Liberty Common, Ridgeview ranked among Colorado's top 3 public high schools

Fort Collins charter schools Liberty Common and Ridgeview Classical were ranked among the top three public high schools in Colorado and among the top 160 in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

Only D’Evelyn, an option school that draws students from throughout the Jefferson County School District, ranked higher among public high schools in Colorado than the two Poudre School District charter schools in the publication's annual Best High Schools rankings, released last week. Liberty Common was No. 2 and Ridgeview Classical No. 3.

Three of Poudre School District’s four traditional high schools ranked among the top 100 in the state, with the fourth coming in at No. 128. The rankings included 351 Colorado high schools.

Rankings, U.S. News and World Report explained, are based on:

• Percentage of students who take and earn a qualifying score on at least one Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exam (30% of the ranking). Earning a qualifying score is worth three times more than just taking the exam

• Aggregate scores on state assessment exams that may be required for graduation (20%)

• How aggregate scores on state assessment exams compare with U.S. News’ expectations given the proportion of students who are Black, Hispanic and from low-income households (20%)

• Underserved student performance based on aggregate scores from state assessment exams of only Black, Hispanic and low-income students (10%)

• College curriculum breadth determined by proportions of 12th graders who took and earned a qualifying score on AP and IB exams in multiple areas. More exams are valued more than fewer exams up to a maximum of four, and earning a qualifying score on an exam is worth three times more than just taking the exam

• Graduation rate based on the proportion of entering ninth graders who graduated within four academic years

Liberty Common, with a listed enrollment of 361 students in grades 9-12, received an overall score of 99.12 on a scale of 100 to earn the No. 2 ranking in Colorado behind D’Evelyn’s 99.62, and a No. 155 national spot. The school’s reported graduation rate was 96%, and it received a 68.5 score for college readiness. The scorecard included with the rankings showed that 78% of its students took at least one AP exam, with 65% passing at least one exam. Of its students, 89% were determined to be proficient in mathematics, 99% in reading and 73% in science. Minority enrollment was listed as 16%.

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Ridgeview Classical, with a listed enrollment of 132 students in grades 9-12, also received an overall score of 99.12 out of 100 to rank No. 3 in Colorado and No. 156 nationally. The reported graduation rate was 90% and its college readiness score was 89.5. Its scorecard showed that 89% of students took at last one AP exam, and 89% passed at least one AP exam. Of its students, 69% were deemed proficient in math, 92% in reading and 73% in science. Minority enrollment was listed as 18%.

Fossil Ridge had the highest ranking among PSD’s four traditional high schools — Timnath and Wellington won’t have 12th graders until 2024-25 and are therefore not included.

Fossil Ridge, with a listed enrollment of 2,263 students, was ranked No. 31 in Colorado with a 94.01 overall score. The graduation rate was listed as 94% and its college readiness score was 45.9. Its scorecard showed 52% of its students taking at least one AP exam, with 44% passing at least one. Math proficiency was listed at 66%, reading proficiency at 87% and science proficiency at 63%. Minority enrollment was listed at 20%, and economically disadvantaged enrollment at 8%.

Rocky Mountain, with a listed enrollment of 2,087 students, was ranked No. 83 in Colorado with an overall score of 83.43. The reported graduation rate was 86%, and its college readiness score was 32.2. Its scorecard showed that 38% of its students took at least one AP exam with 30% passing at least one. Math proficiency was listed at 52%, reading proficiency at 77% and science proficiency at 57%. Minority enrollment was listed at 26%, and economically disadvantaged enrollment at 25%.

Fort Collins, with a listed enrollment of 1,989 students, was No. 86 in Colorado with an overall score of 82.28. Its reported graduation rate was 79%, and its college readiness score was 30.6. The scorecard showed 36% of its students taking at least one AP exam, with 29% passing at least one. Math proficiency was listed at 46%, reading proficiency at 75% and science proficiency at 57%. Minority enrollment was listed at 35%, and economically disadvantaged enrollment at 33%.

Poudre, with 1,958 students, was No. 128 in Colorado with an overall score of 69.37. Its reported graduation rate was 82%, and its college readiness score was 20.5. Poudre’s scorecard listed 24% of its students taking at least one AP exam with 16% passing at least one. Math proficiency was listed at 43%, reading proficiency at 69% and science proficiency at 53%. Minority enrollment was listed as 33%, and economically disadvantaged enrollment at 37%.

More: No longer niche: Colorado charter schools educate nearly 15% of state's public school students

Colorado Early College Fort Collins High School, chartered through Colorado’s Charter School Institute, was No. 204 in Colorado with an overall score of 44.44. Its enrollment was listed at 1,002 students. CEC Fort Collins’ reported graduation rate was 57%. No score was given for college readiness or AP or IB exams. Math proficiency was listed at 58%, reading proficiency at 82% and science proficiency at 60%.

Windsor High School, with an enrollment of 1,172 students, ranked No. 158 in Colorado with an overall score of 58.48. Windsor Charter Academy, with 359 students, was No. 179 with an overall score of 52.57. Severance High School, with an enrollment of 808, was not ranked.

Loveland Classical School, a charter school with 124 students in grades 9-12, had the top ranking in the Thompson School District at No. 28 with an overall score of 94.44. Berthoud was No. 117 with an overall score of 73.42, Loveland No. 137 with a score 66.15, Thompson Valley No. 167 with a score of 56.11 and Mountain View No. 181 with a score of 51.88.

Reporter Kelly Lyell covers education, breaking news, some sports and other topics of interest for the Coloradoan. Contact him at kellylyell@coloradoan.com, twitter.com/KellyLyell or facebook.com/KellyLyell.news. 

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Liberty Common, Ridgeview rank among top 3 high schools in Colorado