Newsweek ranks Central among top high schools

The magazine ranks the top 100 schools in its latest print issue and the top 1,300 schools on its Web site here. Rankings are determined by a school’s number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Cambridge tests given in 2007, divided by the number of graduating seniors that spring. The full list shows all schools that Newsweek found to have a test-to-graduation ratio of at least 1.000, which means the number of tests given equals the number of graduates.

Springfield’s Central debuts on the annual compilation at No. 1,246, with an index score of 1.113. Eleven other Missouri schools made the list, the highest-ranked being Metro Academic & Classical High School in St. Louis at No. 118.

Overall, Florida, California, New York and Texas had the strongest showing on the list, though smaller states such as Maryland and Virginia also were represented well. At the top of the list was Basic Charter School, in Tucson, Ariz.