Pasadena Unified’s Blair HS, Marshall and PHS Receive Silver Medal from US News & World Report as Part of their Best High Schools Rankings

U.S. News & World Report today announced the 2015 Best High Schools rankings, highlighting top-performing public schools on a state and national level. The 2015 rankings, available exclusively at usnews.com, include data on more than 21,150 public high schools. The School for the Talented and Gifted in Dallas, Texas, earns the No. 1 spot nationally for the fourth straight year, followed by BASIS Scottsdale in Arizona at No. 2 and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, at No. 3.

U.S. News differentiates high schools with gold, silver and bronze medals, using gold medals to indicate the greatest level of college readiness. In this year’s edition of Best High Schools, 6,517 schools received medals. Maryland claims the highest percentage of top-performing high schools, with nearly 30 percent of its eligible schools earning gold or silver medals. California comes in second with 27 percent, followed by Connecticut with 25 percent. A state-by-state breakdown is available here.

“A high school diploma is essential for career and financial success,” said Brian Kelly, editor and chief content officer of U.S. News & World Report. “The Best High Schools rankings are a useful tool for families trying to discern how well schools are serving their students in preparation for college and careers.”

To create the 2015 Best High Schools rankings, U.S. News worked with RTI International, a North Carolina-based research firm. New this year, the Best High Schools methodology was updated to reduce volatility in the rankings from year to year.

The Best High Schools website includes data for thousands of schools, including enrollment; diversity; participation in free and reduced-price lunch programs; and the results of state assessments, Advanced Placement® and International Baccalaureate tests.

For more information about Best High Schools, visit www.usnews.com/highschools and join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter using the #BestHighSchools hashtag.

For more information, visit www.pusd.us/pages/PasadenaUSD.