BEST SCHOOLS
100+ Schools Ranked
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Best Schools 2018
For the fifth year in a row, we’re crunching the numbers and ranking Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky high schools to determine which are the best. Where did your school fall in our rankings?
I N SI DE:
46 Top Schools 48 School Rankings 52 Honorable Mentions 53 Special Programs 56 Outstanding Educators 60 Cincinnati Public Schools 62 Private School Guide 74 St. Gertrude School
OHIO
Madeira High School
MADEIR A CIT Y SCHOOLS DISTRICT
After a year off, Madeira High School returns to the No. 1 spot in our annual high school rankings. Madeira takes the top ranking so often because it consistently does well in all categories. It has the highest school performance index score of the schools ranked and is among the best in the categories of attendance rate, graduation rate, student/teacher ratio and ACT score. Outside of academics, the school had a student play in the French Open Junior tennis tournament, had its baseball team play in the state tournament, and celebrated 10 years of its Day of Service program.
2 Walnut Hills High School CINCINNATI PUBIC SCHOOLS
After sitting at No. 4 for the last two years, Walnut Hills High School has maneuvered itself into the No. 2 spot. A perennial member of many best schools in Ohio lists, the high school keeps itself at the top with the second highest school performance index score (89), a 100 percent graduation rate and a high pass rate of AP tests (81.1 percent). Its students also do well on ACT tests, with five students scoring a perfect 36 this year. However, Walnut Hills is also committed to having well-rounded students who excel in categories in areas other than academics. In the last year, 46
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students covered the mayor’s race for the school newspaper, raised funds for new band uniforms with a GoFundMe page and competed at the Prasco Charity Championship at TPC River’s Bend.
3 Indian Hill High School
INDIAN HILL EXEMPTED V ILLAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT
thanks to its girls soccer team being named Ohio Division II state champions and ranked No. 35 out of 16,000 girls’ varsity teams. One of the team’s players was also named the 2017-18 Gatorade Ohio Girls Soccer Player of the Year, the first from Indian Hill to do so in 33 years.
4 Wyoming High School
W YOMING CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
With the highest per-pupil spending in the region ($15,992) and one of the lowest student/teacher ratios in the Tristate (11.41 to 1), Indian Hill High School continues its reign as one of the best high schools in the area. Indian Hill found success both in and out of the classroom this year, though,
Seven Wyoming High School students received perfect ACT scores this year, an impressive number that is more impressive when you consider the entire school consists of 638 students. Though Wyoming dropped from No. 3 to No. 4 year this year,
the school continued to score well with the state (with the third highest school performance index score), a low student/ teacher ratio and a high percentage of students passing their AP tests (78.3 percent).
5 William Mason High School
KENTUCKY
1 Highlands High School
FORT THOMAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
MASON CIT Y SCHOOLS
William Mason High School jumped into the top five this year for the first time since Cincy Magazine started the Best Schools feature. With the highest enrollment of any school in the Tristate with 3,467 students, its students perform well on Ohio’s End-of-Course exams. Mason students are also finding success in the arts. Mason students won four Tristate high school theater awards, called Cappies: best marketing and publicity, best props, best stage management and stage crew, and best lead actor in a play.
6 Turpin High School
F OR E S T H I L L S L O C A L S C HO OL DISTRICT
Turpin High School continues to do well thanks to its investment in its students and its teachers. The school has a low student/ teacher ratio of 15.77 to 1, and 79.4 percent of its teachers have master’s degrees. In addition, the school spends $9,717 per student. In return, students have been able to excel academically and athletically. One student was invited to play football for Team USA in the International Bowl and 58.1 percent of students who took AP tests received a 3 or higher.
7 Sycamore High School
SYCAMORE COMMUNIT Y SCHOOL DISTRICT
While Sycamore continues to offer a quality education to its students, it’s also given them opportunities to come together to support their community. For example, Sycamore High School engineering and architectural students gave the school district recommendations on features that would be beneficial for the STEAM bus, a redesigned school bus that travels throughout the district as a classroom. Students also came together to support one of their own when a senior was diagnosed with an inoperable neurological condition. They participated in the Heart Mini to show their support.
After two years at No. 2, Highlands High School is once again No.1 in our annual Northern Kentucky high school ranking. Highlands High School is in the 99th percentile of schools in Kentucky according to the state’s ranking and its students earn an average ACT score of 24.3. Outside of class, students earned two Cappie awards (best featured actress in a play and best critic team) and a student was named Kentucky’s Mr. Baseball for the 2018 season.
2 Beechwood High School
BEECHWOOD INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
Beechwood High School’s students and teachers are carrying on its pattern of excellence this year, as many are winning awards for everything from academics to art. The Northern Kentucky Education Council named one student from the school an Academic All-Star during its annual Excellence in Education awards. The national Scholastic Art Awards honored four Beechwood students for their artistic submissions. And the Cincinnati Arts Association awarded one student the instrumental music Overture Award and a $4,000 scholarship for his skill with the saxophone.
3 Walton-Verona High School
WALTON-V ERONA INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
Walton-Verona High School takes the No. 3 spot in Northern Kentucky yet again thanks to its low student/teacher ratio (15.97 to 1), high graduation rate (97.6 percent) and quality test scores. Outside of class, its students have excelled in competitions as varied as the Microsoft Office Specialist U.S. National Championship (a student took third place in the MOS Word 2016 category) and KHSAA state wrestling meet (with a student being named state champion in the 106-pound bracket).
