Local Schools Make U.S. News and World Report List

Brimley, Cedarville, DeTour, and Mackinaw City high schools made a U.S. News and World Report list of the best high schools in the United States.

The list was published in the national magazine's November 29 issue, which ranked the schools in gold, silver, and bronze medal categories. The four Eastern Upper Peninsula schools received bronze medal status.

This is the first time the magazine has rated high schools to show which schools prepare their students best for college, based on test scores.

The four schools mentioned have posted better than the state average test scores, at least for the 2005-2006 school year, which was used to rate schools for the report.

There were 100 gold medal schools, 405 silver medal schools, and 1,086 bronze medal schools nationwide. Michigan had no gold medal schools, 13 silver medal schools, and 70 bronze medal schools.

U.S. News and World Report analyzed data from 18,790 public high schools in 40 states.

The analysis determined whether each school's students were performing better in reading and mathematics than statistically expected for the average student in their state. Scores also include the percentage of economically disadvantaged students (who tend to score lower, the report said) enrolled at the school, and Advanced Placement (AP) test data as a benchmark for success.

The scoring process established a "college readiness index" based on the number of students who take AP courses and how well students score on AP tests. AP courses and tests contain college level material.

The report and ratings are designed to find schools that seem to be closing the gap between rich and poor through education, the report said.

Therefore the scoring process considers "economic disadvantage" to show whether schools are providing a good education for all, not just for wealthier students and the college-bound, who tend to score better in standardized tests.

To make the list, schools had to demonstrate they provide a good education across their entire student body, and they must be preparing students for post-secondary opportunities, according to U.S. News and World Report.

In 2005, the mean annual earnings were about $20,000 for a high school dropout, but $54,000 for someone with a bachelor's degree. The magazine's survey predicts those differences are growing wider as the economy becomes more based on knowledge and skills.

In 1975, a high school dropout earned about half as much as a college graduate, compared to about one third today, the report noted.