By Mark Ambrogi
Zionsville Community High School scored well in the 2016 U.S. News & World Report annual public high school rankings.
The school was ranked as the No. 2 public high school in Indiana, based on the class of 2015. Evansville’s Signature School was No. 1. ZCHS, which was named one of three gold medal schools in Indiana, was ranked the 245th high school nationally and the No. 174 nationally in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).
“We’re always flattered with they recognize the work we’re doing with our students,” ZCHS Principal Tim East said. “They have a few initial sub-categories to ensure you are meeting student success for your entire student body.”
One of the categories is graduation rate, and ZCHS had a 96 percent rate.
East said once the school met that minimum standard, then it is eligible for rankings based on things such as college readiness index (using Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test data as the benchmark for success, depending which program was largest at the school).
“They are focused on a rigorous schedule, defined as college preparatory and pre-college courses,” East said. “So that’s our AP and dual-credit classes.”
East said the scores continued to show the trends ZCHS has seen over the last decade of high success from the student population.
“Our students continue to take math and science beyond the required minimum number of years, particularly in science,” East said. “Because we have so many more students taking on the most challenging courses in science, it’s reflected in our higher ranking nationally for our STEM work. That also brings up our overall ranking to 245th. I’m proud of the work all of our departments are doing. But certainly, we see our students taking on more advanced math and science work here at Zionsville Community High School than most schools around the country.”
East said community support is key.
“We are very blessed to be educators in a community with a positive disposition toward quality public education,” East said. “When parents, students and the schools all come to the table with a common commitment to excellence, the results are great outcomes for kids.”
