Washington Post: HoCo High Schools Prepare More Students for College

Two public high schools attended by Elkridge students are leading the way when it comes to preparing students for college, according to the Washington Post.

 and High Schools made it to the Post’s High School Challenge Index, a list that aims to quantify how well a school prepares all students, not just the top tier, for school after graduation. 

Post columnist Jay Mathews said public schools were not letting “average students” take college-level courses when he began looking at the statistics more than 10 years ago. “Research and common sense suggested that C students would learn much and be readier for college if they also took [Advanced Placement courses], but few schools appreciated that,” he said.

And so, 13 years ago, he began aggregating information on certain college-level tests: the AP exam, the International Baccalaureate and later, the Advanced International Certificate of Education.

The number of students who take the test divided by the number of graduating seniors results in the High School Challenge Index score. Mathews said he believes “every school should reach a ratio of at least 1.0—that is, as many college-level tests taken as diplomas issued.”

Howard High School is 88th on the list with an index of 1.984, up from its spot last year at 122 with a ratio of 1.494.

Long Reach High School ranked 142 with an index of 1, up from last year's ranking of 166 with a ratio of .754.

The complete list of D.C. area schools can be found online, and for the first year, the Washington Post has also published a national High School Challenge Index, which can be found here.