Ga. education:Clayton schools make U.S. News best high school rankings

Two Clayton County public schools again scored bragging rights by ranking among the state’s top high schools.

Elite Scholars Academy and Martha Ellen Stillwell School for the Performing Arts were ranked 33rd and 36th, respectively, in U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of the best high schools in Georgia. Both schools rose in the rankings. Last year, Elite ranked 41st in Georgia and Stillwell ranked 37th statewide.

Both schools had near perfect graduation rates last year, according to state data.

Georgia ranked 18th among states, tied with Virginia, for the percentage of schools making the best list nationwide. Gwinnett School of Mathematics Science and Technology, a school perennially ranked high on such tallies, is the highest-ranked Georgia school.

The U.S. News list is perhaps the best known annual rankings of the academic performance of high schools. The rankings are based partly on their participation in and proficiency in Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate tests and graduation rates.

About the Author

Eric Stirgus

Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He is the newsroom's education editor. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.

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