BY MICHELLE MILLER
STAFF WRITER
Milford Central School has been awarded silver medal status by U.S. News World Report.
The district was ranked 116th within New York, which put the school ahead of most other area districts. Edmeston and Gilbertsville- Mount Upton also got silver medal recognition ranked at No. 207 and No. 232 respectively. Laurens, Worcester, Morris and Schenevus achieved bronze medal status. Cooperstown and Cherry Valley-Springfield were not ranked.
This marks the fourth edition of the Best High Schools rankings, which are available exclusively online. While the previous high school rankings published in December 2009 included information on 1,800 schools, the2012 rankings include data on nearly 22,000 public high schools from 49 states and the District of Columbia. Nebraska was not included because not enough data was reported, according to information posted on the U.S. News website.
MCS Superintendent Peter Livshin said he is not sure how significant these rankings actually are, but considers them an honor. He said it is not the first time Milford has appeared on the list. A few years ago the districtreceived bronze level achievement, he said.
“For this year’s award they went back to the 2009-10 school year data,” Livshin said. “That year, we had a real strong senior class. They took a lot of AP (advancedplacement) and college credit courses. And the vo-tech (vocational technical education) students were extremely bright. They did extremely well on their state exams as well.”
Livshin admits U.S. News has loosened their standards a little bit since the last time rankings were done. However, he said more schools were added to the study.
“I was surprised Cooperstown was not on there, because last time they were among the top 100. They were one of those gold medal schools,” Livshin said. The credit for MCS’ success, according to Livshin, goes to the students and the educators.
“We are very proud of our kids, and we are very proud of our teachers,” he said. “Those are the two that make these type of things happen. The kids work very hard and the teachers work very hard and they work hand-in-hand. That leads to success. Some years we do better and some years we struggle.”
According to Livshin, the high ranking is a reflection of the programs offered that students take advantage of at MCS.
“When I first came here, we had no college level courses. Fifteen years later we have kids that can get anywhere between 24 and 30 college credits by the time they get out of high school,” Livshin said.
The big thing is the growth of the distance learning network, Livshin said. “Now, kids have even more opportunities because we can get together with a larger number of schools across the state,” he said. “Online learning has helped too. We have quite a few students that take college credit courses online at a very reasonable rate I may add.”
U.S. News partnered with the Washington, D.C.-based American Institutes for Research, which implemented U.S. News’s rankings methodology.
To determine the Best High Schools national rankings, schools were first analyzed at the state level in terms of how well students in each school performedon state assessments, taking into account the test scores of disadvantaged students (lowincome, Hispanic, and black), who tend to score lower on tests.
High schools that made it through this analysis were then eligible to be ranked nationally, in terms of college readiness. U.S. News determines the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work by analyzing student success in AP or international baccalaureate programs, both of which include college-level courses. U.S. News awarded more than 4,850 gold, silver and bronze medals to the top-performing schools.
In the 2009 rankings of Best High Schools, U.S. News awarded 100 gold medals. This year, that number soared to 500, many of which went to California high schools.
The Golden State is home to the largest number of gold medal high schools (97), as well as the largest total number of schools that were awarded gold, silver, or bronze medals (577).
There are 68 gold medal schools in New York and 46 in Texas, including the School for the Talented and Gifted (ranked No. 1 nationally) and the School of Science and Engineering Magnet (ranked No. 3 nationally), both located in the Dallas Independent School District.
Among the top 20 Best High Schools, four are charter schools, which usually accept a limited number of students through an application process and are also exempt from some of the government regulations of other public schools, so long as they successfully meet the criteria of their original charter. Two schools in the top 20 are magnet schools, which use an application process that typically involves test scores and grade-point averages to attract the most talented students in a region.
In the state rankings, parents and students can compare schools in terms of student-teacher ratios, college readiness, and proficiency on state math and English assessments. And with the boost of data collected for the 2012 rankings, specific details about each school such as the enrollment of each grade and the percentage of students whopassed AP or IB exams are now available.
For rankings by state, visit http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools?s_cid=related-links:TOP
Local News
U.S. News ranks MCS higher than most area schools
- Local News
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Dreams Park, then and now, required a work ethic
courtesy of Cooperstown Dreams Park This photo shows an aerial view of Cooperstown Dreams Parkin 2011.
