Shorewood Named Top High School in Wisconsin

Shorewood is home to the top high school in the state, according to a ranking of public schools released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report magazine.

"It's a very pleasant surprise, but not a huge surprise," Superintendent Martin Lexmond said. "I'm obviously proud to be a part of this, but it's really a reflection of the hard work our teachers do every day."

Using a mix of criteria, including teacher-student ratio, test scores and college readiness, Shorewood High School not only topped all high schools in Wisconsin, it also came in 476th in the nation. 

“In Shorewood, we care about more than just test scores and AP exams,” high school Principal Matt Joynt said. “Our arts programs, athletic offerings and wide range of extra-curricular activities ensure that our students are well-rounded and ready to take on the challenges they’ll face after leaving SHS, regardless of whether they enter a college, university or workforce.”

Milwaukee King International, part of the Milwaukee Public School system came in second in the state, followed by Marshfield High School, West Bend West High School, and the Carmen High School of Science and Technology in Milwaukee. The only other Milwaukee-area school on the list is the Milwaukee School of Languages at No. 26 in Wisconsin. 

The School for the Talented and Gifted in the Dallas Independent School District retained its distinction as the best public high school in the country.

U.S. News said it collected data on more than 21,000 public high schools from 49 states and the District of Columbia, excluding Nebraska, which didn't report enough data. It joined forces with the American Institutes for Research, a D.C.-based organization, to evaluate schools on overall student performance on state-mandated assessments, as well as how effectively schools educated their black, Hispanic and economically-disadvantaged students.

Performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams was then used to determine the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work. School data is for the 2010-2011 school year. 

According to the rankings, 15 percent of the SHS student body is proficient and 72 percent is advanced in reading, with 35 percent proficient in math and 55 percent advanced. 

Additionally, in typically underperforming subgroups, 66 percent of students were proficient. U.S. News calculated a College Readiness Index based on AP exam participation rates and percentages of students passing at least one AP exam, and Shorewood received a 46.6. 

"Given the size of the high school, we can be proud of the AP offering," Lexmond said. "When we talk about Advanced Placement, it's usually about college readiness, but I think it is more so getting students not only ready for college, but ready for a career, ready for life. I think Advanced Placement classes do all three."

According to U.S. News and World Report, SHS has a 29 percent minority population, and 14 percent of its student body is economically-disadvantaged and 11 percent using the free or reduced lunch program. 

Across the Shorewood School District, minority population has actually hit 30 percent, which means the district has hit a state-mandated threshold, and can no longer accept Chapter 220 students. 

Lexmond said the high school has been really thoughtful about building reading and math interventions with small class sizes and unique, innovative approaches, and extra support outside the classroom.