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47
Best SCHOOLS
District
School Performance Index Score
State Percentile (Among High Schools)
State Performance Index Grade
Attendance Rate
MADEIRA HIGH SCHOOL
Madeira City
416
$11,283
7 out of 8
89.2
99
B
96.1%
WALNUT HILLS HIGH SCHOOL
Cincinnati City
2,840
$10,367
11 out of 12
89
99
B
97.5%
INDIAN HILL HIGH SCHOOL
Indian Hill Exempted Village
606
$15,992
6 out of 8
85.9
98
B
95.1%
WYOMING HIGH SCHOOL
Wyoming City
638
$12,201
6 out of 8
87.2
99
B
95.3%
WILLIAM MASON HIGH SCHOOL
Mason City
3,467
$9,305
7 out of 8
86.3
98
B
96.8%
TURPIN HIGH SCHOOL
Forest Hills Local
1,093
$9,717
5 out of 8
83.2
95
B
96.3%
SYCAMORE HIGH SCHOOL
Sycamore Community City
1,584
$11,809
5 out of 8
83.5
96
B
96.3%
BELLBROOK HIGH SCHOOL
Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local
807
$9,525
6 out of 8
83.2
95
B
95.7%
MARIEMONT HIGH SCHOOL
Mariemont City
501
$11,718
5 out of 8
85.6
97
B
93.8%
ANDERSON HIGH SCHOOL
Forest Hills Local
1,231
$9,717
4 out of 8
81.1
93
B
95.5%
SPRINGBORO HIGH SCHOOL
Springboro Community City
1,797
$7,507
4 out of 9
82.1
94
B
96.8% 96.7%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57
Enrollment
Rank
Research by Bill Ferguson, Jr.
Per-Pupil Spending (District)
High School* (2016-17 data except where noted)
Number of State Standards Met
Southwest Ohio Public and Community Charter High Schools
LAKOTA EAST HIGH SCHOOL
Lakota Local
2,414
$9,380
5 out of 8
81.1
93
B
WAYNESVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
Wayne Local
460
$8,217
5 out of 8
81.3
93
B
95.6%
LOVELAND HIGH SCHOOL
Loveland City
1,448
$9,067
3 out of 9
76.2
83
C
94.5%
LAKOTA WEST HIGH SCHOOL
Lakota Local
2,192
$9,380
3 out of 8
80.7
92
B
96.9%
ROSS HIGH SCHOOL
Ross Local
716
$8,150
2 out of 8
77.9
87
C
95.3%
LITTLE MIAMI HIGH SCHOOL
Little Miami Local
1,110
$8,264
4 out of 8
78.6
88
C
95.0%
KINGS HIGH SCHOOL
Kings Local
1,176
$9,047
3 out of 8
78.3
88
C
94.6%
GOSHEN HIGH SCHOOL
Goshen Local
692
$8,389
3 out of 8
72.2
69
C
94.3%
SCHOOL FOR CREATIVE & PERFORMING ARTS HIGH SCHOOL
Cincinnati City
1,374
$10,367
7 out of 23
71.8
67
C
97.1%
BETHEL-TATE HIGH SCHOOL
Bethel-Tate Local
408
$6,923
2 out of 8
73.3
73
C
92.5%
WILLIAMSBURG HIGH SCHOOL
Williamsburg Local
508
$7,283
2 out of 16
73.6
74
C
94.9%
LEBANON HIGH SCHOOL
Lebanon City
1,542
$7,795
1 out of 8
75.1
79
C
95.8%
DEER PARK JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Deer Park Community City
535
$9,989
4 out of 13
71
64
C
94.0%
NEW RICHMOND HIGH SCHOOL
New Richmond Exempted Village
628
$8,779
2 out of 9
71.8
67
C
94.0%
MILFORD SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Milford Exempted Village
1,849
$8,807
1 out of 8
75.6
81
C
94.2% 95.6%
CLINTON-MASSIE HIGH SCHOOL
Clinton-Massie Local
560
$7,989
2 out of 9
73.3
73
C
READING COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
Reading Community City
362
$8,359
1 out of 8
70.7
62
C
93.4%
BLANCHESTER HIGH SCHOOL
Blanchester Local
439
$8,086
1 out of 8
74
76
C
94.6%
CARLISLE HIGH SCHOOL
Carlisle Local
443
$9,233
2 out of 8
73.3
73
C
95.1%
MONROE JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Monroe Local
1,066
$7,226
3 out of 13
75.5
80
C
94.5%
TALAWANDA HIGH SCHOOL
Talawanda City
892
$10,429
1 out of 8
71.7
66
C
94.3%
OAK HILLS HIGH SCHOOL
Oak Hills Local
2,209
$8,216
2 out of 8
70.5
61
C
93.8%
MADISON HIGH SCHOOL
Madison Local
395
$8,004
1 out of 8
70.6
61
C
95.0%
TAYLOR HIGH SCHOOL
Three Rivers Local
847
$8,134
2 out of 13
71.3
65
C
94.4%
EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL
Edgewood City
944
$8,361
0 out of 8
71.2
64
C
93.8%
FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL
Franklin City
756
$8,606
2 out of 8
68.6
54
D
94.5%
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON HIGH SCHOOL
Southwest Local
916
$7,981
0 out of 8
70.9
63
C
92.7%
BATAVIA HIGH SCHOOL
Batavia Local
546
$6,870
1 out of 8
67.2
49
D
93.6%
CLARK MONTESSORI HIGH SCHOOL
Cincinnati City
699
$10,367
2 out of 13
61.9
35
D
97.7%
NORWOOD HIGH SCHOOL
Norwood City
524
$9,855
1 out of 8
65.2
43
D
