D.C.-Area Schools: How do Madison, Marshall Stack Up?

Madison and Marshall high schools scored lower among Washington area schools on Washington Post education reporter Jay Mathews annual Challenge Index this year.

Madison High School ranked 24th among D.C. area high schools this year, compared to its No.15 spot last year; Marshall High fell from No. 54 to 56.

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Since 1998, Mathews has ranked Washington-area public high schools using the Challenge Index, his measure of how effectively a school prepares its students for college.  

The formula: Divide the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or other college-level tests a school gave by the number of graduating seniors.

Also noted are the percentage of students who come from families that qualify for free and reduced lunch (Subs. lunch), an indicator of poverty, and the percentage of graduates who passed at least one college-level test during their high school career, called equity and excellence, (E&E).

More than 170 public and private schools are on the local list; 1,900 are included nationally.

The index is not a measure of the overall quality of the school, but the rating can reveal the level of preparing average students for college, Matthews says.

Vienna area schools ranked higher in Virginia than they did among regional counterparts: Madison was ranked No. 12 among all Virginia schools; Marshall earned No. 35.

On the national list, Madison also fell from No.143 to 187, while Marshall rose to No. 397 from 434.

George Mason High School in Falls Church, part of the city's school system, was the highest-ranking school in the Fairfax County area on the DC regional list, at No. 9. McLean and Oakton were also in the top 20 at No. 12 and 17, respectively.

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What do you think of the rankings? Is your child taking full advantage of the higher-level course work?

This article has been updated to reflect George Mason is part of Falls Church City Public Schools.