ESCANABA — Escanaba and Carney-Nadeau High Schools ranked in the top half of the U.S. News and World Report 2020 Best High Schools. Escanaba ranked 3,410 out of 17,792 ranked public high schools nationally, 117 in 1,147 high schools in Michigan, and scored 80.83 out of 100 nationally. Carney-Nadeau ranked 6,153 nationally, 212 in the state, and scored 65.42 out of 100.

“Carney school is thrilled by our students’ academic gains and I really think it’s a testament to how tirelessly the staff has worked to help our kids make this level of progress,” said Carney-Nadeau Superintendent Adam Cocco. “I’m extremely proud of all that they’ve accomplished here.”

Carney-Nadeau’s math proficiency is 41%, reading 77%, and 100% of the students graduated. They are also considered a Magnet School – receiving funding for programs intended to attract economically and racially diverse students from outside local attendance zones.

Escanaba High School had a math proficiency of 45%, reading 67%, and a 95% graduation rate.

“I’m excited to see Escanaba High School again recognized as one of the nation’s best high schools,” said Escanaba Superintendent Coby Fletcher. “It speaks to the quality and breadth of education our students receive, and I am proud of the hard work that went into this ranking. It serves as yet another solid assurance to parents and students that an EAPS education provides the best preparation for college and careers available.”

U.S News coordinated with RTI International, a nonprofit social science research firm, and ranked 17,792 public high schools from 24,000 reviewed. Data mainly came from the 2017-2018 academic year and included public schools in 50 states and the District of Colombia. High schools ranked had to have 15 or more seniors enrolled, or a sufficient number of students enrolled in other high school grades.

U.S. News used third-party sources to gather information — the U.S. Department of Education website called The Common Core of Data, state education agencies, The College Board, and the International Baccalaureate (IB).

The overall score was derived from six criteria, college readiness, number of seniors participating in Advanced Placement (AP) and IB classes, math and reading proficiency and performance, underserved student performance, and graduation rate.

AP classes measured include english, math and computer science, sciences, world languages and cultures, history and social science, arts, and AP capstone. For the IB exam, content areas measured were studies in language and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics, the arts, extended essay, and theory of knowledge. Schools that did not have AP and/or IB exams in their curriculum scored a zero in the ranking criteria, but adjustments were made so schools without them would not score significantly worse, according to U.S. News.

Escanaba High School increased its Advanced Placement percentage to 37% participation and now have a college readiness index rank of 149 in the state and 4,645 nationally.

“The Escanaba School District is extremely proud of the efforts of our teachers and students for once again being selected as one of the best high schools in the nation. It is our ability to continue to offer rigorous programming that helps to set our students apart and best prepare them for the competitive nature of college coursework and the jobforce. It’s an honor to achieve this ranking among highly competitive schools in the U.S.,” said Escanaba High School Principal Darci Griebel.

Math and Reading Proficiency scores came from state issued standardized tests and Performance assessment scores were compared to U.S. News predictions of each school based on its demographic characteristics. Underserved Student Performance evaluated how well underserved students scored in state assessments compared to non-underserved students in the same state.

U.S. News established the graduation rate by taking the number of ninth graders in the 2013-2014 school year and comparing the number to graduates of the same school in the 2017-2018 school year. 2020 is the second year U.S. News used the same criteria to score high schools.

Other schools ranked in the report are North Central – 354 in Michigan, Gladstone – 434 in Michigan, and Manistique – ranked 447. Bark River-Harris, Superior Central and Tri-Township were ranked in the bottom quarter, between 467 and 645 schools in Michigan.

Gladstone Area Schools ranked this year, but put more effort and attention into their dual enrollment program. They look at the percentage of high school students earning college credit in dual enrollment. Instead of just looking for indicators of college success Gladstone looks at the college performance data of Gladstone’s recent graduates.

“While we congratulate those who who have scored well … it has long focused on Advanced Placement participation and performance … We believe there is a more direct impact on students who earn college credit prior to graduating from high school … we choose to use other measurements of college readiness that we feel are more accurate in our circumstances,” said Gladstone Superintendent Jay Kulbertis. “An important measurement in this regard is the percentage of graduates who earn 24 credits within 24 months, and our graduates perform exceptionally well in this direct measurement of success.”