St. Louis Park High Seemingly Snubbed by U.S. News & World Report

St. Louis Park High School is not one of the top 46 schools in Minnesota, according to the annual ranking of public high schools by U.S. News & World Report. It also was not ranked on the national list.

Last year, the school was fourth in the state and 363rd in the U.S. 

More than 21,000 public high schools throughout the country were reviewed. Criteria include student-teacher ratio, a college readiness index (determined by percentage of students taking and passing Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate exams), and students' proficiency on standardized tests.

A total of 60 percent of St. Louis Park High students took one or more Advanced Placement (AP) exams and 78 percent received a passing grade in the 2010-2011 school year, the data used to determine the 2013 rankings. SLP High School students average a college readiness index of 50, math proficiency of 2.5 and reading proficiency of 3.1, with an average student/teacher ratio of 18:1.

By comparison, the top five ranking schools in Minnesota averaged a college readiness index of 53.5, math proficiency of 2.88, reading proficiency of 3.46 and student/teacher ratio of 18:1.

Mahtomedi Senior High School earned the spot as the state's top-ranking public high school in the survey. The top-ranked school in the nation was School for the Talented and Gifted in Dallas.

The methodology used in the rankings is a multi-step process, where information from nearly 22,000 public high schools throughout the country is reviewed to determine national and statewide rankings. The top 500 schools nationwide earn gold medal status.

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