Study Names Six Fairfield County Schools Among Most Challenging In State

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. -- A new national study of public and private high schools named six schools in Fairfield County among the most challenging in Connecticut.

A Washington Post study has ranked the most challenging schools in America, which include six Fairfield County schools.
Photo Credit: *File*

by Eric Gendron

04/09/2014 4:30 a.m.

According to the report, the study ranks schools through an index formula that is a simple ratio: the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests given at a school each year, divided by the number of seniors who graduated that year. A ratio of 1.000 means the school had as many tests as graduates.

Also noted are the percentage of students who come from families that qualify for lunch subsidies and the percentage of graduates who passed at least one college-level test during their high school career, called equity and excellence, according to the report.

Connecticut International Baccalaureate Academy in East Hartford was ranked the most challenging school in Connecticut with an index of 5.351. American Indian Public Charter School in Oakland, Calif., was named the most challenging school in America with an index of 21.909 in the Post's study.

The most challenging high schools in Fairfield County that qualified for the study are:

1. Weston High School (2.780)

2. Ridgefield High School (2.723)

3. Westhill High School (2.439)

4. Staples High School (2.351)

5. Greenwich High School (2.303)

6. New Canaan High School (1.928)

Click here to read more about how the Washington Post conducted this study.

Click here to see more details about the school rankings.

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