Darien High ranked top high school in state
DARIEN — The local high school has been ranked top in the state as per U.S. News rankings released Tuesday. Last year, Darien ranked number three on the list.
U.S. News said approximately 17,860 public high schools were ranked in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The ranking methodology uses state education data from the 2018-19 school year.
The six indicators, according to U.S. News, include college readiness, college curriculum, math and reading proficiency, math and reading performance, under-served student performance and graduation rate.
U.S. News ranked schools based on an overall percentile score between zero and 100, it reported.
According to U.S. News, the AP participation rate at Darien High School is 69 percent. The total minority enrollment is 13 percent, and 3 percent of students are economically disadvantaged.
With a total point score of 98.87 out of 100, Darien is also ranked No. 1 in Bridgeport metro-area high schools. In the country, Darien comes in at number 201, and Darien is ranked 100 in STEM high schools.
Darien’s graduation rate is 99 percent, which U.S. News reports is well above state median. The school ranks six in the state in both college readiness index and college curriculum breadth index. The school ranks No. 1 in math and reading proficiency and 12 in math and reading performance.
Rounding out the top five high schools in Connecticut are Marine Science Magnet High School of Southeastern in Groton, Weston High School, Staples High School in Westport, and New Canaan High School.
Rankings six through 10 are Wilton High School, Greenwich High School, Ridgefield High School, Connecticut IB Academy in East Hartford, and Conard High School in West Hartford.
The top two high schools in the country remained the same — Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia with an overall score of 100, and Academic Magnet High School in South Carolina.
“Congratulations to our students, teachers, administrators, school board and community for their dedication and support for public education and this year’s #1 U.S. News ranking for Darien High School,” First Selectman Jayme Stevenson said Tuesday.
Schools Superintendent Alan Addley said the recent high school ranking “reflects the hard work of the staff, greater school community and Board of Education in continually providing the highest quality education to our students.”
“It is also a reflection of the caliber of our students and their dedication and hard work and abilities,” Addley added. “... The news is especially encouraging in a year of significant challenges and it reflects one part of greater portfolio of quality academic, extracurricular and athletics experiences that the school district provides our students.”