December 5, 2008
| Contact: |
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Shannon Parthemer, Community Relations & Communications Coordinator |
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(425) 702-3300
SParthemer@lwsd.org |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Redmond, Wash. – U.S. News and World Report magazine named International Community School (ICS) in Kirkland, Wash. number 24 out of the top 100 high schools in the nation in their annual America’s Best High Schools rating, and gave the school a gold ranking. Redmond High School (RHS) received a silver ranking.
Rankings are based on the College Readiness Index, a measure of the degree t which students master some college-level material (using a weighted average based 25 percent on the Advanced Placement (AP) and/or International Baccalaureate (IB) participation rates and 75 percent on the quality-adjusted AP and/or IB participation rates). Schools that received a gold rating ranked in the top 100 nationally in the College Readiness Index, and silver-ranked schools had a college readiness index of at least 20, but did not rank in the top 100 nationally. According to this report, ICS had a College Readiness Index of 87.5 and RHS had a College Readiness Index of 33.6.
This is the second year that ICS has been recognized in the top 100 schools. Last year, it was number 17, and was the highest-rated school in the state of Washington.
“It is an honor for our school to be recognized as one of the best in America,” noted ICS Principal Cindy Duenas. “It truly is a reflection on the students and staff at our school that we are once again ranked in the top 100 schools in the country.”
“We are so proud to be recognized with a silver ranking,” noted RHS Principal Jane Todd. “Our students and staff strive to reach high standards every day, and this recognition helps to support those efforts.”
“I am consistently impressed by the hard work of our students, staff and parents in schools throughout the district,” noted Lake Washington School Superintendent Dr. Chip Kimball. “It is great to see the hard work of two of our schools recognized in this way.”
ICS was one of only four schools to receive a gold ranking in King County. RHS was one of only six schools in King County to receive a silver ranking.
ICS is a choice school in Lake Washington School District, meaning that students from throughout the district can apply to attend the school, which serves students in grades seven through 12. Entry is by lottery. ICS began when parents and educators came together in 1997 to create and support a small, academically rigorous secondary education program with a focus on international awareness.
U.S. News and World Report works with School Evaluation Services, a K-12 education data research business run by Standard & Poor’s to rate high schools, based upon data from the 2006-2007 school year. A three-step process is used to determine the best high schools, using both state proficiency standards and assessing the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work.
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About Lake Washington: Lake Washington School District is the sixth largest district in the state of Washington. This high-performing public school district serves over 23,500 students in 50 schools located in Kirkland, Redmond and Sammamish, Washington.