93.2%
CLERMONT NORTHEASTERN HIGH SCHOOL
Clermont Northeastern Local
391
$9,609
0 out of 8
64.5
41
D
93.6%
WESTERN BROWN HIGH SCHOOL
Western Brown Local
825
$7,420
0 out of 7
63.5
38
D
95.8%
NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL
Northwest Local
714
$8,293
0 out of 8
59.8
30
D
90.6%
GLEN ESTE HIGH SCHOOL
West Clermont Local
1,107
$7,365
0 out of 8
60.7
32
D
94.4%
FELICITY-FRANKLIN LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL
Felicity-Franklin Local
245
$9,092
0 out of 8
61.4
34
D
91.7%
AMELIA HIGH SCHOOL
West Clermont Local
1,117
$7,365
0 out of 8
60.6
31
D
94.0%
COLERAIN HIGH SCHOOL
Northwest Local
1,578
$8,293
0 out of 8
61.6
34
D
92.7%
ST. BERNARD-ELMWOOD PLACE HIGH SCHOOL
St. Bernard-Elmwood Place City
403
$9,492
0 out of 12
58.5
27
D
92.9%
FINNEYTOWN SECONDARY CAMPUS
Finneytown Local
630
$10,027
0 out of 13
56.7
25
D
96.2%
PRINCETON HIGH SCHOOL
Princeton City
1,612
$9,736
0 out of 8
58.4
27
D
93.7%
HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL
Hamilton City
1,812
$8,086
0 out of 8
60
30
D
92.6%
JAMES N. GAMBLE MONTESSORI HIGH SCHOOL
Cincinnati City
483
$10,367
0 out of 13
54
22
D
97.5%
FAIRFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
Fairfield City
1,874
$7,213
0 out of 9
63.3
37
D
94.0%
MIDDLETOWN HIGH SCHOOL
Middletown City
1,251
$7,282
0 out of 8
53.2
22
D
92.6%
NEW MIAMI HIGH SCHOOL
New Miami Local
138
$10,633
0 out of 7
49.9
18
F
91.8%
WINTON WOODS HIGH SCHOOL
Winton Woods City
1,018
$9,939
0 out of 8
52.5
21
D
92.0%
*All school buildings are listed by the state as enrolling 12th-graders. These can be traditional 9-12 schools, such as regular public high schools, or K-12, many of which are community schools. NC — Not calculated or not reported (unranked schools had incomplete data) UR — Unranked
48
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Teacher Attendance Rate
Average ACT Score**
High School English I EOC at or above Proficient
High School English II EOC at or above Proficient
High School Algebra I or Math I EOC at or above Proficient
High School Geometry or Math II EOC at or above Proficient
Number of Advanced Placement Classes***
% of Students Taking AP Test***
% Scoring 3 or Higher on AP Test***
96.3%
25.12
93.5%
92.9%
83.1%
90.7%
97.2%
89.7%
99.1%
16
66.7%
63.8%
71.6%
96.6%
25.92
97.1%
94.1%
89.7%
92.7%
91.9%
99.8%
98.4%
42
85.9%
81.1%
96.8%
11.41
88.3%
96.6%
NC
92.0%
89.3%
52.4%
80.3%
95.2%
92.2%
92.7%
35
74.6%
75.6%
98.8%
13.84
75.0%
95.0%
26.07
89.6%
91.5%
65.1%
89.5%
91.9%
89.2%
89.8%
33
82.7%
78.3%
97.1%
21.27
84.0%
95.8%
24.59
91.3%
90.4%
83.1%
86.1%
92.7%
93.7%
94.0%
38
69.4%
49.8%
95.6%
15.77
79.4%
95.8%
23.89
83.9%
86.9%
79.1%
74.5%
87.1%
92.4%
93.2%
26
60.3%
58.1%
96.0%
13.28
70.5%
95.3%
23.59
84.9%
88.9%
70.8%
71.2%
85.4%
92.0%
91.7%
36
53.8%
48.4%
97.7%
17.70
75.4%
95.9%
22.71
86.4%
82.9%
64.9%
80.0%
92.9%
93.8%
92.5%
15
38.5%
15.7%
97.6%
14.52
87.6%
97.0%
24.72
88.0%
90.2%
16.1%
79.8%
84.2%
91.7%
100.0%
16
61.1%
56.3% 35.1%
High School History EOC at or above Proficient
Teachers With At Least a Master's Degree 83.8%
22.19
High School Government EOC at or above Proficient
Student/Teacher Ratio 13.08
High School Biology EOC at or above Proficient
4-Year Graduation Rate (Class of 2016) 97.3% 100.0%
94.1%
16.66
75.5%
96.2%
22.56
86.6%
84.8%
75.5%
69.9%
79.7%
82.1%
90.8%
25
53.9%
95.6%
23.04
72.0%
95.6%
23.12
84.4%
79.5%
73.4%
71.2%
84.7%
89.9%
93.3%
17
30.4%
9.9%
92.9%
20.95
74.9%
95.5%
22.22
88.1%
80.2%
62.4%
70.5%
84.6%
88.9%
90.3%
28
32.2%
23.8%
97.4%
20.18
60.6%
96.4%
21.64
84.2%
80.5%
61.6%
63.8%
83.5%
88.8%
92.8%
10
11.9%
18.9%
96.6%
17.38
88.0%
95.6%
22.47
76.5%
78.3%
69.9%
59.6%
88.8%
86.8%
85.4%
24
39.9%
33.2%
95.5%
20.13
67.3%
95.5%
22.11
82.9%
78.8%
64.1%
69.1%
75.2%
85.7%
89.2%
26
31.4%
23.2%
98.1%
15.40
51.6%
97.1%
20.44
76.2%
72.1%
76.9%
71.1%
80.1%
73.7%
87.2%
12
27.4%
23.3%
96.1%
19.89
69.9%
96.8%
20.59
86.2%
79.7%
69.2%
47.6%
86.7%
80.7%
90.8%
10
21.8%
18.7%
93.2%
17.93
63.9%
95.9%
21.98
72.4%
75.7%
60.5%
67.1%
67.5%
80.3%
88.0%
21
24.9%
38.3%
97.6%
17.84
76.8%
95.2%
18.85
