A Challenge Index Boycott of Sorts

ILLINOIS: Decatur #61, Gloria J. Davis; Deerfield/Highland Park #113, George V. Fornero; Evanston, Eric Witherspoon; Glenbrook #225, Dave Hales; Lincoln-Way #210, Lawrence A. Wylie; New Trier #203, Linda Yonke; Oak Park and River Forest, Attila J. Weninger.

MASSACHUSETTS: Amherst-Pelham, Jere Hochman; Masconomet, Claire SheffKohn; Wayland, Gary Burton.

A note at the bottom revealed that these ladies and gentlemen were so sensitive to my needs that they had already sent a copy of the letter to Time and U.S. News, telling those Newsweek competitors that our high school list finally had some big-time boycotters.

Except they weren't like that at all. I learned that John Chambers, superintendent of the Byram Hills district in Westchester, along with William Donohue, principal of Byram Hills High School, had drafted the letter and sent it around for signatures. I called Chambers, and as expected, found I was dealing with another public-spirited and kind-hearted school leader.

I told him that I agreed that we were ranking schools based on a narrow criteria, and that high schools are much more than their college-level test participation rates. The Newsweek list ranks every public high school in the country that gave at least as many Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Cambridge tests the previous year as it had seniors graduating. We rank because no one would pay any attention to the list if we didn't. I consider the Newsweek list an honor roll. Only the top 5 percent of the nation's approximately 27,000 public high schools have AP, IB or Cambridge programs strong enough to make the list.

But despite the narrowness of the measure, I told Chambers, these days I get at least as much praise for the list as I get condemnation, because many superintendents, principals and teachers recognize that college-level test programs can invigorate schools, from the poorest to the richest. Recognition in Newsweek, many educators have told me, helps them to break away from what they consider a short-sighted policy that is still standard in most schools. Most schools forbid average students to take college-level courses and tests, despite evidence that even a student who struggles in such a course is going to be better prepared for college than someone who is not allowed to take the course and the test.

I told Chambers I appreciated the sincerity of his argument, but journalists don't work for his school system, but for readers. There appeared to be many Newsweek subscribers and Web site users in his district and others who wanted to see our list. So, I asked, will you still give us the data if we ask for it? Certainly, Chambers said. It is public information. Just file a Freedom of Information request.

Chambers said that nonetheless he would still like our readers to know about the superintendents' protest. I thought: why not? It would be interesting and instructive for students, parents and voters to know that the leaders of their local school systems had this view. I promised him I would write a column quoting his letter and listing all the signers, and urge Newsweek to have a footnote to the online version of the list, coming out in May, that did the same.

He promised to stay in touch. Sure enough, I received a letter from him a week ago informing me that one of the signers, Edgemont in New York, and its superintendent, Nancy Taddiken, had decided to drop out of his group.

Chambers and I may disagree about the Challenge Index, but how can you do anything but applaud an educator who is so committed to accuracy and good manners? I hope we have more chances to talk in the future.