USCHS named among the nation's BEST high schools
Aug. 30, 2023
Ranked 642nd in the nation and 17th in Pennsylvania, Upper St. Clair is one of only six high schools in the region to rank among the top 25 in the commonwealth. Other top performing schools include Peters Township, Pittsburgh CAPA, Mt. Lebanon, Hampton and Fox Chapel Area high schools.
Dr. Timothy Wagner, Upper St. Clair High School principal, attributes the school’s success to its shared value of quality education among its many stakeholders.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have students, parents, teachers and community members who all partner together to create a world-class educational community,” he said. “Our students have opportunities within and beyond our classrooms to make authentic connections and to discover and nurture their interests and passions.”
The methodology takes a holistic approach to evaluating schools – focusing on six factors: college readiness (30%), state assessment proficiency (20%), state assessment performance (20%), underserved student performance (10%), college curriculum breadth (10%), and graduation rate (10%). College readiness measures participation and performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams.
According to the U.S. News, “The methodology for identifying the top-ranked Best High Schools was developed with a core principle in mind: that the top schools must serve all students well and must produce measurable academic outcomes that support this mission.”
This year, U.S. News adjusted its calculations to account for the cancellation of state testing in spring 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because assessment data from the 2019-2020 year was not available, U.S. News incorporated assessment results from both 2018-2019 and 2020-2021, depending on the availability for each state. For the AP and IB assessment data, U.S. News used scores from 2020-2021, the most recent school year for which this information was available.
By sharing this information, officials at U.S. News & World Report strive to recognize high-performing schools and inspire educators and municipalities to do better.
“At U.S. News, we believe that better education drives the future,” according to its website. “We rank high schools across the country to give an unbiased look at how well schools serve their students and help you make informed decisions about your child’s education.”
The first-ever list of the U.S. News Best High Schools was posted online on Nov. 30, 2007.