Manheim Township ranks among nation's best high schools
By ROBYN MEADOWS, Staff
Lancaster New Era
Published: Jan 31, 2008 11:25 AM EST
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. - Manheim Township High School has no immediate worries about losing its crown as the county's academic powerhouse.
It has the top scores on standardized tests among Lancaster County's 16 public high schools.
And now Manheim Township has made the 2008 list of America's Best High Schools, according to U.S. News & World Report.
"I can't tell you how proud I am for our school and for our community and how satisfying it is that all of the hard work that people have done for so many years is being recognized," Principal Dave Hanna said.
While typically known for an annual list of top colleges, the 2008 list is the first time U.S. News & World Report has ventured into evaluating the performance of the nation's public high schools.
The analysis spanned more than 18,750 public high schools in 40 states, narrowing it to the top 505 schools, assigning gold, silver and bronze medals. Manheim Township earned a silver medal.
The 10 states not included were left out because their test scores were not available.
This is how top schools made the cut:
They have performance levels in reading and math on their state's assessment test that exceed statistical expectations given the school's relative poverty level.
They have achieved proficiency rates on state tests for their least advantaged students - Hispanic, black and those living in poverty - that exceed state averages.
They are preparing students for college, according to student participation in and performance on Advanced Placement tests.
Manheim Township High is one of 21 high schools in Pennsylvania to make the list. It is the only one in Lancaster County. The report looks at data from the 2006 school year.
"I think it reflects first of all, the quality of students we have, and I think it reflects the fact that we have a terrific faculty and an incredible curriculum," said Garrett Woznicki, who has taught English at Manheim Township High for 21 years.
Hanna says what makes this academic feat special is that U.S. News & World Report compared Manheim Township High to other suburban schools with the same demographics. So it's an apples-to-apples comparison.
U.S. News & World Report teamed up with School Evaluation Services, the company that analyzes education data for schoolmatters.com, to complete the study.
The U.S. News & World Report issue with the ranking actually hit the newsstand last month. Manheim Township school officials had no idea the school was in there until someone in the district stumbled across the magazine, Hanna said.
"This is unbelievable," Hanna said. "We had no idea ..."
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