills and preparing them for college, U.S. news said in a statement.

The rankings show how schools compare at the national, state and local levels on factors such as graduation rates and college readiness, making them a valuable resource to families.

Among those schools, Whitefish Bay High School ranked No. 3, while Eisenhower Middle and High School in New Berlin ranked No. 5, Carmen Schools of Science and Technology in Milwaukee ranked no. 10 and Brookfield East High School in Brookfield ranked no. 11.

The High School of Health Sciences in Wales ranked No. 1 and Cedarburg High School was the runner up for No. 2 in the survey.

"This is a reflection not only of the amazing team and culture we have built, but also of the hard work done everyday by our students," Carmen Schools CEO Jennifer Lopez told Patch. "We are focused on developing critical thinkers and self-directed learners who are prepared to thrive in college, careers, community and family life."

This year, the top 15 schools nationally are in 14 different states.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, was ranked No. 1 in the nation, as well as among magnet schools.

Here are the top 10 schools in this year’s national Best High Schools ranking:

1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology - Alexandria, Virginia
2. Academic Magnet High School - North Charleston, South Carolina
3. Signature School - Evansville, Indiana
4. School for Advanced Studies - Miami, Florida
5. Payton College Preparatory High School - Chicago, Illinois
6. The Davidson Academy of Nevada - Reno, Nevada
7. Central Magnet School - Murfreesboro, Tennessee
8. The School for the Talented and Gifted - Dallas, Texas
9. Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology - Lawrenceville, Georgia
10. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This year’s schools were ranked on six measures: college readiness, college curriculum breadth, state assessment performance, state assessment proficiency, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance and graduation rates.

The data used in this year’s ranking is from the 2019-20 academic school year. U.S. News adjusted its calculation of these measures to account for the impact COVID-19 had on schools in the 2019-20 school year.

Since most states closed schools for in-person instruction starting in March 2020 — typically just before most states conduct assessments — the U.S. Department of Education granted waivers allowing all states to forgo state testing for the 2019-20 school year.

To account for this, U.S. News relied on past assessment data from the
three prior ranking years. Researchers also incorporated state science assessment data from the 2018-19 school year.

Read more about the Best High Schools methodology.

In addition to the national rankings, U.S. News also published rankings at the state, metro area and school district levels. Only metro areas and school districts with three or more high schools were included in these subrankings.

Signature School in Indiana is at the top of the list for charter schools, and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia is the No. 1 magnet school. The Davidson Academy of Nevada is the top STEM school.