Ashland High earns high rating from U.S. News

Ashland High School ranks in the top 500 schools in the nation, according to a new listing by U.S. News & World Report.

The magazine awarded 100 schools a gold medal for their performance on state tests and college preparation. AHS was one of the 405 schools to earn a silver medal.

"I have goosebumps," said Principal Jeff Schlecht, minutes after receiving an e-mail containing the news. "The first thing I want to do is thank the hardworking teachers. They work so hard, they're so dedicated,and they're passionate that every student succeeds."

Nearly 19,000 public schools in 40 states were analyzed in the ranking process. State testing information was unavailable or incomplete in the other 10 states. A total of eight schools in Oregon received silver medals, and 32 earned a bronze medal. None earned a gold medal.

The magazine used data from the 2005-2006 school year, and Schlecht said he believes the school will continue to perform well in future rankings, especially as the school has increasingly targeted those students who are unsure about post high school plans. The rankings gave additional weight to schools with students from disadvantaged backgrounds that performed well.

"My sense is that we're going to be very consistent," he said. "We're really getting them to link their post high school plans with the classes they take here."

Although Newsweek has ranked high schools in the past, based on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate test scores, this is the first year U.S. News produced a ranking. The results are available in the Dec. 10. issue.