71.9%
69.9%
44.1%
59.9%
87.2%
83.2%
85.6%
8
13.0%
12.7%
99.1%
16.67
77.5%
95.4%
21.87
82.5%
80.0%
42.4%
38.8%
72.6%
94.1%
84.5%
11
30.6%
20.1%
94.1%
11.90
60.2%
94.0%
19.30
84.8%
74.1%
50.0%
52.8%
74.3%
67.9%
80.6%
2
5.9%
3.6%
93.2%
16.88
77.4%
95.4%
19.33
73.1%
68.7%
57.6%
53.8%
77.8%
81.8%
72.8%
1
18.6%
4.5%
94.3%
21.27
61.4%
95.4%
20.94
77.7%
68.1%
59.6%
54.5%
77.6%
78.2%
83.7%
17
32.6%
19.6%
94.5%
14.23
70.7%
93.8%
19.13
80.4%
61.4%
63.0%
46.4%
64.6%
87.5%
87.5%
10
26.0%
15.5%
96.1%
16.84
73.2%
96.5%
18.78
85.9%
61.3%
62.8%
46.9%
73.6%
73.0%
80.8%
7
17.0%
12.3%
96.5%
17.78
76.9%
96.2%
21.50
73.7%
61.0%
35.5%
44.2%
74.2%
73.6%
87.9%
35
45.0%
37.3%
92.2%
18.36
59.0%
96.3%
20.21
73.5%
70.3%
50.8%
56.9%
73.4%
81.6%
84.4%
0
0.8%
0.0%
90.5%
10.37
85.7%
94.3%
18.09
68.3%
57.5%
54.2%
35.9%
79.0%
84.3%
76.6%
6
14.0%
6.3%
94.4%
15.62
64.4%
96.6%
19.04
67.0%
63.9%
50.4%
54.0%
59.0%
78.9%
83.6%
5
0.0%
3.1%
90.8%
15.94
69.4%
96.5%
19.08
73.2%
61.3%
50.0%
49.0%
62.8%
81.1%
82.7%
2
4.2%
3.3%
95.6%
18.80
21.2%
96.3%
20.23
71.3%
68.8%
54.6%
48.4%
79.2%
85.3%
84.9%
3
29.1%
22.9%
91.2%
15.38
77.6%
95.3%
21.24
61.5%
59.9%
51.9%
54.8%
70.9%
84.4%
78.5%
8
25.1%
10.0%
94.6%
17.33
70.2%
94.1%
20.29
68.0%
70.2%
44.3%
53.1%
73.2%
84.0%
87.4%
40
43.3%
31.9%
94.2%
10.51
57.5%
96.3%
19.46
66.4%
47.6%
45.8%
58.9%
69.6%
82.4%
70.3%
2
7.2%
0.0%
98.0%
17.29
46.9%
96.4%
20.04
68.3%
63.3%
47.8%
53.6%
66.3%
82.0%
81.8%
15
20.0%
23.6%
90.7%
17.48
48.1%
94.4%
18.27
73.3%
60.4%
44.1%
41.4%
70.6%
78.4%
79.8%
9
33.8%
11.4%
93.1%
17.18
61.4%
94.9%
19.24
68.0%
67.8%
31.3%
53.0%
64.0%
80.8%
85.9%
6
15.2%
3.9%
95.7%
18.77
71.5%
96.5%
19.55
64.8%
58.1%
37.9%
47.7%
65.7%
67.1%
75.7%
16
40.8%
20.7%
94.9%
17.06
65.6%
93.8%
19.47
69.1%
62.6%
34.1%
46.9%
59.5%
70.8%
81.4%
4
20.3%
13.4%
88.5%
15.46
66.8%
97.1%
21.27
63.8%
78.9%
30.4%
27.5%
85.2%
89.4%
78.5%
5
31.5%
21.6%
84.7%
14.89
57.4%
96.2%
17.78
65.2%
59.7%
43.4%
36.3%
71.8%
80.7%
71.2%
5
19.5%
5.2%
89.4%
14.12
59.6%
95.6%
17.91
58.9%
51.2%
27.2%
43.8%
75.0%
68.8%
71.8%
3
16.5%
10.0%
89.7%
19.50
75.6%
95.1%
18.23
56.4%
50.8%
26.4%
36.5%
55.6%
61.8%
73.4%
0
0.0%
0.0%
89.5%
15.45
74.0%
94.4%
17.15
48.3%
44.9%
29.6%
28.0%
63.1%
70.7%
64.5%
14
30.9%
12.3% 8.3%
94.3%
18.36
82.6%
95.7%
18.65
61.3%
39.0%
36.4%
26.3%
53.1%
56.9%
62.8%
11
30.3%
88.9%
15.51
51.1%
96.4%
17.55
61.4%
52.1%
26.9%
29.7%
61.6%
65.7%
58.8%
3
5.8%
0.6%
91.0%
19.67
67.2%
95.8%
18.34
55.8%
47.7%
22.3%
34.9%
59.3%
68.2%
71.0%
7
37.3%
6.9% 18.4%
92.4%
18.94
56.0%
94.2%
18.10
51.6%
40.3%
31.7%
27.7%
53.0%
75.9%
78.7%
15
25.4%
84.9%
13.08
61.7%
95.3%
17.27
38.1%
34.7%
30.8%
31.1%
52.3%
79.5%
63.3%
1
14.6%
0.6%
90.3%
14.75
62.2%
94.8%
19.61
49.2%
28.1%
30.6%
37.9%
56.3%
73.6%
58.4%
8
15.5%
25.1%
85.2%
17.26
64.8%
93.8%
NC
55.5%
45.1%
31.8%
24.6%
54.7%
70.0%
65.6%
11
31.0%
13.5%
77.1%
17.85
44.3%
95.4%
17.50
26.0%
52.5%
11.8%
22.4%
63.2%
75.9%
68.5%
15
16.8%
8.5%
86.8%
11.58
58.5%
96.0%
16.80
60.2%
41.0%
23.5%
6.7%
32.1%
53.2%
54.4%
5
12.7%
7.6%
92.8%
18.41
15.7%
94.5%
19.04
19.0%
57.2%
11.3%
32.3%
56.1%
69.0%
31.5%
13
26.7%
11.0%
90.0%
14.93
56.6%
95.2%
17.02
42.0%
37.6%
20.3%
23.1%
39.1%
42.6%
44.7%
7
20.5%
2.4%
75.4%
6.90
55.0%
96.3%
14.90
34.0%
31.5%
13.8%
10.3%
37.5%
71.1%
46.4%
0
0.0%
0.0%
83.2%
14.14
61.1%
93.5%
16.46
34.8%
30.0%
16.6%
13.5%
43.0%
57.8%
40.8%
9
24.7%
5.6%
**About ACT averages: Ohio did not report ACT scores for 2016-17 on the School Report Cards. Through a public-records request, Cincy obtained scores from the Ohio Department of Education; however, the department provided only scores it received from ACT. It said the scores were not for all students and should not be compared with previous years’ scores. Several schools’ scores were not provided. ***About Advanced Placement: Some schools have quit offering AP classes, replacing them with other dual-credit options. Data anomalies exist for some districts on Ohio report cards, and the Department of Education says there could be an issue with how the student data-reporting system is flowing the information onto the report cards. w w w.
