Posted on 04/23/2020
The 2020 U.S. News & World Report Best High School Rankings include all three FHSD high schools on the prestigious list. The rankings evaluated almost 600 public high schools in Missouri and reviewed more than 24,000 nationwide to identify schools that best serve all of their students and assess the degree to which students are prepared for college-level coursework.
Francis Howell High School, Francis Howell Central, and Francis Howell North are all in the top 30 in Missouri and were also ranked in the top 3,000 high schools from across the nation. FHHS is ranked #12, FHC is #23, and FHN is ranked #29, all in the top five percent in the state.
All three FHSD high schools scored well above the state average in math and reading proficiency, as well as college readiness. “We are incredibly proud of the work our students, teachers, staff, and administrators have done to achieve these results,” said FHSD Chief Academic Officer and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Nathan Hoven. “These rankings echo what other measures have shown us – that FHSD is one of the strongest school districts in the state.”
“The Best High Schools rankings provide the most comprehensive, data-based information on nearly every public high school in the country,” said Anita Narayan, managing editor of Education at U.S. News. “Families can use this information to see how their local schools compare on graduation rates and state assessments, as well as the academic performance by students who are traditionally underserved – those who are black, Hispanic, or from low-income households.”
The U.S. News ranking methodology takes a holistic approach to evaluate schools, focusing on six factors: college readiness, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth, and graduation rates. College readiness measures participation and performance on AP and IB exams.