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May 11, 2018
USC named among the 2018 Best High Schools
Upper St. Clair High School ranks among the top high schools in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report. The newspaper released its list of 2018 Best High Schools on May 9, 2018.
According to the U.S. News & World Report’s website, “the U.S. News rankings include data on more than 20,500 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Schools were awarded gold, silver or bronze medals based on their performance on state assessments and how well they prepare students for college.”
Ranked 16th in Pennsylvania and fourth in Allegheny County, Upper St. Clair High School was recognized with a Silver Medal by U.S. News & World Report. Of the commonwealth’s 576 public high schools, 184 were recognized in this year’s list of “Best High Schools.” Nationally, Upper St. Clair ranks 800 out of 20,548 high schools in the nation – among the top four percent.
“It’s certainly an honor to be listed among the best schools in the nation. The Best High Schools designation affirms that our students are achieving at a high level on Pennsylvania’s Keystone Exams as well as on AP and IB exams, which is one aspect of how we measure excellence in Upper St. Clair,” Dr. Patrick T. O’Toole, superintendent of schools, said. “Equally important are the myriad of programs that our students have to pursue their passions in the fine and applied arts as well as opportunities to develop skills in leadership and collaboration.”
Dr. Louis Angelo, Upper St. Clair High School principal, attributes the school’s overall success to a shared commitment to quality education.
“It’s really amazing what you can accomplish when there is a shared mission and vision,” Dr. Angelo said. “We are so fortunate to have a student-centered learning environment where students, teachers, staff, administrators and families work collaboratively to provide quality academic, arts, athletic and social-emotional opportunities for all.”
U.S. News & World Report used a four-step process to determine its list of the Best High Schools.- Step 1: The first step determined whether each school's students were performing better than statistically expected for students in that state, given their student poverty levels (based on number of students who qualify for free/reduced lunch).
- Step 2: For schools passing the first step, the second step assessed whether their least-advantaged students performed at or better than the state average for these student groups.
- Step 3: Schools must have achieved a graduation rate of at least 80 percent.
- Step 4: Schools that made it through the first three steps became eligible to be judged nationally on the final step – college readiness. A College Readiness Index was calculated based on the school’s participation and performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams.
By sharing this information, the organization hopes that parents across the country will be armed with objective information to help them make better-informed decisions about their child's education.
“The Best High Schools rankings identify the country's top-performing public high schools,” Robert Morse, chief data strategist for U.S. News & World Report, said. “The goal is to provide a clear, unbiased picture of how well public schools serve all of their students – from the highest to lowest achieving – in preparing them to demonstrate proficiency in basic skills as well as readiness for college-level work.”
The first-ever list of the U.S. News Best High Schools was posted online on Nov. 30, 2007.
“Since U.S. News & World Report’s editors believe high schools are among America’s most important institutions, adding the Best High Schools to the U.S. News rankings was a natural progression,” Mr. Morse said. “Education drives the country's future. Recognizing schools that are performing well and providing them as models to other schools will inspire educators and communities to do better.”
