Newsweek: Arcadia High School Among Nation’s Best

Newsweek has named number 133 in its 2011 list of the 500 best high schools in America.

The honor should come as no surprise to those familiar with our local high school on Campus Drive; AHS boasts an impressive graduation rate of 99 percent with 95 percent of attendees matriculating to college.

Newsweek signed on a panel of experts—Wendy Kopp of Teach For America, Tom Vander Ark of Open Education Solutions (formerly executive director for education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), and Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford professor of education and founder of the School Redesign Network—to develop a methodology "that fully reflects a school’s success turning out college-ready (and life-ready) students."

A school’s score is based on six components: graduation rate (25 percent), college matriculation rate (25 percent), AP tests taken per graduate (25 percent), average SAT/ACT scores (10 percent), average AP/IB/AICE scores (10 percent), and AP courses offered (5 percent).

Read more about Newsweek’s methodology.

According to Newsweek, the School of Science and Engineering Magnet in Dallas tops the list as the best high school in the nation.

Nearby schools joining Arcadia High on the list include Diamond Bar High School at number 79, Temple City High School at number 203, and Crescenta Valley High School at number 214.

Read Newsweek’s complete list of America's Best High Schools for 2011.

We’ll have reaction from school officials, parents and students later. In the meantime, let us know in the comments what you think about Arcadia High’s honor.