Top High Schools
 
We bring you the chart. We bring you the winners. We tell you how we did it and why we did it that way. Welcome to the first all-Northern Virginia ranking of public high schools.

By Jan Maxwell with Forrest Glenn Spencer

Public High Schools Performance Review

How do Northern Virginia's public high schools compare to the rest of the state and to the nation as a whole? Look at the numbers. Eighty-one percent of our 2005 graduates headed off to college, handily beating the state average of seventy-three percent.

The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) results are even better. Northern Virginia's 2005 average math and verbal scores beat both the state and the national averages by double-digits. Obviously, our schools are doing something right. But how do our area's high schools compare to one another? Is one district better than the rest? What schools do the best job of preparing their students for the rigors of college? Who has the best graduation rates and Standards of Learning (SOL) scores?

To answer questions like these, Northern Virginia magazine undertook its first comprehensive review of the area's public high schools. We covered a geographic area that included 13 school districts, from Fairfax County to the city of Fredericksburg, encompassing 59 public high schools and over 115,000 students. Since the majority of Northern Virginia's graduating seniors go to college, we concentrated on academics. We looked at math and verbal SAT scores, Advanced Placement (AP) participation rates, and the percentage of students receiving advanced diplomas. Learning environments are also important, so we gathered student/teacher ratios and dollars spent per child.

In all, we collected and sorted data on 12 different variables, then ranked the area's high schools accordingly.

What did we discover?
First, although there are winners and losers in any ranking system, Northern Virginia's public high schools as a whole are working hard to educate their students. Because a school ranked at the lower end of the spectrum does not mean that it's failing.

For example, although it placed 54th in our ranking, Arlington's Wakefield High School was recognized by the College Board this year as one of America's Most Improved High Schools because it'sets high expectations & and provides the support and inspiration for students to take on and succeed in challenging courses.

At the other end of the spectrum, there's the question of including Thomas Jefferson High School in our comparison. Although other ranking systems may exclude TJ because it selects its students, it is a member of the Northern Virginia public school system and is supported by our tax dollars. We are lucky to have such a wonderful school in our area and we included it.

Second, when we looked at the top five high schools in Northern Virginia, we found a pattern. These successful schools all shared similar traits: involved parents, a strong academic environment, and students who had high expectations for themselves. We profiled the top five, and you will see how the principals describe what makes their individual schools so great.

Third, just because a school has problems, it is not destined to fail. Read our piece on Mel Riddile, outgoing principal of J.E.B. Stuart High School. He found a number of problems when he took Stuart's helm in 1997, but he and his staff worked hard and turned the school around, giving them a very respectable ranking of 26th on our list. Mel Riddile's accomplishments at Stuart earned him the 2006 Metlife/NASSP High School Principal of the Year award.

Fourth, we found that Northern Virginia is filled with success stories. We've interviewed teachers who make a difference, and outstanding students who benefit from all that our area's high schools offer. Their stories will give you a glimpse into how education really works in Northern Virginia. And you'll discover, as we did, that our area's educational success is truly the result of the hard work and wonderful spirit of all of our students.

HOW WE RANKED THE SCHOOLS
Who Was Included
Northern Virginia magazine compiled information on 12 different variables for 59 public high schools.

The schools we considered came from the following 13 districts:
Alexandria City Public Schools, Arlington County Public Schools, Clarke County Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, Falls Church City Schools, Fauquier County Public Schools, Fredericksburg City Public Schools, Loudoun County Public Schools, Manassas City Public Schools, Manassas Park City Schools, Prince William County Public Schools, Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Stafford County Public Schools.

Due to the lack of available data, we did not include any public high schools that opened in 2003 or later. Those schools are: Battlefield (Prince William County), Briar Woods (Loudoun County), Dominion (Loudoun County), Freedom (Loudoun County), Freedom (Prince William County), Mountain View (Stafford County), South County Secondary (Fairfax County).

We also did not consider any alternative high schools in our calculations.

WHAT VARIABLES WERE CONSIDERED
We looked at nine academic factors and three factors that we labeled "environment."

The environment variables were Fiscal Year 2006 spending per child (a district-wide figure), FY06 classroom teacher/student ratio (a district-wide figure), and the number of serious incidents that each school reported to the state. The most recent data available for incident reporting was for the 2003-2004 school year.

