HOLLYWOOD, Md. (May 31, 2018)—Every year U.S. News and World Reports ranks all high schools in America based on the proficiency of students in reading and math and the schools ability to make them college-ready; this year Great Mills High School ranked as No. 45 out of all high schools in Maryland. According to the magazine's ranking study, Great Mills High School boasted an 89 percent graduation rate as well as an Advanced Placement testing participation rate of 31 percent.
The school earned what the magazine called a "silver medal" award for its standing.
Great Mills was also given a 24.5 rate out of 100 for college preparedness. Curiously the other two high schools in St. Mary's, Leonardtown and Chopticon were not ranked in the study, despite having some higher metrics than Great Mills. Great Mills ranked at No. 2,430 in the nation.
Both Leonardtown and Chopticon had 95 percent or higher rates of graduation; Leonardtown had a 33.1 percent college preparedness rate as opposed to a 21.5 percent rate for Chopticon. Neither Leonardtown nor Chopticon were awarded a "gold" or "silver" medal by U.S. News and World Report. Chopticon has a 39 percent advanced testing participation rate with a 41 percent pass rate; Leonardtown has a 40 percent participation rate, according to the study, with a 77 percent pass rate. At Chopticon 44 percent of students are proficient in math, the study states, while 41 percent are proficient in reading.
At Leonardtown 33 percent are proficient in math and 55 percent are proficient in reading; at Great Mills just 28 percent are proficient in math with 48 percent proficient in reading, the study reports.
Overall, U.S. News and World Report gave St. Mary's County Public Schools a college readiness rating of 26.4 with a 35 percent student proficiency in math and a 47 percent proficiency in reading.
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