West Shore, Edgewood rank among top 10 high schools in Florida: U.S. News and World Report

Finch Walker, Florida Today
·4 min read

On a list of more than 1,100 high schools in Florida, two Brevard high schools ranked among the top 10 best high schools in Florida, according to data released by US News and World Report.

West Shore Junior/Senior High School in Melbourne ranked at No. 4 in the state and No. 43 nationally, while Edgewood Junior/Senior High School in Merritt Island ranked at No. 7 in the state and No. 74 nationally.

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Both schools have a graduation rate of 100%, with West Shore receiving a college readiness score of 97.3 and Edgewood a score of 97.1, according to US News data released Tuesday.

The schools were ranked based on how they performed nationally and statewide out of 17,680 nationally ranked schools and 618 schools ranked in Florida. U.S. News gave each of the 1,130 ranked Florida high schools a scorecard, which factors in data on how many students took at least one AP exam, passed at least one AP exam, mathematics proficiency, reading proficiency, science proficiency and graduation rate.

Principals at West Shore and Edgewood expressed pride in their schools in an email to FLORIDA TODAY.

“Educators, to include all levels of support, across the entire nation work tirelessly for students. I am humbled by these rankings," said Jacqueline Ingratta, principal at Edgewood High School. "It is truly an honor to work with such an amazing team! Our faculty and staff, our students and our families make our school community what it is – a family!  I am inspired by our school community, and our students are always our top priority!"

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Rick Fleming, principal at West Shore, said he felt "blessed and honored to lead such an amazing school community."

"The Wildcat Nation is proud and honored to receive recognition within these rankings as it is certainly a testament to the result of having great teachers/staff combined with awesome students and amazingly supportive parents," Fleming said.

"While we collectively enjoy the recognition of being in the top tier of high schools in the state and nation, they are simply a byproduct of doing the right things by the students and families with which we serve."

West Shore Junior/Senior High School has a 100% graduation rate. Pictured is their 2019 ceremony held at the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts on Eastern Florida State College's Melbourne campus.
West Shore Junior/Senior High School has a 100% graduation rate. Pictured is their 2019 ceremony held at the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts on Eastern Florida State College's Melbourne campus.

West Shore

West Shore, which has an enrollment of 598 and a student-teacher ratio of 19:1, was ranked No. 1 in Brevard Public Schools high schools and No. 43 nationally, US News reported, as well as 165 in STEM High Schools.

U.S. News gave West Shore a scorecard of 99.76. 100% of students took at least one AP exam, and the school had a graduation rate of 100%. Ninety-six percent passed at least one AP exam, and the school received a 96% for science proficiency. The mathematics proficiency score and reading proficiency score were both 95%.

Within the state, West Shore was ranked at No. 11 on the College Readiness Index Rank, a ranking based off the proportions of 12th graders who took and passed at least one AP or IB exam. It ranked 52 nationally.

Based on the College Curriculum Breadth Index Rank, which is based off the proportion of 12th graders who took and passed AP and IB exams in multiple areas, the school ranked at No. 4 in the state and 42 nationally.

It ranked No. 4 in the state and 83 nationally based on the State Assessment Proficiency Rank, which is based on aggregated scores on math, reading and often science state assessments that students may be required to pass for graduation.

As for the State Assessment Performance Rank — which is based on how aggregated scores on state assessments compare with US News' expectations given the proportions of students who are Black, Hispanic and come from low-income households — West Shore ranked at 14 in the state and 339 nationally.

Edgewood Junior/Senior High School has a 100% graduation rate, according to data from US News. Pictured is their 2019 commencement ceremony at the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts at Eastern Florida State College's Melbourne campus.
Edgewood Junior/Senior High School has a 100% graduation rate, according to data from US News. Pictured is their 2019 commencement ceremony at the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts at Eastern Florida State College's Melbourne campus.

Edgewood

With an enrollment of 565 and a student-teacher ratio of 18:1, Edgewood was ranked at No. 2 in Brevard Public Schools high schools and 74 nationally.

Edgewood scored 99.58 on its score card, with a 100% graduation rate and 100% of students taking at least one AP exam. The school received a 97% in science proficiency, 93% in reading proficiency and 90% in mathematics proficiency. 96% of students passed at least one AP exam.

Edgewood ranked at No. 12 in Florida and 55 nationally on the College Readiness Index Rank; 7 in Florida and 58 nationally on the College Curriculum Breadth Index Rank; 10 in the state and 250 nationally on the State Assessment Proficiency Rank; and 27 in the state and 718 nationally on the State Assessment Performance Rank.

Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: U.S. News: West Shore, Edgewood rank among top 10 Florida high schools