Anonymous wrote:What the hell happened to Oakton? Wasn't it always like #5 or 6?
It has been ranked that high at times in the past.'
All these ranking methodologies change over time. This is a summary description of the current US News weighting.
"College Readiness 30%
The proportions of 12th graders who took and passed at least one AP or IB exam. Passing is worth three times more than just taking.
Math and Reading Proficiency 20%
Aggregated scores on state assessments that students may be required to pass for graduation.
Math and Reading Performance 20%
How aggregated scores on state assessments compare to U.S. News's expectations given the proportions of students who are black, Hispanic and from low-income households.
Underserved Student Performance 10%
Scores on state assessments aggregated just among students who are black, Hispanic and from low-income households. These scores are compared to what is typical in the state for non-undeserved students, with parity or higher being the goal.
College Curriculum Breadth 10%
The proportions of 12th graders who took and passed AP and IB exams in multiple areas. More exams are valued more than fewer exams up to a maximum of four. Passing an exam is worth three times more than taking.
Graduation Rate 10%
The proportion of entering 9th graders who graduated four academic years later."
Oakton is very high in terms of "College Readiness" but got dinged a bit for "Math and Reading Proficiency" and even more for "Math and Reading Performance." US News doesn't disclose the "Underserved Student Performance" component separately, but that may have pulled Oakton down as well this year.