Riverside-Brookfield High School fared well once again in the annual High School Challenge national rankings, formerly published by Newsweek magazine and now by the Washington Post, released online on May 20.
The school ranked fifth overall in the state of Illinois and 239th in the nation, according to the list, which bases its rankings principally by taking the number of Advanced Placement exams taken by students and dividing that number by the number of graduating seniors.
“We’re very pleased with any recognition we get for the fact that we’ve opened up access to AP classes to all our students,” said RBHS Principal Pamela Bylsma. “And our students are stepping up to the challenge.”
The Challenge Index was devised in the 1990s by Washington Post reporter Jay Mathews and until this year, his list ranking the nation’s high schools was published in Newsweek, which was owned by the Washington Post.
The Post sold the magazine last August. Newsweek is reportedly going to be coming out with its own high school-ranking formula, which will include other data, such as AP test scores, ACT and SAT scores and other factors.
Mathews’ Challenge Index has received criticism for basing school rankings largely on just one factor, and RBHS in recent years has also faced criticism for a perception that the school was pushing AP classes in order to chase a high ranking.
The school was criticized in particular for a low pass rate on AP exams, which doesn’t count toward the ranking. Before AP test taking proliferated at RBHS, the pass rate on AP exams was quite high. In 1998, for example, 99 AP tests were taken at RBHS, and 86 percent of those received passing grades.
By 2004, the number of AP tests taken at RBHS jumped to 531, while the pass rate fell to 66 percent. In 2005, when the number of AP tests taken spiked again to 930, the pass rate fell further, to 52 percent.
Despite more people failing to pass the exams, RBHS was named one of the nation’s top 100 schools by Newsweek in 2006 and second in the state.
While the number of AP tests remains high at RBHS, the pass rate has swung in the other direction. In 2009, the pass rate was 60 percent. And for the 2010 school year, accounting for this year’s Challenge Index rankings, RBHS’ pass rate on AP exams increased to 65 percent, according to Bylsma on 1,141 exams taken in 23 subject areas.
The national pass rate is 58 percent, Bylsma said.
“What makes that so impressive is that 97 percent of students who took Advanced Placement courses also took the exam, so we’re testing almost all of our students, where 76 percent nationally who take the class also take the exam,” Bylsma said. “So the fact our pass rate is so high is very impressive.”
Bylsma also touted the fact that RBHS has maintained its place in the state’s top five in the Challenge Index rankings despite more and more schools statewide appearing on the list.
Interim Superintendent David Bonnette said that while “we continue to encourage kids to challenge themselves,” he added that in the past year the school has placed less emphasis on marketing the Advanced Placement courses to students, some of whom may not be ready for such rigorous classes.
“I think it stands the kids well when they go beyond high school,” Bonnette said. “There is a level of rigor that’s fairly consistent. It is helpful for the kids to have these rigorous courses when they go on for school.”
But the school has stopped seeking notoriety by rank-seeking, Bonnette said.
“That’s a philosophy change,” Bonnette said. “We’re not pursuing this because of the rankings, but because it’s a sound practice educationally. Two-thirds of our kids go on to a four-year college. We pursue it for the reason of the preparation it gives the students going on to the next phase of their education.”
“The ranking thing – we’re not shooting to be number one. That puts a misplaced emphasis on the reason for the courses and kids taking the test.”
Lyons Township High School approaches AP courses and testing much differently. While the school has more than twice the enrollment of RBHS, the number of students taking AP tests and the number of tests taken overall in 2010 was comparable.
At LTHS last year 598 students took 1,174 AP exams. Where the two schools differ is in the pass rate. Of those tests taken, 92 percent received passing grades.
Yet, because of the large enrollment, LTHS finds itself far behind RBHS in the Challenge Index rankings. LTHS was ranked 58th out of 86 schools in Illinois on the list and 1,498th nationally out of 1,904 schools nationally.