The academic variables we used were compiled individually for each school. They are: 2005 SAT Verbal (mean); 2005 SAT Math (mean); 2005 percent of Students Taking Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate/Cambridge Tests; 2005 percent of AP/IB/Cambridge Tests Receiving College Credit, 2005 percent of Students Receiving Advanced Diplomas; 2005 percent of Students Passing Advanced Reading SOL; 2005 percent of Students Passing Advanced Math SOL; 2005 percent of Students Passing Advanced History SOL; 2005 percent of Students Passing Advanced Science SOL.

WHERE WE GOT OUR DATA
We gathered information from a wide variety of sources, using the most recent data that was available. Special thanks go out to all the school districts and individual high schools that took the time to provide us with the information we needed, and to the Department of Education in Richmond.

In addition to the individual schools and school districts, our sources included: The Virginia School Report Card, The Washington Area Boards of Education, The College Board, The International Baccalaureate organization, The Cambridge Organization, The Virginia High School League.

In the few cases where a school was missing a piece of data, we used either the district average or the latest information available for that school.

WHAT ANALYSIS WE USED
We decided on a simple ranking method. The data for each variable was sorted from lowest to highest. Points were then assigned to each school based on how they performed under each variable. For example, the school with the lowest SAT verbal mean score received a "1" for that variable, while the school that had the highest SAT verbal score received the most number of points.

The variables for teacher/student ratio and serious incident reporting were sorted from highest to lowest, with the greatest number of points going to the schools that reported no serious incidents and had the lowest teacher/student ratio.

The points for the 12 variables were then tallied and the schools were ranked based on their total number of points. This methodology does not tell you by what degree one school is better than another, but rather that one school simply performed better than another when looking at our specific variables. Many factors contribute to the success or failure of a school, and this ranking did not take into consideration such variables as teacher qualifications or the number of disadvantaged students that a school serves.

Top 5 High Schools
 
Never mind the booming enrollment stats. Forget about the astronomical test scores. What makes these schools great are the students, faculty and community that make advanced education a top priority. And nobody knows it better than the principals tasked with steering our kids down the road to a better tomorrow.

Thomas Jefferson High School

Summers at Thomas Jefferson High School are just as busy as any other time of the year. Teenagers fill the classrooms and the state-of-the-art research labs, taking credit and enrichment courses. Rising eighth and ninth graders participate in the Summer Technology Institute, receiving hands-on instruction on topics ranging from biotechnology to global navigation.

Thomas Jefferson High School / Photography by Morgan Howarth

While other kids may be hitting the beach, students at TJ are hitting the books, and that is one of the reasons that Thomas Jefferson is one of the most successful secondary schools in the country.

Founded in 1985 as part of Virginia's Governor's Schools Program, Thomas Jefferson High School is a magnet school whose students specialize in math, science and technology.

While it primarily draws its students from Fairfax County, it also welcomes students from surrounding areas. Acceptance to TJ is extremely competitive, with only one in five applicants admitted.

According to retiring principal Elizabeth Lodal, successful applicants share a number of traits.

"They're self-starters who appreciate and thrive on competition. The majority of them are used to being the best and brightest in their class and they have excellent time management and organizational skills."

Thomas Jefferson is known for its strenuous academics. It is home to numerous National Merit semifinalists, and nearly 100 percent of its AP test-takers are awarded with college credit.

But there is more to TJ than just reading, writing and all things advanced math.

Lodal says that Thomas Jefferson "is a comprehensive American high school where students have a hard time putting boundaries on their interests."

Students are encouraged to spend time exploring the arts, competing in sports, and finding common interests at the wide variety of clubs that are offered.

TJ expects a lot of its students, says Lodal, but it's also "energetic, creative, wonderful and fun." That combination makes TJ the number one public high school in Northern Virginia.

Langley High School

What puts Langley in the top tier of Northern Virginia high schools? According to its principal, Bill Clendaniel, excellence is a tradition at Langley, and he believes that the school's success is the result of several factors.

Langley High School / Photography by Morgan Howarth

It starts with Langley's incredible parent participation. Clendaniel says the school's Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) and Boosters are among the area's best. His "Mom Squad" gets involved and stays involved, looking for innovative ways to help both students and teachers.

"It's essential that parents are committed to making sure their kids succeed," Clendaniel says, and Langley parents do exactly that.

Hiring and retaining wonderful teachers is the second part of the equation. Langley has a strong mentoring program for its teachers, and the school works hard to help them be successful.

