STILLMAN VALLEY – Annually, US News and World Reports conducts an exhaustive study to determine the best high schools in the United States.
For the first time in school history, Stillman Valley High School has been recognized among this elite group for two consecutive years. This honor caps off a tremendously successful two-years at Stillman Valley High School which includes being recognized as a School of Opportunity for its commitment to serving the whole child. The combination of earning these two elite honors is incredible for SVHS and Meridian CUSD 223.
To be awarded such an honor, a school must be determined to have students performing better than statistically expected for the average student in the state. US News and World Reports begins by examining the reading and math results for all students on each state's high school proficiency tests. They then factor in the percentage of economically disadvantaged students (who tend to score lower) enrolled at the school to identify the schools that were performing better than statistical expectations.
For those schools that made it past this first step, the second step determined whether the school's least-advantaged students were performing better than average for similar students in the state. Next, schools must have a graduation rate above 80 percent to stay within the process. The fourth step is based on college-readiness performance – using Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate test data as the benchmark for success. AP is a College Board program and IB is an International Baccalaureate (IB) program; both offer college-level courses at high schools across the country.
In total, U.S. News and World Report ranked the 2,711 highest-scoring schools as winners of Gold or Silver recognition.
Principal Leslie Showers noted that it was an honor to serve with faculty and staff that both value academic excellence while serving the whole child.
“This is an incredible honor for the whole district,” said Superintendent Dr. PJ Caposey. “The teachers in our elementary schools fed into this process and provided the groundwork for these noted successes at the high school level. I am exceedingly proud of the work that is being done throughout our district and happy our students and faculty are being recognized on a national level for their efforts.”
