Magazine recognizes two area high schools' student performance

A national magazine recognized two area high schools this week for their students’ performance.

Havelock and Jones Senior high schools received bronze medals in the 2010 U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best High Schools report.

The schools were two of 31 in the state and 1,189 in the nation that were awarded bronze medals. Bronze medals are given to schools based on their overall student population’s performance on state tests, as well as the performance of their disadvantaged student populations compared with expectations for average students in the state, according to usnews.com.

The schools that receive the bronze medals do not, however, meet the report’s criteria for how well they are preparing their students for college-level work.

This is the third year that U.S. News & World Report has issued the report, which looks at all 21,786 public schools in the country. To determine the rankings, the magazine looks at how a school’s students performed on state tests compared with expectations for the average student in the state, as well as how the schools’ black, Hispanic and low-income students performed.

The final criterion is based on student performance on college-level Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses.

In North Carolina, 11 schools received silver medals. Two schools, Raleigh Charter High School and The Early College at Guilford in Greensboro, received gold medals signifying they were ranked in the top 100 in the nation.

“It’s nice to get some kind of recognition on the national level,” said Jeffrey Murphy, principal of Havelock High, which received a bronze award for the third straight year. “I think our students and our teachers work really hard.”

 Murphy said he believes Havelock High has not received a higher ranking in the report because the school does not offer as many on-site college-level Advanced Placement classes as other schools. Havelock offers many of its AP courses online through the N.C. Virtual Public High School, and through the University of North Carolina at Greensboro iSchool, he said. Havelock does not always have enough interest from students to offer the AP courses on site.

“I wish they would look at our community college partnerships,” Murphy said. “We have a lot of students who participate in a lot of community college opportunities.”

Murphy added that he believes the school’s success in being ranked in the report stems from its staff, students and teachers.

“I just think that we have outstanding students and outstanding staff at Havelock High School,” he said. “And the parents support their students and have high expectations. We have a culture where we really want our students to do well in everything they attempt.”

Michael Bracy, superintendent of Jones County Public Schools, said in a press release that he is proud of Jones Senior High School’s achievement.

“This designation brings honor to Jones Senior High School, to our school system and to the entire county,” he said in the release. “I’m proud of the commitment of the students and staff at Jones Senior High.”

Pascal Mubenga, principal of Jones Senior, also commented on the achievement.

“We really focus on academics here at Jones Senior and it pays off for the students, not just for this recognition, but for later in life as well,” he said. “Our teachers are highly qualified to helping our students succeed.”

Laura Oleniacz can be reached at 252-635-5675 or at loleniacz@freedomenc.com.