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49
District
Per-Pupil Spending (District)
State Performance Index Grade
Attendance Rate
GILBERT A. DATER HIGH SCHOOL
Cincinnati City
1,189
$10,367
0 out of 12
46
13
F
96.6%
CINCINNATI COLLEGE PREPARATORY ACADEMY
Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy
954
$6,059
1 out of 23
54.7
23
D
94.4%
MOUNT AUBURN INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY
Mount Auburn International Academy
427
$8,714
0 out of 23
48.5
16
F
90.2%
HUGHES STEM HIGH SCHOOL
Cincinnati City
890
$10,367
0 out of 12
42.4
9
F
92.9%
NORTH COLLEGE HILL HIGH SCHOOL
North College Hill City
370
$6,629
0 out of 7
51.8
20
D
92.8%
SHRODER PAIDEIA HIGH SCHOOL
Cincinnati City
764
$10,367
0 out of 12
45
12
F
96.8%
LOCKLAND HIGH SCHOOL
Lockland Local
142
$9,995
0 out of 7
50.9
19
D
91.7%
MOUNT HEALTHY HIGH SCHOOL
Mount Healthy City
792
$7,837
0 out of 9
42.7
9
F
89.9%
AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL
Cincinnati City
699
$10,367
0 out of 12
41.6
8
F
98.1%
OYLER SCHOOL
Cincinnati City
634
$10,367
1 out of 23
53.2
21
D
98.4%
Rank
Research by Bill Ferguson, Jr. 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 UR UR UR UR
Number of State Standards Met
High School* (2016-17 data except where noted)
Enrollment
(continued)
State Percentile (Among High Schools)
Southwest Ohio Public and Community Charter High Schools
School Performance Index Score
Best SCHOOLS
RIVERVIEW EAST ACADEMY
Cincinnati City
591
$10,367
0 out of 22
48.9
17
F
98.2%
WITHROW UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL
Cincinnati City
1,275
$10,367
0 out of 13
41.1
7
F
96.9%
WESTERN HILLS UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL
Cincinnati City
1,012
$10,367
0 out of 12
36.8
4
F
95.6%
ROBERT A. TAFT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HIGH SCHOOL
Cincinnati City
641
$10,367
0 out of 12
34.3
2
F
93.8%
WOODWARD CAREER TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL
Cincinnati City
920
$10,367
0 out of 12
34.4
2
F
90.5%
VIRTUAL HIGH SCHOOL
Cincinnati City
526
$10,367
0 out of 10
39.2
6
F
94.2%
CINCINNATI LEARNING SCHOOLS
Cincinnati Learning Schools
223
$9,065
0 out of 13
44
10
F
88.9%
CINCINNATI TECHNOLOGY ACADEMY
Cincinnati Technology Academy
161
$8,148
0 out of 13
41.9
8
F
84.8%
SUMMIT ACADEMY SECONDARY SCHOOL-MIDDLETOWN
Summit Academy Secondary School - Middletown
110
$5,923
0 out of 11
44.7
12
F
88.7%
SUMMIT ACADEMY TRANSITION HIGH SCHOOL-CINCINNATI
Summit Academy Transition High School-Cincinnati
76
$6,086
0 out of 5
41.3
7
F
90.2%
Rank
High School (2016-17 data)
District
Enrollment
Per-Pupil Spending (District)
State Percentile (Among High Schools)
Attendance Rate
4-Year Graduation Rate (Class of 2017)
Student/ Teacher Ratio
*All school buildings are listed by the state as enrolling 12th-graders. These can be traditional 9-12 schools, such as regular public high schools, or K-12, many of which are community schools. NC — Not calculated or not reported (unranked schools had incomplete data) UR — Unranked
1
HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL
Fort Thomas Independent
996
$15,682
99
97.1%
98.8%
17.79
2
BEECHWOOD HIGH SCHOOL
Beechwood Independent
650
$15,308
98
96.3%
97.2%
18.06
3
WALTON-VERONA HIGH SCHOOL
Walton-Verona Independent
527
$12,815
96
95.4%
97.6%
15.97
4
CONNER HIGH SCHOOL
Boone County
1,393
$12,925
89
95.0%
97.4%
15.65
5
LARRY A. RYLE HIGH SCHOOL
Boone County
1,800
$12,925
90
95.2%
95.2%
16.51
6
CAMPBELL COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
Campbell County
1,498
$13,441
86
95.0%
99.2%
18.05
7
LUDLOW HIGH SCHOOL
Ludlow Independent
368
$14,509
85
94.2%
95.2%
13.63
8
RANDALL K. COOPER HIGH SCHOOL
Boone County
1,307
$12,925
83
95.1%
93.8%
16.76
9
BOONE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
Boone County
1,321
$12,925
74
94.3%
95.1%
14.84
10
SIMON KENTON HIGH SCHOOL
Kenton County
1,768
$12,224
73
95.1%
91.7%
20.09
11
DIXIE HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL
Kenton County
1,417
$12,224
54
94.0%
93.4%
20.54
12
SCOTT HIGH SCHOOL
Kenton County
1,034
$12,224
68
94.3%
89.2%
21.54
13
BELLEVUE HIGH SCHOOL
Bellevue Independent
362
$13,514
50
95.2%
98.3%
15.74
14
DAYTON HIGH SCHOOL
Dayton Independent
342
$14,080
55
93.0%
94.1%
11.79
15
LLOYD HIGH SCHOOL
Erlanger-Elsmere Independent
572
$13,534
20
93.8%
95.5%
14.67
16
NEWPORT HIGH SCHOOL
Newport Independent
613
$17,991
7
92.9%
91.4%
10.95
17
HOLMES HIGH SCHOOL
Covington Independent
773
$17,947
4
94.1%
86.6%
12.67
UR
SILVER GROVE SCHOOL
Silver Grove Independent
163
$18,126
1
94.0%
93.8%
8.58
Kentucky Public High Schools Research by Bill Ferguson, Jr.