Langley teachers have a reputation for being hard, but fair, and expecting a lot from their students.

The last, and most important piece, is the students themselves. "We have smart, driven, committed kids," Clendaniel says. "They have strong expectations for themselves that are shared and fostered by everyone here."

Clendaniel himself is one of the keys to the school's success, says Vicky Thompson, whose three children have gone through Langley. "Bill takes an interest in everything. He shows up at every event, he listens to what parents have to say, and he takes the time to know each individual. I think that really makes a difference."

Thompson says her children's years at Langley prepared them for college work. "The teachers are tough, but my kids learned a lot and got a great education."

McLean High School

"My job is to get McLean students ready for life," says principal Paul Wardinski, and that means insuring that academics, sports and extracurricular activities all play a part in their education.

McLean High School / Photography by Morgan Howarth

"We want to teach the whole student," says Wardinski, so McLean provides students with lots of opportunities to learn and grow outside the classroom.

From offering a wide choice of athletic endeavors to special programs such as Senior Ethics Day, McLean students participate in a variety of activities that compliment their academic work.

A strong believer in teamwork, Wardinski attributes McLean's success to a combination of forces that work together. "A dedicated staff is a huge piece," he says. "At Friday morning learning communities, teachers come together and ask each other, 'What can we do to make everyone better?' They work to bring consistency among classrooms, while retaining each teacher's unique qualities and individual teaching strengths."

An educated community is another important factor. "Our parents believe in education, and that trickles down to their kids," says Wardinski. McLean has a tradition of success, and parental involvement plays a key role in making that happen.

Great kids who work hard is the third piece, and setting high expectations for them is part of his charter. "Where do you set the bar?" Wardinski asks. "For example, passing the SOL's is not a goal for us, but rather a starting point. Attitude is everything."

Wardinski believes that "success breeds success," and that certainly holds true for McLean. It placed third in our Northern Virginia high school ranking, with outstanding SAT scores and AP results.

George Mason High School

"Education is the top issue in Falls Church," says George Mason High School principal, Robert Snee. "The city became independent in 1948 specifically to establish its own school system, and that belief in education survives to this day."

George Mason High School / Photography by Morgan Howarth

"We have an extremely supportive business community and parents who stay involved even after their children graduate," says Snee.

The Falls Church Education Foundation was established in 2004 to maintain high educational standards and help students meet the challenges of the new century. Through the support of generous donors, it is well on its way to meeting its $12 million goal. "We also have a huge PTSA that does a lot of fund raising for us," says Snee. "Their support of teachers and students has made a huge difference."

In addition to the assistance he receives from the outside, he attributes much of George Mason's success to the faculty and support staff. "We are all part of a dynamic, vital learning community," says Snee. He spends a lot of time working to find people who have a real joy for teaching and children.

"Our kids are fantastic. We invite them to challenge us, so that we keep getting better," says Snee. He believes in offering a wide variety of opportunities to every student, and feels it's important that each child "knows they're in a place that cares about them."

George Mason added 8th graders to its school last year, and Snee saw that as an exciting new opportunity. "We can help kids earlier now!" And helping kids is what Robert Snee wants George Mason to be all about.

W. T. Woodson High School

"High achievement is in the water here," says Woodson principal Robert Elliott. "We emphasize success."

W. T. Woodson High School / Photography by Morgan Howarth

Woodson students are indeed successful, with SAT scores and AP participation rates that gave them fifth place among public high schools in Northern Virginia. Like other schools in the top tier, Woodson has talented teachers, strong and supportive parents who have high expectations, and hard-working students.

But there's more going on at Woodson, Elliott says. He believes that the best way to evaluate a school is through a mosaic, looking at all the factors that contribute to make it a success. He tells people that Woodson is not a 3R's school, but rather a 4A's school. Those A's stand for academics, activities, arts and athletics.

"Our visual arts program has tripled in size and our athletes have won a state championship each year," he proudly explains. One of his students, Sean Douglass, was named Virginia's high school "Volunteer of the Year."

Elliott is especially proud of the two special education centers that Woodson's operates. The first works with students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, and the other deals with kids who have emotional problems or who require special counseling.

In both cases, these special needs children spend part of their day at the education centers and the remainder of the day taking classes with the entire Woodson population.

"I feel very fortunate to be part of the Woodson community," Elliott says. "Everyone here believes in opening doors for kids and making sure that our students give something back to the community."

(September 2006)