Ann Sobrato High School was among the top 100 high schools in California, according to recently released U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 Best High School Rankings.
The Morgan Hill Unified School District school was awarded a silver medal for its accomplishment as the 99th best in the state out of a pool of 2,100. Sobrato was also ranked 585th among 20,500 public high schools evaluated across the country by the U.S. News & World Report.
“This recognition means a lot to our staff and students who work so hard every day,” Sobrato Principal Courtney Macko said. “Increasing our rank from No. 130 to No. 99 is an enormous accomplishment and illustrates the commitment of our students to achieving their academic goals with the support of an amazing staff.”
Live Oak High School, which went unranked, did not crack the top 500.
In Gilroy, Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy earned a gold medal with rankings of 23rd in state and 172nd nationally; Gilroy High School got a silver medal with rankings of 480th in state and 2,451st nationally; and Christopher High School went unranked. San Benito High School also did not make the list.
The purpose of the rankings was “to identify schools that best serve all of their students – including historically underserved populations—and assess the degree to which students are prepared for college-level coursework,” according to the report.
Schools are awarded gold, silver or bronze medals based on their performance on state assessments, graduation rates and how well they prepare students for college.
Sobrato, which opened in 2004, serves 1,477 ninth through 12th grade students with a 23 to 1 teacher-to-student ratio, according to the report. The student body is made up of 52 percent male and 48 percent female with 63 percent minority enrollment.
The school received a “College Readiness Score” of 55.3 out of 100 with 74 percent Advanced Placement participation rate, according to the findings. It has a 94 percent graduation rate.
The top four high schools in the U.S. News & World Report state rankings were Whitney High School in Cerritos, Oxford Academy in Cypress, Stockton Collegiate International Secondary and KIPP San Jose Collegiate.
“Top-ranked schools succeed in three main areas: exceeding expectations on state proficiency tests, offering challenging coursework and graduating their students,” said Anita Narayan, managing editor of Education at U.S. News. “We encourage parents to use the Best High Schools rankings and data to research which schools in their state and nationwide are ensuring students are well-equipped for the future.”
The rankings, which can be viewed online at usnews.com, feature data on a number of factors, including enrollment, graduation rates, diversity, participation in free and reduced-price lunch programs and the results of state assessments, as well as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate test data.
