Local Schools Ranked On Newsweek Poll
Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School continues to reach new academic heights.
The institution received high marks in a recent ranking of the top 1,000 schools in the country compiled by Newsweek/Daily Beast, nabbing the 278th spot — a grand improvement from the school’s 2012 ranking of 837th overall.
The school district’s superintendent Dr. Lorna Lewis the school board sets a high standard for students, a standard that is continually met and exceeded by the student body.
“The board has set a priority for us to create more challenging opportunities for our students,” said Lewis. “This ranking set us on a path for a more rigorous course of study for our students and having them truly ready for the challenges they have ahead. We hope to be in the top 100 in the near future.”
The list is based on six components: graduation rate (25 percent), college acceptance rate (25 percent), AP/IB/AICE tests taken per student (25 percent), average SAT/ACT scores (10 percent), average AP/IB/AICE scores (10 percent), and percent of students enrolled in at least one AP/IB/AICE course (5 percent).
According to the Daily Beast ranking, Plainview’s improved score this year is attributed to the fact that 96 percent of its 2012 graduates attended college; 96 percent of students earned Regents diplomas; 74 percent earned Advanced Regents Diplomas; 96 percent of the school’s special education students earned Regents Diplomas; the school had four Intel and two Siemens semi-finalists and its Scholar-Athlete teams are among the top five in Nassau County.
Plainview-Old Bethpage PTA Council president Cheryl Dender said the students’ academic achievements can be traced directly to a hard-working faculty and staff — both of which work well with district parents.
“We are quite proud of our students achievements,” said Dender. “We are fortunate to have a dedicated, hardworking teaching staff alongside a superintendent with strong leadership skills. Partnered with parents who are very involved in their students education, we have a village that stands together with one voice for excellence.”
Officials went on to say that despite constantly changing testing standards in the state and new Common Core learning modules, Plainview was able to establish itself as a district on the rise.
“Due to the commitment of the administrators and teachers, we continue to make great strides toward academic achievement,” said Jill Gierasch, assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. “In addition to the academic rank, I am extremely proud of what we offer our students at POBJFKHS, which also includes a rich fine arts program and multiple extra-curricular offerings.”
