11:00am | Seven high schools in the Long Beach Unified School District were named to Newsweek magazine’s annual list of 1,600 of America’s Top High Schools. This breaks the district’s record of six listings, which was set last year.

The rankings are based on a Newsweek formula that takes the number of Advanced Placement tests or International Baccalaureate or Cambridge (AICE) tests given at the school, and divides that number by the number of graduating seniors. Essentially, if the school gives out as many advanced placement tests as it has graduating seniors, it makes the list.

If that seems like a head-scratching formula, I kind of agree with you there. Newsweek attempts to address the apparent flaws with its FAQ, but the glaring aspect is that the formula consists of how many advanced placement tests are taken and not how well the students score on them. The argument is that a high number of tests taken indicates that teachers are pushing their students to achieve, and that there would also be flaws in a scoring-based system. What do you think about the system?

Either way, the LBUSD schools are happy to be on the list. Six of them were also named to the 2009 list, and Millikan High makes its debut appearance this time around.

In a press release, the district is drawing attention to the fact that LBUSD schools are excelling despite a higher-than-usual number of students who receive subsidized lunches based on financial need. This is a big selling point because it demonstrates that students from any socioeconomic background can achieve in Long Beach schools.

For example, the California Academy of Mathematics and Science here in Long Beach ranked #532 with 45% of its student body receiving subsidized lunches, while my alma mater ranked #619 but with only 16% of its students receiving assistance. Compared that with Poly’s whopping 63%, and the LBUSD rankings are quite an achievement.

Here is the LBUSD list in full. Click here to visit the Newsweek website to look up any high school in America.

532 – CAMS (45% subs. lunch)
821 – Wilson (48% subs. lunch)
997 – Poly (63% subs. lunch)
1,127 – Renaissance (59% subs. lunch)
1,237 – Lakewood (46% subs. lunch)
1,266 – Avalon (61% subs. lunch)
1,392 – Millikan (56% subs. lunch)

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