NC — Not calculated UR — Unranked
50
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High School English I EOC at or above Proficient
High School English II EOC at or above Proficient
High School Algebra I or Math I EOC at or above Proficient
High School Biology EOC at or above Proficient
High School Government EOC at or above Proficient
High School History EOC at or above Proficient
Number of Advanced Placement Classes***
% of Students Taking AP Test***
17.05
39.3%
35.8%
15.9%
7.5%
39.7%
75.0%
57.0%
5
22.0%
6.6%
99.7%
15.71
44.0%
24.0%
12.1%
3.5%
43.2%
87.5%
76.2%
0
0.0%
0.0%
% Scoring 3 or Higher on AP Test***
Teacher Attendance Rate 95.2%
15.2%
High School Geometry or Math II EOC at or above Proficient
Teachers With At Least a Master's Degree 63.2%
Average ACT Score**
Student/Teacher Ratio 17.49 20.74
4-Year Graduation Rate (Class of 2016) 77.5% 68.8% 80.0%
18.17
21.3%
97.7%
NC
42.9%
28.6%
33.3%
46.2%
38.5%
54.5%
27.3%
0
0.0%
0.0%
79.6%
13.97
63.9%
96.3%
15.71
32.4%
33.1%
13.9%
2.4%
18.8%
71.0%
53.3%
4
12.9%
0.0%
83.0%
15.95
57.6%
94.6%
15.50
36.6%
21.1%
12.1%
15.8%
23.5%
43.1%
40.8%
0
0.0%
0.0%
78.0%
16.61
56.5%
94.4%
16.41
35.2%
28.9%
8.9%
5.9%
27.9%
65.7%
52.3%
10
47.3%
1.2%
74.5%
14.79
38.8%
97.4%
17.33
46.6%
37.7%
12.8%
6.2%
24.6%
46.7%
29.7%
0
0.0%
0.0%
79.1%
18.08
52.9%
91.9%
16.69
32.9%
25.6%
22.6%
7.9%
29.1%
63.4%
51.5%
2
4.6%
0.4%
69.3%
13.31
62.9%
96.0%
15.05
32.8%
26.7%
9.6%
3.0%
23.3%
57.0%
36.4%
9
25.2%
1.3%
55.2%
14.74
62.8%
95.9%
14.41
18.0%
11.8%
21.4%
8.3%
10.3%
24.4%
36.7%
6
4.4%
0.7%
51.8%
15.93
55.5%
93.6%
16.03
39.7%
25.5%
17.7%
4.3%
24.8%
28.6%
27.8%
3
10.8%
0.0% 0.0%
72.2%
16.14
69.6%
94.9%
14.77
23.4%
18.7%
9.6%
4.7%
5.9%
53.1%
30.8%
0
0.2%
72.8%
13.32
55.3%
94.9%
14.25
21.1%
15.1%
6.3%
4.3%
14.1%
43.6%
29.5%
0
4.1%
0.9%
77.0%
14.06
58.3%
95.7%
15.06
18.5%
13.1%
7.1%
3.6%
23.0%
29.4%
26.3%
4
12.3%
0.8%
66.3%
13.33
50.7%
95.1%
14.67
21.1%
12.8%
6.3%
2.9%
14.4%
31.5%
19.9%
3
4.4%
0.6%
19.5%
30.94
94.1%
92.1%
14.45
21.5%
10.3%
5.3%
5.5%
14.3%
18.5%
29.6%
0
2.0%
1.0%
58.8%
31.86
NC
100.0%
14.14
12.0%
23.3%
14.0%
11.8%
3.3%
46.7%
23.8%
0
0.0%
0.0%
NC
23.00
14.3%
98.9%
NC
29.4%
38.5%
15.8%
0.0%
23.8%
NC
23.1%
0
0.0%
0.0%
NC
5.64
33.3%
94.6%
NC
13.0%
33.3%
4.2%
17.4%
28.0%
NC
47.6%
0
0.0%
0.0%
68.0%
6.79
41.8%
95.2%
NC
15.6%
20.0%
7.7%
NC
NC
30.0%
23.1%
0
0.0%
0.0%
Teachers With At Least a Master's
Average ACT Score
11th-Grade Writing % Proficient or Better
End-of-Course Math % Proficient or Better (Grades 9-12)
End-of-Course Reading % Proficient or Better (Grades 9-12)
End-of-Course Science % Proficient or Better (Grades 9-12)
End-of-Course Social Studies % Proficient or Better (Grades 9-12)
Number of Advanced Placement Classes
Advanced Placement Test Takers
% of AP Exams With a Score of 3 or Above
**About ACT averages: Ohio did not report ACT scores for 2016-17 on the School Report Cards. Through a public-records request, Cincy obtained scores from the Ohio Department of Education; however, the department provided only scores it received from ACT. It said the scores were not for all students and should not be compared with previous years’ scores. Several schools’ scores were not provided. ***About Advanced Placement: Some schools have quit offering AP classes, replacing them with other dual-credit options. Data anomalies exist for some districts on Ohio report cards, and the Department of Education says there could be an issue with how the student data-reporting system is flowing the information onto the report cards.
