The Washington Post recently released its annual rankings of "America's Most Challenging High Schools" and, for the fifth consecutive year, all of Virginia Beach City Public Schools' (VBCPS) 11 comprehensive high schools made the list. Only 12 percent of America's approximately 22,000 public high schools earned a spot in this year's rankings, which according to the newspaper, "identify those schools working hardest to challenge students from all backgrounds with courses such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate."

VBCPS high schools ranked as follows:

Rankings are based on a ratio, referred to as the Challenge Index, calculated by taking the total number of Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and Cambridge tests given at a school divided by the number of graduating seniors.

Ensuring that all students are challenged and supported to achieve a high standard of academic performance is the first goal in the school division's five-year strategic framework, Compass to 2020, and recent data indicate that students are achieving success.

Earlier this fall, the school division reported that more VBCPS students enrolled in AP classes, took a record number of AP exams and performed better than ever before. Specifically, the greatest one-year increase of students enrolled in AP classes was by African-American students. In addition, VBCPS also reported its highest SAT overall score ever attained by a graduating class, record On-Time Graduation and dropout rates, and an increase in the number of schools earning full state accreditation.

Being ranked among "America's Most Challenging High Schools" is the second time in the past two months VBCPS high schools have been recognized for academic performance. In April, U.S. News & World Report recognized six VBCPS comprehensive high schools among Virginia's top performing schools based on performance on state proficiency tests as well as other college-readiness indicators.

For more information about the rankings or the methodology for calculations, visit The Washington Post website. To learn more about the school division's five-year strategic framework, including strategies by VBCPS to challenge, support and ensure that all students succeed, visit the school division's Compass to 2020 page.

###

Department of Media and Communications, [email protected]

Like us on Facebook || Follow us on Twitter || Follow us on Instagram