Engadine, Rudyard, and Cedarville high schools are recognized by U.S. News and World Report among "America's Best High Schools," Cedarville for the second year in a row.

The magazine analyzed some 21,000 high schools across the country and recognized more than 1,200 schools on three levels, gold, silver, and bronze, based on standardized test performance, proficiency rates of all students, including the least advantaged, and college preparatory curriculum. All three local schools were notified December 5 of their "Bronze Medal" status.

Schools that receive bronze status meet standardized test and student proficiency criteria, but offer fewer than 20 college preparatory courses, according to U.S. News' classifications.

Cedarville offers one on-site advanced placement (AP) class, calculus, but many college preparatory classes, like AP English composition, AP U.S. history, and AP psychology, are available to Cedarville students online through Michigan State University's Michigan Virtual High School (MVHS), principal Amy Scott said. This is an Internetbased learning program that connects students with teachers in Lansing via e-mail and instant messaging, and can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection.

"I'm working on trying to provide more college level courses for our students in hopes that next year it will not be a bronze, it will be silver," she said of the designation.

Rudyard Principal Mark Pavloski said Rudyard High School offers four college preparatory courses, AP biology, AP calculus, AP government, and AP chemistry, and hopes to add more in the next few years.

Stu Hobbs, superintendent of Engadine Schools, said two college ready courses are available to students on-site, and students there also take courses available through MVHS.

"Today bronze, tomorrow the silver or gold," Mr. Hobbs said.

Mr. Pavloski is excited to be recognized by the national publication.

"It's really nice to see your name in print," he said. "Positive PR in this day and age is so good, and I think that this is a feather in our cap as well as our students'."

Mrs. Scott, who thinks it's "very cool" to be recognized for a second year, said the recognition speaks to her school's high level of education, despite its current budget problems.

"Good programming doesn't always take high finance," she said. "It takes thought and it takes the best people to think outside the box. To think about what 21st century learning skills we want our students to possess when they walk out the door here."

Les Cheneaux Community Schools has a projected revenue deficit of $99,000. A community action group of concerned parents, teachers, and residents is trying to raise enough money in the "Fund the Future" campaign to combat the projected deficit, and increase student enrollment.

Of the 1,208 high schools recognized, half received bronze honors, while 504 received silver, and 100 received gold. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, was recognized as the best high school in the U.S. for the second year in a row, out of the 21,069 schools analyzed in 48 states.

A complete list of high schools recognized and details of methods to rank each school is available at www.usnews.com/highschools.