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All Fairfax County High Schools
Make Newsweek’s List Of
Top High Schools In America

All Fairfax County’s 23 high schools* have been designated as the most demanding public schools in the country and are featured in the June 2 issue of Newsweek in an article written by Washington Post education reporter Jay Mathews. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is the only large school district in the country to have every eligible high school on the list of “The Best High Schools in America.” Six Fairfax County schools were ranked in the top 100.

Mathews’ article is based on the Washington Post Challenge Index, which counts the number of Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) tests taken by all students at a school in 2002 divided by the number of graduating seniors. The index is designed to identify schools that challenge average students.

Woodson High School is the highest ranked Fairfax County public school in 22^nd place. Langley High ranks 30^th, Westfield High is 46^th, Robinson Secondary is 55^th, Chantilly is ranked 69^th, and Fairfax High is 86^th.

West Potomac High is ranked 102^nd, followed by Madison High at 107, Herndon High at 109, Lake Braddock Secondary at 110, Falls Church High at 120, Oakton High at 135, West Springfield High at 137, Hayfield Secondary at 140, McLean High at 142, Centreville High at 166, Marshall High at 173, Stuart High at 217, Mount Vernon High at 288, South Lakes High at 384, Edison High at 402, Lee High at 525, and Annandale High at 590.

We know we are doing an outstanding job educating Fairfax County’s children,” said FCPS Superintendent Daniel A. Domenech. “Having those efforts recognized is gratifying. Knowing we are providing one of the best educational experiences in the country is even more gratifying.”

Based on the 2003 Challenge Index rankings, the schools on the list are in the top four percent of all American high schools measured for their student participation in AP or IB exams.

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*Note: Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, which serves students across the region, was not included in the list because of its selective admissions process. The article can be found online at http://www.msnbc.com/news/NW-front_Front.asp?0nw=n20. For more information, contact the FCPS director of communications Kitty Porterfield at 703-246-2877.