By Gary Lloyd
JEFFERSON COUNTY — U.S. News recently named its best high schools in the country, and none from the area were ranked nationally or statewide.
U.S. News reviewed 31,242 U.S. public high schools, and 93 from Alabama made the national rankings.
The top high schools in Alabama were Loveless Academic Magnet Program, Mountain Brook, Booker T. Washington Magnet, Homewood, Brewbaker Technology Magnet, Auburn, Virgil Grissom, New Century Technology Demo, Hartselle and Bob Jones.
Hewitt-Trussville High School
photo courtesy of Trussville City Schools
Hewitt-Trussville High School earned a College Readiness Index of 31.3. Clay-Chalkville High School earned a 21.5 and Pinson Valley High School earned a 20.3. Hewitt-Trussville had a math proficiency rating of 3.1 and 3.2 in reading proficiency. Clay-Chalkville had a 3.0 in math and 3.1 in reading. Pinson Valley had a 2.8 in math and 2.9 in reading proficiency.
By comparison, Mountain Brook had a 58.2 College Readiness Index, a 3.7 math proficiency and a 3.6 reading proficiency. Homewood had a 46.7 College Readiness Index, a 3.4 math proficiency and a 3.3 reading proficiency.
Clay-Chalkville High School
photo courtesy of Jefferson County Schools
U.S. News reported Hewitt-Trussville has an enrollment of 1,328 students and 81 full-time teachers.
“At Hewitt-Trussville High School, students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement course work and exams,” an overview of the school states. “The AP participation rate at Hewitt-Trussville High School is 55 percent. The student body makeup is 51 percent male and 49 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 14 percent. Hewitt-Trussville High School is the only high school in the Trussville City.”
U.S. News reported Clay-Chalkville has an enrollment of 1,310 students and 76 full-time teachers.
“At Clay-Chalkville High School, students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement course work and exams,” an overview of the school states. “The AP participation rate at Clay-Chalkville High School is 43 percent. The student body makeup is 52 percent male and 48 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 54 percent.”
Pinson Valley High School
photo courtesy of Jefferson County Schools
U.S. News reported Pinson Valley has an enrollment of 983 students and 60 full-time teachers.
“At Pinson Valley High School, students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement course work and exams,” an overview of the school states. “The AP participation rate at Pinson Valley High School is 43 percent. The student body makeup is 52 percent male and 48 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 44 percent.”
U.S. News calculated the values based on student performance on state exit exams and internationally available exams on college-level course work.
Alabama high school students must earn at least 24 credits in various subjects to graduate, including one credit in career preparedness, which covers career and academic planning, computer applications and financial literacy. Students take end-of-course assessments in English and algebra, and in the 11th grade, the ACT college entrance exam, according to the Alabama Department of Education.
For more information, visit www.usnews.com/education.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.
