Three from Fulton named to U.S. News & World Report’s “Best High Schools” list

Three high schools in Fulton County are among the nation’s best high schools according to U.S. News & World Report’s recently released survey.

According to the 2012 report, Northview High School and Riverwood International Charter School are respectively ranked #4 and #5 in Georgia, earning each a gold medal designation and a place among the magazine’s rankings of top schools. Nationally, Northview is ranked #219 and Riverwood is #291 out of nearly 5,000 public high schools.

Though the bronze category is not eligible for a ranking, Tri-Cities High School also received national recognition with a bronze medal for its academic performance.

“Being acknowledged nationally by U.S. News & World Report says a great deal about Fulton’s educational programs and our ability to prepare students for a future beyond high school,” said Superintendent Robert Avossa. “This shows that our high schools are not only the best in Georgia, but also the best in the United States.”

In total, U.S. News nationally ranked 4,877 highest-scoring schools as gold, silver or bronze in its 2012 rankings. To establish its ranking index, the magazine examined performance on state tests, Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams, and also looked for schools that performed better than the state average for their least advantaged students. In addition, strong ratings in teacher-student ratios, college readiness, and math and English scores helped determine the schools’ rankings.

Gold medal high schools are the top 500 high schools meeting the magazine’s performance criteria. Schools ranked 501 through 2,008 are named silver medal schools, and an additional 2,869 high schools were awarded bronze medals.

For more information on the national ranking, visit www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools.