Washington Post Ranks Earl L. Vandermeulen Within Top Two High Schools in Suffolk County

The Washington Post released its annual list of America’s Most Challenging High Schools in the United States. The Port Jefferson School District is pleased to announce that with this year’s results, Earl L. Vandermeulen High School is ranked 322 out of 2,025 schools nationally, placing it 36th in the Northeast, 27th in New York State and second in Suffolk County. Port Jefferson has improved 15 spots in the state from 42nd in 2011. 

“We are very proud to be included among these prestigious schools in the state and nation,” said Port Jefferson Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kenneth Bossert. “This ranking recognizes the hard work and accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff and the community. As the race for excellence has no finish line, we will continue to work toward the No. 1 ranking.”

In order to calculate an index score for each school, researchers take the total number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests given at a school each year and divide it by the number of seniors who graduated in May or June. 

Public schools that achieved a ratio of at least 1.00, meaning they had as many tests in 2013 as they had graduates, were put on the national list. Schools are ranked in order of ratio. Only 9 percent of the approximately 22,000 U.S. public high schools managed to reach the standard and earn placement on the list.