The roster of Oregon's top public high schools is dotted with representatives from the Portland area.
However, it's not quite as Portland-centered as one might think. Indeed, the top-rated public high school sits far outside the Portland metro area. What's more, such cities as Corvallis have multiple representatives on the list, which is based on information Pittsburgh-based researcher Niche.com prepared in advance of the 2018-19 school year.
SLIDESHOW: Oregon's Top 50 high schools for 2019
An examination of top public high schools provides businesses with several excellent metrics. Those relocating may take a facility's geographic info into consideration as a way to keep employees with families happy. What's more, many top-rated schools have strong engineering and science programs that might offer work study candidates to savvy companies.
Niche.com bases its rankings on statistics from the U.S. Department of education, along with millions of reviews from students and parents. Ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates and the quality of the school's teachers.
The rankings are based on the degree to which certain factors affect the overall grade. A school in the top 10, for instance, might have the same overall grade as another school but rank higher because it performed better in academics, which com prises a big part of the overall mark.
The rankings breakdown goes like this:
- Academics account for 60 percent of the grade. The figure is derived from state assessment proficiency, SAT/ACT scores and survey responses on academics from students and parents.
- Culture and Diversity accounts for 10 percent of the overall grade. The category is based on racial and economic diversity and survey responses on school culture and diversity from students and parents.
- "Parent/Student Surveys on Overall Experience" comprises another 10 percent of the grade. Those responding to the surveys rank their experiences on a scale of one to five.
- Quality of Teachers contributes to 10 percent of the grade. The score is predicated on teacher salaries and teacher absenteeism, as well as state test results and survey responses from students and parents.
- The availability of clubs and activities, the quality of health and safety at the schools, resources and facility and sports each comprise 2.5 percent of the overall grade.
A few notes about the final rankings:
- The No. 1 overall school has risen quickly, ranking sixth among public high schools in 2016.
- Nine of the schools are based in Portland. Just two of those rank in the top 10.
- Another eight are based in the city's western suburbs. The highest-rated public high school among that list ranks third.
- Lake Oswego counts two schools in the top 50. Both rank in the top 10.
- Eleven of the schools are based in other Portland suburbs.
The Portland Business Journal is a KGW News partner.