Campers coming to the Cooperstown Dreams Park each year not only come to play on fields near a historic setting, they come here to apply and improve upon their baseball skills and work ethic. Long before the Dreams Park came to be, those fields held another function that required a good work ethic, in that of farming.
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Ford's state title a first for CCS
Creative visualization works. Just ask Lucy Ford. She didn't know it as creative visualization at the time, but it may have helped her win a state championship anyway.
Continued ... - Trolley schedule has been interrupted
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Fly Creek artist's collages are on display
"Chromatones," collages by Fly Creek artist Amy Cannon, will be on display through Aug. 5 at The Garage at 689 Beaver Meadow Road in Cooperstown.
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Marchi leaves Manor for new job
COOPERSTOWN -- Amid Otsego County's effort to sell the debt-plagued Otsego Manor, the nursing home's administrator, Edmond Marchi, has resigned to take a $107,000-a-year job running a similar facility in Schenectady County, officials said today.
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Deowongo Island dedication planned
Otsego Land Trust and the Canadarago Lake Improvement Association are inviting the public to participate in the community dedication of Deowongo Island as a shared public space on June 22.
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Some businesses remain short-staffed this year
Businesses in the Cooperstown area are gearing up for another summer season. As more tourists visit the area businesses, more employees need to be trained and ready to answer their call.
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CCS names top four students
On Sunday, June 23, 74 Cooperstown Central School seniors will put on caps and gowns to conclude one phase in their lives and prepare to embark on another. Among those walking to the tune of "Pomp and Circumstance" will be the top four students.
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Farmers' Museum announces results of 17th annual benefit horse show
On Sunday, June 9, equestrians from around the region participated in the 17th annual Farmers' Museum Benefit Horse Show, held at the Iroquois Farm Showgrounds on River Road, just outside the village of Cooperstown.
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Hands-on learning for homeschool students being offered
The Farmers' Museum, the Fenimore Art Museum and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum have teamed up to offer a day of hands-on learning for homeschoolers and their families.
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MCS announces valedictorian, salutatorian
The top two students at Milford Central School have been named.
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Drillers appeal frack-ban ruling
The courts are expected to take less time to determine if towns have the legal right to keep out hydraulic fracturing for shale gas than state officials are taking to determine if the controversial form of drilling should be allowed in New York.
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DOT ends lakeside chemical spraying
State officials have agreed to stop spraying chemical herbicides along a stretch of state Route 80 that runs along the west bank of Otsego Lake, the source of drinking water for some 2,000 people, Cooperstown Mayor Jeff Katz said Monday.
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Three local men are arrested in arson case
Three local men have been arrested on felony charges after investigators determined that fire was set at an unoccupied home in Hartwick to collect more than $50,000 of insurance money, Otsego County deputies said Monday.
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CV-S names top students for Class of 2013
The top two students at Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School have been named.
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Students participate in pre-engineering competition
The New Visions Pre-Engineering students brought home the gold at the SkillsUSA State Competition held in Syracuse.
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Musician's 100th birthday to be celebrated
The B-Side Ballroom and Supper Club at 1 Clinton Plaza, Oneonta, will host the Gallodoro 100th Birthday Bash featuring New York City saxophonist, Chad E. Smith at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 20.
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Performance set at Lake Front Restaurant
Nashville-based singer and songwriter Erin Thomas will appear at 7 p.m. at Lake Front Restaurant in Cooperstown tonight. Her husband, 1995 CCS graduate Brian Horner will play saxophone with her.
Continued ... - Thursday, June 6, 2013
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Smithy has lots to offer this summer season
The Smithy Center for the Arts, at 55 Pioneer St. in Cooperstown, is working year-round to fulfill its mission of bringing the arts to all members of the community, inviting them to be appreciators and creators of virtually all art forms, according to Danielle Newell, the Smithy’s executive director.
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Shakedown Street is coming to village
For one weekend only, the Chestnut Street parking lot will be known as Shakedown Street. The open-air market famous at Grateful Dead shows is expected come to Cooperstown on July 13 and 14 for the Furthur concert at Doubleday Field on Sunday, July 14. Furthur is the Grateful Dead legacy band that features original Dead members Phil Lesh and Bob Weir.
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