For the 11th time, Bradford Area High School has earned high rankings in 2023-2024 Best High Schools, which U.S. News released on Wednesday. The school ranked in the top 100 across the state and earned a top 40% ranking in the nation.
“We are among the top 12% of high schools in the United States and top 11% of high schools in Pennsylvania,” David Ray, principal of Bradford Area High School, said after the results were released.
According to the report, 665 Pennsylvania and 17,680 nationwide high schools were scored. BAHS ranked 81st in Pennsylvania and 2,125th nationally for 2023-24.
U.S. News reported the following methodology in ranking: “U.S. News ranked approximately 17,680 public high schools out of nearly 25,000 reviewed… The overall scores depict how well each school did on a national percentile basis.”
The indicators include: College Readiness, 10%; College Curriculum Breadth, 10%; State Assessment Proficiency, 20%; State Assessment Performance, 20%; Underserved Student Performance, 10%; and Graduation Rate, 10%.
The highest ranking factor for BAHS was the State Assessment Performance Rank, which is how aggregated scores on state assessments compare with U.S. News’ expectations given the proportions of students who are Black, Hispanic and from low-income households. Bradford ranked 22nd in the state, and tied at 559th nationally.
BAHS enrollment of students includes a 50/50 split in gender, 7.7% total population of minority students, and is categorized as 100% economically disadvantaged. The performance ratings of underserved students as proficient was 71.2% compared to the 86.2% of non-underserved students at the same proficiency — a difference of 16%.
The results also indicate that BAHS performed “well above expectations” relative to U.S. News expectations on the state-administered Keystone End-of-Course Exams in reading, math, and science for 2019.
“These rankings measure the college and career readiness of our students based on their academic achievement. We are ranked as a ‘best school’ not just because of state testing scores and graduation rates,” Ray said. “We received this ranking because we offer a broad based, challenging curriculum that includes not only options like Career & Technical Education but also Advanced Placement Courses that allow students to earn college credits while they are in high school. By offering a full range of Advanced Placement opportunities, our students have the chance to be challenged and to be better prepared for post-secondary education and careers after high school.”
On the College Curriculum Breadth Index Rank, which looks at the proportions of 12th graders who took and passed AP and IB exams in multiple areas where more exams are valued higher than fewer exams up to a maximum of four, and passing an exam is worth three times more than taking; the school is ranked 80th and 2,631st.
BAHS is ranked 111th in the state and 3,683 nationally on the College Readiness Index Rank, which looks at the proportions of 12th graders who took and passed at least one AP or IB exam, where passing is worth three times more than just taking.
For the State Assessment Proficiency Rank, aggregated scores on math, reading and oftentimes science state assessments that students may be required to pass for graduation were used to determine BAHS’s rank of 153rd statewide and tied nationally at 3,948th.
With all the above going so well in the school’s favor, one factor unfortunately, dropped the calculation for BAHS. For the Graduation Rate Rank, the proportion of entering ninth graders who graduated four academic years later, the school ranked 566th and 14,980th.
The BAHS scorecard states the school has an 82% graduation rate, received a score of 31.2 in college readiness, and has an enrollment of 739 students in 9-12 grade.
The school ranked above BAHS in Pennsylvania is Nazareth Area High School in Nazareth. With 1,576 students enrolled in 9-12 grade, the school has a 94% graduation rate and scored 34 in college readiness. Below BAHS by one placement is Pittsburgh Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh. With a graduation rate of 92%, the 1,415 enrolled students who make up the student body, grades 9-12, achieved a college readiness score of 41.4.
Nationally, the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in Sudbury, Mass., is ranked one place above BAHS. Their scorecard boasts a 98% graduation rate, 36.3 score in college readiness, and an enrollment of 1,509 students in 9-12 grade. One place in the national ranking below BAHS is Hinsdale South High School in Darien, Ill. with a graduation rate of 86%, college readiness score of 37.2 and enrollment of 1,350 students in 9-12 grade.
Ray thanked all of the teachers, staff, and administrators as well as the Bradford community as a whole, “If it wasn’t for the support that the community has for its schools, this couldn’t have happened.”
