Berkley Ranks Among America's Most Challenging High Schools

The Washington Post recently ranked Berkley High School at No. 9 in Michigan on its 2013 America's Most Challenging High Schools list.

The school's state ranking was up from No. 21 in 2012 and No. 13 in 2011. Nationally, Berkley High School ranked at No. 954, up from 1,448 in 2012 and 1,072 in 2011.

"America's Most Challenging High Schools ranks schools through an index formula that's a simple ratio: the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests given at a school each year, divided by the number of seniors who graduated that year," The Washington Post says.

The ranking included the following statistics about Berkley High School.

• Four-year graduation rate: 98 percent
• Average ACT score: 21.5
• Principal's years of experience: 14
• Average SAT score: 1,300
• Enrollment: 1,190
• Age of school building: 95
• Students in special education: 12 percent
• Students attending 4-year colleges: 70 percent

"We're pleased to be ranked among the most challenging high schools in the nation," Berkley School District Superintendent Dennis McDavid said. "This ranking shows that we have high expectations and our community has high expectations for our students.

[Click here to explore the top 25 Michigan rankings.]