50.7%
24.3
87.5%
67.6%
81.3%
78.0%
82.7%
37
599
68.9%
56.4%
25.3
72.3%
62.0%
83.5%
78.8%
91.2%
16
215
51.8%
60.0%
21.7
79.1%
67.1%
75.6%
62.4%
78.5%
1
NC
NC
57.5%
21.1
59.5%
60.5%
66.1%
59.8%
67.6%
16
335
58.3%
58.4%
22.2
76.6%
52.4%
67.1%
49.5%
73.3%
26
505
63.0%
54.8%
21.8
73.0%
43.4%
69.0%
54.8%
69.2%
23
539
53.6%
35.5%
19.2
86.8%
31.5%
67.3%
59.6%
62.7%
0
0
0
47.5%
21.4
71.4%
42.2%
63.9%
46.8%
75.1%
25
393
55.5%
64.4%
20.2
67.0%
45.2%
52.5%
44.7%
72.2%
9
117
73.2%
59.1%
21.5
60.1%
47.6%
61.6%
52.1%
68.6%
14
310
63.4%
64.1%
21.2
51.8%
42.0%
55.7%
46.8%
65.2%
17
327
74.7%
48.6%
20.4
59.7%
37.7%
52.8%
53.9%
60.2%
7
77
55.1%
54.2%
19.1
52.5%
36.1%
54.5%
39.7%
64.7%
2
NC
NC
41.4%
20.3
68.5%
25.3%
58.2%
48.1%
47.2%
0
0
0
53.3%
19.3
66.2%
22.8%
52.7%
34.5%
37.8%
6
109
37.2%
50.0%
17.2
43.0%
37.9%
34.3%
24.0%
48.3%
0
0
0
47.3%
17.1
38.2%
30.7%
37.2%
17.0%
32.1%
4
128
7.0%
28.6%
NC
NC
0%
NC
NC
10.0%
0
0
0
w w w.
m a g a z i n e . c o m : : A U G U S T/S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8
51
Best SCHOOLS
Honorable Mentions Enrollment School
We’ve named the overall top seven in Ohio and top three in Kentucky, but that doesn’t mean other local schools aren’t great as well. That’s why we’ve compiled the top lists—from both Ohio and Kentucky—in four other categories: Student/Teacher Ratio, Four-Year Graduation Rate, Attendance Rate and Enrollment. While schools that did well in the following categories tended to do well overall, these top lists also contain plenty of surprises. Bill Ferguson Jr., who also puts together our Rating the Burbs project annually, collected and analyzed the data for this feature.
Enrollment
Attendance rate School
Rate
1 William Mason High School
3,467
1 Oyler School
98.4%
2 Walnut Hills High School
2,840
2 Riverview East Academy
98.2%
3 Lakota East High School
2,414
3 Aiken High School
98.1%
4 Oak Hills High School
2,209
4 Clark Montessori High School
97.7%
5 Lakota West High School
2,192
5 James N. Gamble Montessori High School
97.5%
6 Fairfield High School
1,874
5 Walnut Hills High School
97.5%
7 Milford Senior High School
1,849
7 Highlands High School
97.1%
8 Hamilton High School
1,812
7 School For Creative & Performing Arts High School 97.1%
9 Larry A. Ryle High School
1,800
9 Lakota West High School
96.9%
10 Springboro High School
1,797
9 Withrow University High School
96.9%
4-year graduation rate School
1 Walnut Hills High School
Rate
100.0%
2 Campbell County High School
99.2%
Student/teacher ratio School
1 Summit Academy Secondary School-Middletown
Ratio
5.64
2 Summit Academy Transition High School-Cincinnati 6.79
3 School For Creative & Performing Arts High School 99.1%
3 New Miami High School
6.90
4 Highlands High School
98.8%
4 Silver Grove School
8.58
4 Wyoming High School
98.8%
5 Reading Community High School
10.37
6 Bellevue High School
98.3%
6 Madison High School
10.51
7 Ross High School
98.1%
7 Newport High School
10.95
8 Taylor High School
98.0%
8 Indian Hill High School
11.41
9 Bellbrook High School
97.7%
9 James N. Gamble Montessori High School
11.58
10 Goshen High School
97.6%
10 Dayton High School
11.79
10 Mariemont High School
97.6%
11 Bethel-Tate High School
11.90
10 Walton-Verona High School
97.6%
12 Holmes High School
12.67
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Programming the
Future
While our school list gives you great information on the raw numbers of local schools, sometimes greatness can’t be measured. That’s why we looked at four programs offered by schools to find out what they’re doing to help students be prepared for future learning and careers. Read on to learn about what local schools are doing that may not be reflected in test scores, but will certainly help students later in life.
