Q: What is Maryland's best high school?
A: It depends on how you define best.
By Karen Mawdsley
CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE
Many websites rank high schools in Maryland, using factors like teacher quality and test scores. What they don't tell you: Minor changes in how those factors are prioritized -- or weighted -- can lead to big changes in a school's ranking.
In the list below, we've given equal weighting to four factors: graduation rate (higher is better), the percentage of students passing the state High School Assessment exam (higher is better), the student-teacher ratio (lower is better), and number of advanced placement courses (higher is better).
Use the sliders below the rankings to change the priority placed on one or more of the factors. At least 10 different Maryland high schools can claim to be the best, depending on the weights used.
Maryland High School Ranking
Customize the Rankings
The default rankings assign equal weight to each of the four factors. Assign new weights by dragging the sliders. The table will automatically refresh.
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Sources and Methodology
Sources:
All datasets used in the ranking calculations are the most recent ones available. Graduation rate data are from the 2013 Maryland Report Card and are calculated based on a four-year adjusted cohort. The state's High School Assessment data — also from the 2013 Maryland Report Card — are based on grade 12 students' performance on three tests: algebra, biology and English. HSAs are designed to measure student and school progress on state learning goals. Pupil-teacher ratio information comes from 2011-12 National Center for Education Statistics data and depicts the number of students enrolled per one teacher employed. Data on Advance Placement courses offered are from the U.S. Department of Education 2011-12 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Methodology:
CNS gathered data from a variety of sources accounting for several sectors of schools' academic performance. The data used in calculating the rankings have been normalized, and the data displayed in the table show the actual figures. The rankings assume higher numbers of AP classes offered and higher graduation and HSA pass rates are better and lower pupil-teacher ratios are more desirable.
Under HSA pass rates and graduation rates, cells depicting ">=95.0" mean the school scored anywhere from 95 to 100 percent in that area; there is no further breakdown.
By no means is this a definitive ranking list; CNS acknowledges there are numerous factors, many of which are qualitative, that determine how well a school serves its students' needs. Additionally, the school experience is not solely based on academics but rather a multitude of elements. Even within academics, the factors used in these calculations aren not the only relevant ones, and standardized data collection methods don't necessarily capture the full picture.