57:
illuminates one factor that many educators consider important." The validity of the
Challenge Index has been strongly criticized by education analysts Andrew J. Rotherham and Sara Mead of Education Sector in Washington, DC. Their 2006 paper, "Challenged Index" showed how many schools that are among the top 100 nationally, according to Newsweek, actually have high dropout rates and wide gaps in achievement separating students by race and income. A summary of their argument appeared in
56:
However, critics argue that this ranking system does a disservice by not taking into consideration the actual performance of the student exams, but merely the number of exams taken. Administrators of the study acknowledge that the system is "not a measurement of the overall quality of the school but
52:
For each school, the study tallies the total number of AP and IB exams that are taken that year in the school. This sum is divided by the number of students graduating in that same year. This ratio is the
Challenge Index. Not incorporated with the study are any school that accepts over 50% of its
61:
and Jay
Mathews responded. The editors, primarily Jay Mathews, defend their ratings by citing recent studies by U.S. Department of Education senior researcher Clifford Adelman. In 1999 and 2005, Adelman showed that the best predictor of college graduation was not good high-school grades or test
53:
students via a placement test or other type of admission criterion. The study effectively demonstrates the public schools with the greatest opportunity for all students to challenge themselves with college-level courses.
156:"Archived - Answers in the Tool Box: Academic Intensity, Attendance Patterns, and Bachelor's Degree Attainment Appendix D: So They Got a Degree! Why Did It Take So Long? Or Did It?"
62:
scores, but whether or not a student had an intense academic experience in high school. The demands of higher level, college-type courses in high school would, according to
202:
41:. It is also the only statistical ranking system for both public and private high schools. The ranking is determined by the extent of availability of the
106:
72:“America’s Best Colleges”, as including too many factors, and of American high schools in general since only 5% of all US high schools make the
184:
140:
125:
46:
68:
176:
110:
66:, provide that experience. The editors are critical of some other indices of school excellence, such as
33:
42:
79:
Tabulated results of the
Challenge Index are published for Washington area high schools in
196:
28:
24:
155:
38:
76:
list by having at least 1 AP or IB test score per each graduating senior.
49:
Programs in the school's curriculum and the number of graduating seniors.
85:
23:
is a method for the statistical ranking of top public and private
107:"Education Sector: Analysis and Perspectives: Challenged Index"
124:
Mead, Andrew J. Rotherham and Sara (June 22, 2007).
89:also publishes nationwide results each year.
8:
185:2005 table of 1000 top schools nationwide
98:
180:s coverage of the 2005 Challenge Index
203:Educational assessment and evaluation
7:
143:– via www.washingtonpost.com.
128:– via www.washingtonpost.com.
16:American high school ranking method
14:
139:Mathews, Jay (June 22, 2007).
109:. June 8, 2007. Archived from
1:
69:U.S. News & World Report
47:International Baccalaureate
219:
141:"Accepting the Challenge"
178:The Washington Post'
187:The Washington Post
154:Adelman, Clifford.
81:The Washington Post
59:The Washington Post
34:The Washington Post
43:Advanced Placement
126:"A Rank Exercise"
210:
164:
163:
151:
145:
144:
136:
130:
129:
121:
115:
114:
103:
218:
217:
213:
212:
211:
209:
208:
207:
193:
192:
173:
168:
167:
153:
152:
148:
138:
137:
133:
123:
122:
118:
105:
104:
100:
95:
21:Challenge Index
17:
12:
11:
5:
216:
214:
206:
205:
195:
194:
191:
190:
182:
172:
171:External links
169:
166:
165:
146:
131:
116:
113:on 2007-06-08.
97:
96:
94:
91:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
215:
204:
201:
200:
198:
189:
188:
183:
181:
179:
175:
174:
170:
161:
157:
150:
147:
142:
135:
132:
127:
120:
117:
112:
108:
102:
99:
92:
90:
88:
87:
82:
77:
75:
71:
70:
65:
60:
54:
50:
48:
44:
40:
36:
35:
31:, created by
30:
29:United States
26:
22:
186:
177:
159:
149:
134:
119:
111:the original
101:
84:
80:
78:
73:
67:
63:
58:
55:
51:
32:
25:high schools
20:
18:
160:www2.ed.gov
39:Jay Mathews
93:References
83:annually.
37:columnist
197:Category
86:Newsweek
74:Newsweek
64:Newsweek
27:in the
45:and
19:The
199::
158:.
162:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.