THE SCHOOL FOR CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS Cincinnati
ELDER HIGH SCHOOL Price Hill The past four years, Elder High School has invested approximately $9.5 million in campus renovations. As the school prepares to welcome its 100th class, it continues to invest in its students’ futures by embracing academic alternatives. For the upcoming 2018-19 school year, Elder plans to transition to a daily modified block schedule. The new schedule comes with a number of benefits that will enhance students’ education and further prepare them for life beyond graduation. The modified block schedule is based on a seven-period day, however it will consist of three primary schedules throughout the week involving seven periods, four periods and three periods with built in flex time. This flex time, according to Kurt Ruffing, principal of Elder High School, will provide more space in students’ schedules for activities like school-wide and class masses, standardized test prep seminars, college and career planning, motivational speakers, club meetings and pep rallies. A block schedule will also allow time
for more college dual credit courses. Elder High School will now offer the following: Biology, Physics 1, Intro to Engineering, Engineering Models, Economics, Business Analytics 1 and 2, Government, World History and Intro to Sports Management. Another opportunity through the block schedule is a partnership with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) located in Western Hills. Students who have an interest in a career as an electrician will have the opportunity to complete one year of electrical apprenticeship while attending Elder. “The school endeavors to prepare students to be lifelong seekers of both knowledge and skills, and to be followings of Jesus Christ in word and deed,” says Ruffing. – Karina Baffa
The School for Creative and Performing Arts, a gem within Cincinnati Public Schools, is no stranger to breeding success. In a testament of SCPA’s core values, “we have achieved a 100 percent graduation rate, with 90 percent of our graduates matriculating to college, with $12.5 million in college aid earned,” says Teresa SummeHaas, the external relations officer. While SCPA students have found success within the classroom, they are also finding it outside their regular classes. SCPA implemented its Summer Opera Technical Theater Apprenticeship Program in conjunction with the Cincinnati Opera in 2013. The program, in its sixth year, “pairs our high school students with professionals from the Opera and International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 5 to gain invaluable behind-thescenes theater work experience,” says Summe-Haas. “This summer apprenticeship program gives SCPA Technical Theatre majors the chance to work and learn alongside professional stage managers, set, lighting, costume and prop designers from the Cincinnati Opera.” Fifty students have participated in the program in which they earned a paycheck and irreplaceable on-the-job experience. Angela Powell Walker, SCPA’s artistic director, says that the program “affords our students an opportunity to be seriousminded about their career aspirations in technical theater, and to see for themselves that the technical theater profession is a viable career path.” – Erin Gardner w w w.
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Best SCHOOLS SETON HIGH SCHOOL Price Hill
WINTON WOODS CITY SCHOOLS Forest Park, Greenhills and Springfield Township Winton Woods City Schools is a “New Tech Network” district as well as a project-based learning district. These programs give students from preschool to 12th grade a hands-on learning approach incomparable to others. Project-based learning engages students by beginning each new unit of study with a complex and authentic task assigned, in turn resulting in peer-to-peer collaboration and critical thinking about a realworld problem. “Our innovative approach to education is unique because [Ohio’s Learning Standard] are embedded in projects for every student in every grade,” s a y s C o r i n a D e n n y, community and public engagement coordinator for Winton Woods City School District. The district began to practice project-based learning in the 2010-11 school year at the Academy of Global Studies, a school within Winton Woods High School. The first graduating class of the New Tech Network in 2015 was a clear indication of project-based learning’s success. “PBL 54
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[project-based learning] fosters a student’s creativity, inherent drive to learn, critical thinking skills all while mastering subject content and much more,” Denny says. Winton Woods City Schools is currently in the process of designing two entirely new campuses that will be specifically for project-based learning. Located in Forest Park, the first campus is expected to open in August of 2020 and will house students in grades seven through 12. The second campus, expected to open in March of 2021, will be located in Greenhills for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. The brand-new campuses will include student and teacher collaborate common spaces, large combined classrooms, maker space, distributed dining, an outdoor theater and a community commons area. - Karina Baffa
Seton High School cares about its students, and its shows that by having an exclusive program between Seton and TriHealth. The Seton TriHealth Summer Employment Program between Seton and TriHealth exposes students to a variety of jobs in the medical profession and is made possible by the SC Ministry Foundation. Seton is the only high school in Cincinnati that has been given this unique opportunity through TriHealth, says Christy Schutte, the marketing and public relations coordinator for Seton. More than 50 students at Seton High School have had the opportunity to intern at 50 different TriHealth locations throughout the area, including Good Samaritan Hospital. Jobs range from clerical work to patient transporting to having the opportunity to watch surgeries. Students who participate in the program can earn competitive wages that may be used to offset educational expenses, choose from options for full-time or part-time schedules, develop business-critical soft skills, gain awareness of the health care field, develop professional relationships, gain confidence and receive coaching and training from a professional mentor Sophomore Ava Pieczonka, who participated in the program, says “I decided to work at TriHealth this summer because I have always been interested in the medical field. I saw this as a great opportunity to learn things early. I knew I would enjoy it, especially at TriHealth. I love it there and am blessed to be given this opportunity with such amazing people.” – Erin Gardner
Lakota Local Schools
5572 Princeton Road, Liberty Township, OH 45011 513-874-5505 • lakotaonline.com
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ocated in southwestern Ohio, Lakota is the eighth largest school district in the state, and the largest in Butler County. Through an innovative, studentcentered approach, Lakota strives to provide an engaging and personalized educational experience centered around critical thinking, exploration and collaboration. With two high schools including two freshmen campuses and alternative high school option through the Career Readiness Academy, four junior schools, eight elementary schools, and six early childhood schools, Lakota has grown from a rural district to a suburban district with a student population of about 16,500. The school system has innovative spaces for collaboration and hands-on learning, including a STEAM2 or Wonder lab in every early childhood and elementary school. It’s one of just 93 districts nationwide to be accepted into the League of Innovative Schools, a national coalition of forward-thinking school districts with the mission to accelerate innovation in education through technology and research. Lakota’s Career
Readiness Academy is a unique alternative program, offering students the opportunity to earn their high school diploma in a smaller, more flexible environment that combines online learning with one-on-one instruction. An all-day kindergarten program is also available to every early learner.
EDUCATION PROFILE
Lakota Local Schools is proud to be a leader in redefining the K-12 educational experience. Our studentcentered approach to learning values critical thinking, exploration and collaboration to prepare our students for the college or career awaiting them after graduation.
www.LakotaOnline.com (513) 874-5505 lakota@lakotaonline.com w w w.
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