@BlogKCSeveral local schools have made a new list of the nation’s top public schools, as ranked by Newsweek magazine. The list is topped by two urban core schools far from the suburban districts that conventional wisdom would put higher up. Here is how the local schools rank on the list of 1300. The rankings are largely based how many students are in Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate programs.
175. Sumner Academy, KCK’s college prep magnet
370. Hogan Prep, KCMO, former Catholic school, now a public charter school
534. Blue Valley Northwest, Overland Park
556. Park Hill, KCMO Northland
563. Blue Valley North, Overland Park
634. Blue Valley, Stillwell
891. Blue Valley West, Overland Park
Some notable absences from the list… Lincoln Prep, KCMO’s college prep magnet; the three Lee’s Summit high schools, which all have strong I.B. programs; and the five Shawnee Mission high schools, the former Rolls Royce of suburban Kansas schools.
I e-mailed the main author of the list a couple years ago to see why those noted schools were not on the list. Their response was that those schools are deducted large amounts of points for not requiring students in AP classes take the AP tests.