In the spring of each year, U.S. News and World Report, a respected news and information service, issues its ranking of the “Best High Schools” in America. In compiling the 2016 list, the publication evaluated over 28,000 schools first to determine eligibility and then to rank them nationally based on their performance on state assessments and how well they prepare students for college. Placing in the top 12 percent of the ca. 19,900 eligible high schools studied, the SABIS® International Charter School in Springfield, Massachusetts, earned a place on the “Best High Schools” list and was awarded a silver medal for its academic performance for the seventh consecutive year.
In determining eligibility and ranking for the 2016 list, U.S. News and World Report worked with research firm RTI International. The rankings were calculated based on four factors: First, a determination was made to establish whether or not each school’s students were performing better than statistically expected for students in that state. Second, schools were assessed based on whether or not their disadvantaged students – black, Hispanic and low-income – were outperforming disadvantaged students in the state. Third, schools had to show a minimum graduation rate of 68 percent, (based on the Every Student Succeeds Act, schools that have a graduation rate below 68 percent must receive additional state resources). And fourth, schools were assigned a College Readiness Index (CPI) based on their AP® or IB participation rate – the number of 12th-grade students in the 2014-2015 academic year who took at least one AP® or IB test before or during their senior year, divided by the number of 12th graders – and how well the students did on those tests.
SICS is a school that currently enrolls 1,574 students in Kindergarten through Grade 12. The school’s student body is comprised of 71 percent minority students. Fifty-four (54) percent of SICS students are from economically-disadvantaged families. Ninety-eight (98) percent of the school’s students are proficient in English and 92 percent are proficient in mathematics. The school’s graduation rate stands at an impressive 98 percent, and the 108 students in the SICS graduating Class of 2016 earned $12.8 million in scholarships.
Commenting on the rankings, Mr. George Saad, SABIS® Vice President of U.S. Operations said, “We are very proud to have SABIS® International Charter School included on this prestigious list once again and are committed to challenging our students and helping them all achieve their full potential – in the classroom and in pursuit of their talents and dreams in college and beyond.”
Like all schools within the global SABIS® Network, SICS implements the SABIS® Educational System™, an enriching program that provides students with solid academic tools that help them achieve outstanding academic results.
For more information about the SABIS® International Charter School, visit sics.sabis.net. Click here to view the schools U.S. News and World Report ranking.