Jones High School is finally getting some respect. After being maligned by so many, it took an outside organization, notably Newsweek to give the school credit that it is so worthy of.
The annual “Top of the Class” list was just released by Newsweek magazine on its Web site. Thirteen Orange County high schools rank among the best 1,358 public high schools in the nation, according to Newsweek journalist Jay Mathews. Mathews uses a Challenge Index to rank schools. It’s calculated using the total number of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests taken at a school and dividing that figure by the number of graduating seniors. Mathews says this way large schools do not have an advantage over small schools. Schools that make the Newsweek list represent the top five percent of public high schools in the nation based on its Challenge Index criteria.
In 2007, 11 Orange County Public Schools made the list. This year Jones and Ocoee high schools earned their way onto the list bringing the OCPS total to 13 from among 16 eligible high schools.
“The rankings are a clear indicator of the emphasis we place on high level academic coursework in Orange County. We are extremely proud of our students and our schools,” said Superintendent Ronald Blocker.
