By Kathy Chaffin
kchaffin@salisburypost.com
Salisbury High School has been recognized ó yet again ó by two national publications which rank public schools.
Newsweek identified the school as one of the 1,500 best public schools in the nation in its September issue. This is the fifth consecutive year the school has made the national ranking.
U.S. News & World Report awarded Salisbury High a Silver Medal for being one of the nine best public schools in North Carolina and one of the 604 best schools nationwide. It is the only school in North Carolina to receive a Silver Medal both years the award has been presented.
Salisbury High Principal Dr. Windsor Eagle said he heard about the school’s rankings in an e-mail.
“We’re very excited about it,” he said. “Each year, we’re pleasantly surprised by the rankings. I’m real proud of the students and teachers.
“Certainly, they’re the ones that make this happen.”
Eagle said Salisbury High’s status moved down in this year’s Newsweek ranking because fewer students took the AP exams in 2008 than the previous year. A total of 197 students took the exams in 2008 as compared to 329 in 2007.
The higher number of students taking the AP exams in 2009 ó 298 ó should improve the school’s ranking next year, he said.
Eagle said the inclusion of more charter schools in this year’s rankings was also a factor in Salisbury High moving down.
In addition to the national rankings, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction designated Salisbury High last month as a “School of Progress” after testing results showed that 77.5 percent of its students who participated in state testing scored “proficient” (Level 3 or 4). The tests were administered to all students in English 1, algebra 1 and 2, geometry, biology, physical science, chemistry, physics, civics and U.S. history.
Salisbury High was the only school in the county to achieve this status for the 10th time during the past 12 years.
Eagle said none of the recognitions are something the school applies for. “You don’t try to score this, that or the other,” he said. “You just do your regular daily assignments and your job and hope that things work out.
“We’re operating as usual and the honors kind of are there.”