By Scott Buttram
The annual ranking of America’s Best High Schools was released by U.S. News and World Report last week and Hewitt-Trussville was ranked No. 14 in Alabama and No
. 1650 nationally, based on student performance and college readiness. When magnet schools are removed from the equation, HTHS ranked No. 10 in the state.
Over 21,000 schools were reviewed, but only medalist schools totaling 4,805 were ranked.
HTHS was one of 16 Silver Medal high schools in the state, while only two Gold Medals were awarded to Alabama schools. Loveless Academy in Montgomery claimed one Gold Medal as the top high school and Mountain Brook High School, No. 2 in Alabama, claimed the other.
A criterion considered for the rankings comes from a broad base of data, with an emphasis on performing above state expectations and college readiness.
According to the report, 35 percent of Hewitt seniors took an Advanced Placement exam with 18 percent passing, ninety-five percent of the class was proficient in Math and ninety-three percent was proficient in Reading. All four categories were above the state average.
In 2011, HTHS was awarded an A+ College Ready grant which the school used to push AP enrollment to the highest level in school history. The high school was also recognized for increasing AP enrollment while maintaining a pass rate on AP tests above the national average.
In September of 2012, officials from A+ College Ready recognized four HTHS Advance Placement teachers for their student’s achievements on the AP tests. Recognized were AP Physics teachers Felecia Gulledge and Eric Lambert, along with AP Biology teachers Jeana Gilbert and Mary Alice Major.
Gulledge had a high quantity of students with qualifying AP scores. This means that the students in these classes consistently performed well on their tests and in class. Lambert was recognized for having the highest increase in qualifying scores from 2011 to 2012 score reports in Physics.
Gilbert and Major were recognized for having the highest qualifying scores from the 2011 score report in AP Biology.