RI’s Top High Schools 2011: Who Moved Up, Who Moved Down?
Monday, May 09, 2011
Toll Gate, Davies Career and Technical High School, The Met School and Beacon Charter High School for the Arts all saw large gains in GoLocalProv’s second annual ranking of Rhode Island’s public schools, thanks in part to much improved performances on the NECAP tests.
There was, however, a shakeup in the top five. While East Greenwich remained the top high school in Rhode Island, Block Island School and surprising, Classical High School, each fell out of the top six. Barrington High School, which finished No. 4 last year, dropped in this year’s ranking. (Block Island School could not provide enough data to satisfy the needs of the ranking formula, and therefore was eliminated from the process this year).
The large improvements by some schools are reflective of the entire state’s improvement on the NECAP tests. Results from the 2010 test showed a six point jump in math proficiency among high school students and a three point just in reading. In total, the state’s proficiency rate was at 33 percent in math and 76 percent in reading.
Toll Gate’s Improvement
The big winner this year is Warwick’s Toll Gate High School, which jumped 13 spots from No. 21 a year ago to No. 8 in 2011. This puts Toll Gate among the elite high schools in the state and NECAP played a major role.
In one year, reading proficiency at Toll Gate jumped from 65 percent to 90 percent and NECAP scores improved across the board. In math, the students went from 22 percent proficiency up to 38, and in writing, proficiency increased by 46 percent.
Jumps In Math and Writing
Last year, Davies Career and Technical High School had an average proficiency level in reading (75 percent), but struggled in both math and writing. Now the school has jumped from No. 25 in GoLocalProv’s top high school rankings to No. 14 on the list thanks to much improved performances in all categories.
The school actually raised its proficiency level by double digits in all three categories and increased its scores on all three portions of the SAT. Davies is clearly on the rise.
The Met and Beacon Charter
In 2010, The Met and Beacon Charter finished No. 40 and 41 respectively. This year, each school finished near the top 30, with the Met improving to No. 32 and Beacon Charter jumping to No. 34.
Again, both schools can thank the NECAP for their improvements. The Met jumped in proficiency on all portions of the test, but math was where they saw their biggest increase. Last year, the proficiency level was just 5 percent; this year it tripled to 15 percent.
Beacon Charter had one of the best improvements of any school in the entire state on its NECAP tests. The school jumped at least 20 points math, reading and writing. In math, nearly 50 percent of 11th graders test proficient, up from 17 percent a year ago.
Classical’s Downturn
Providence’s Classical High School remains one of the elite high schools in the state. But despite improvements on two of the three portions of the NECAP, the school actually dropped in GoLocal’s rankings from No. 6 last year to No. 10 in 2011.
The reason: Quite simply, other schools saw larger improvements.
Classical had a dip in its math proficiency on the NECAP, dropping from 58 percent proficient to 49 percent proficient.
On the bright side for Providence’s top high school, Classical students continue to do well on the SAT. Students improved on all three portions of the test, including 10 point jumps in both math and verbal.
To see GoLocal's chart of all 51 schools, ranked and with data, go here.
For a downloadable, printable version of RI's Top High Schools 2011, with the full chart of rankings and summaries of key articles, click here.
Related Articles
- RI’s #4 School: South Kingstown High School
- RI’s #5 School: Barrington High School
- CHART: RI’s High Schools, from #1 to #51
- RI’s #6 School: Middletown High School
- RI’s Top High Schools 2011: How We Got the Rankings
- RI’s #7 School: Lincoln Senior High School
- RI’s Top High Schools 2011: The Link Between Schools and Home Values
- RI’s #8 School: Toll Gate High School
- RI’s #1 School: East Greenwich High School
- RI’s #9 School: Westerly High School
- RI’s #2 School: Narragansett High School
- RI’s #10 School: Classical High School
- RI’s #3 School: Exeter-West Greenwich Senior High School
