G. Neck South High gets high marks on U.S. list

Bill San Antonio

Seven North Shore-area high schools placed in the top 100 in New York State in the online magazine U.S. News & World Report’s annual high school rankings.

The schools were rated based on the publication’s college readiness index, a figure U.S. News & World Report calculated based on the percentage of a high school’s senior class who have scored taken and scored high on advanced placement exams in math and English.

The schools were then compared to others throughout their respective states based on several factors, such as their student-to-teacher ratio, and given a separate national ranking. The top 154 high schools from the 656 it analyzed from New York received national rankings.

The North Shore-area school that fared the highest, the Manhasset Secondary School, was ranked No. 16 in New York with a 79.2 percent college readiness index score and was No. 87 on the publication’s national list.

Manhasset featured a 98 percent proficiency score on state math exams and a 100 percent proficiency rating on English tests. The school’s 13:1 student-to-teacher ratio fared better than 59 percent of schools in New York, according to U.S. News & World Report.

“We believe that it is the incredibly high value that the Manhasset Schools place on the four As – Academics, the Arts, Athletics and Afterschool activities- that allows our school community to be considered one of the premier school districts in the nation,” Manhasset Superintendent of Schools Charles Cardillo said. “Our students, staff, parents and our community as a whole should all share in this honor.”

The second-highest ranked school on the North Shore, William A. Shine Great Neck South High School, was rated No. 21 in New York and 115th nationally. It received a 73.8 percent college readiness score, a 100 percent proficiency score in math, and a 98 percent proficiency score in English.

Great Neck South’s 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio scored better than 81 percent of schools in New York, according to the publication.

“I’m very pleased with the placement of South High School on the U.S. News and World Reports list,” Great Neck Superintendent of Schools Thomas Dolan. “Certainly, South has a reputation as an academically talented institution and this ranking matches very well with their strength.”

Cheryl Champ, the Sewanhaka School District’s assistant superintendent for curriculum, said she was also pleased with Floral Park High School’s inclusion in U.S. News’ state and national rankings.

Floral Park was the No. 53 high school in New York and placed 486th in the nation, according to the magazine. 

It received a 47.5 percent college readiness, and its 17:1 student-to-teacher ratio fared better than 25 percent of high schools in the state.

But other school district officials told Blank Slate Media said they either did not know how to contextualize the rankings or ignored them completely.

Roslyn Superintendent of Schools Dan Brenner said he does not place any value on the rankings, which he added did not take into account a school’s arts and athletics programs, or how well students fared on AP exams.

“I don’t believe you measure the quality of a school using singular measures,” he said. “Whether we finish first or 500th, I would count it the same way.”

Roslyn High School was ranked 41st in New York and 261st nationally. U.S. News gave Roslyn a 58.8 percent college readiness score based on the 63 percent of its population of seniors who took AP exams.

Herricks High School was ranked No. 33 in New York and No. 188 nationally. It received a 64.6 percent college readiness rating based on 76 percent of its senior class who took AP exams.

But Herricks Superintendent of Schools John Bierwirth said he still does not know how the publication’s formula works.

“As has happened in the past, we either do quite well or we don’t get ranked at all,” he said. “This was one of those years when we did quite well.”

Sean Feeney, principal of the Wheatley School, said the East Williston School District’s administration did not completely ignore the rankings, but was not too excited by them, either.

“I don’t think most people who deal with these rankings delve into the methodology,” he said. “They’re a reflection of the values that the ranking entity thinks are important. They don’t necessarily reflect the values of the schools.”

Wheatley was rated No. 28 in New York and No. 142 nationally, scoring a 69.5 percent college readiness score. 

Of the 86 percent of Wheatley students whose AP scores were analyzed by U.S. News, 64 percent passed. The school received a 99 percent proficiency rating in math and a 100 percent proficiency rating in English.

Share this Article