The 2005 Challenge Index
The Washington Post Challenge Index measures a public high school's effort to challenge its students. The formula is simple: Divide the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or other college level tests a school gave by the number of seniors who graduated in June. Tests taken by all students, not just seniors, are counted. Washington-area magnet schools with SAT combined verbal and math averages higher than 1300, the highest non-magnet school average in the country, are not included, since they do not have enough average students who need a challenge.
The rating is not a measurement of the overall quality of the school but illuminates one factor that many educators consider important.
When compared with schools across the country, Washington-area schools are overall among the most encouraging of AP and IB testing. In the list below, any school with a rating of 1.000 or above is in the top 5 percent of all U.S. high schools in encouraging students to take AP or IB tests. Also listed is the name of the school district and the percentage of a school's students whose family incomes are low enough to qualify for federally subsidized lunches and who also apply for that program. The number of subsidized-lunch applicants is a rough indicator of socioeconomic factors that may affect student interest in college-level courses.
In parenthesis after each school's name is the school's Equity and Excellence rate, the percentage of all seniors, including those not in AP, calculated by the College Board to have had at least one score of 3 or above on the 5-point test in high school. This statistic is new, the College Board was not able to provide it to all schools, and some schools count the number of seniors differently than others. An IB or combined AP and IB version of that rating was calculated for some IB schools by school district officials at the Post's request. The average AP Equity and Excellence rate for all U.S. schools is 14.1%.
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Challenge Index: Complete Coverage
| Rank | School (Equity & Excellence) | District | % Lunch Subsidy | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | H-B Woodlawn (82.7%) | Arlington | 14% | 5.575 |
| 2. | Richard Montgomery* (60.2%) | Montgomery | 12% | 5.152 |
| 3. | Clarke County* (69%) | Clarke | 14% | 4.633 |
| 4. | Bethesda-Chevy Chase* (69.2%) | Montgomery | 8% | 4.179 |
| 5. | Wootton** (70.1%) | Montgomery | 4% | 4.157 |
| 6. | George Mason* (67%) | Falls Church | 8% | 4.045 |
| 7. | Yorktown (55.9%) | Arlington | 16% | 3.926 |
| 8. | Washington-Lee* (47%) | Arlington | 32% | 3.845 |
| 9. | Churchill (68.2%) | Montgomery | 3% | 3.436 |
| 10. | Langley (65.5%) | Fairfax | 1% | 3.399 |
| 11. | McLean (65.2%) | Fairfax | 6% | 3.377 |
| 12. | W.T. Woodson (55.5%) | Fairfax | 5% | 3.233 |
| 13. | Centreville (44.3%) | Fairfax | 15% | 3.173 |
| 14. | Walter Johnson (58.7%) | Montgomery | 5% | 3.160 |
| 15. | Oakton (57.5%) | Fairfax | 9% | 3.105 |
| 16. | Whitman (62.7%) | Montgomery | 2% | 2.978 |
| 17. | Madison (51.8%) | Fairfax | 5% | 2.959 |
| 18. | Lake Braddock (50.8%) | Fairfax | 10% | 2.924 |
| 19. | Herndon (44.7%) | Fairfax | 20% | 2.850 |
| 20. | Westfield (46.6%) | Fairfax | 10% | 2.829 |
| 21. | West Springfield (49.4%) | Fairfax | 9% | 2.750 |
| 22. | Springbrook* (34.1%) | Montgomery | 23% | 2.733 |
| 23. | Chantilly (49%) | Fairfax | 11% | 2.718 |
| 24. | Robinson* (51.3%) | Fairfax | 7% | 2.672 |
| 25. | Wilson | D.C. | 43% | 2.541 |
| 26. | Broadneck (40.1%) | Anne Arundel | 3% | 2.501 |
| 27. | Marshall* (50.8%) | Fairfax | 17% | 2.489 |
| 28. | Banneker* | D.C. | 40% | 2.443 |
| 29. | Fairfax (37.4%) | Fairfax | 18% | 2.440 |
| 30. | Centennial (38.1%) | Howard | 4% | 2.420 |
| 31. | Loudoun Valley | Loudoun | 4% | 2.389 |
| 32. | Montgomery Blair (42.4%) | Montgomery | 22% | 2.364 |
| 33. | Severna Park (34.4%) | Anne Arundel | 1% | 2.277 |
| 34. | River Hill (37.8%) | Howard | 2% | 2.269 |
| 35. | West Potomac (37.7%) | Fairfax | 34% | 2.193 |
| 36. | Middletown (35%) | Frederick, Md. | 5% | 2.141 |
| 37. | Poolesville (44.2%) | Montgomery | 3% | 2.114 |
| 38. | John Handley (37.8%) | Winchester | 25% | 2.049 |
| 39. | Wakefield (35%) | Arlington | 50% | 2.030 |
| 40. | Stone Bridge | Loudoun | 5% | 2.024 |
| 41. | Potomac Falls | Loudoun | 9% | 2.023 |
| 42. | Hayfield (28.8%) | Fairfax | 16% | 2.017 |
| 43. | Stuart* (44.4%) | Fairfax | 52% | 1.983 |
| 44. | Magruder (40.9%) | Montgomery | 14% | 1.967 |
| 45. | Leonardtown (29.2%) | St. Mary's | 13% | 1.965 |
| 46. | Quince Orchard (42.2%) | Montgomery | 11% | 1.947 |
| 47. | Sherwood (38.5%) | Montgomery | 9% | 1.942 |
| 48. | Falls Church (25.5%) | Fairfax | 37% | 1.931 |
| 49. | McDonough (14.4%) | Charles | 15% | 1.924 |
| 50. | South River (31.6%) | Anne Arundel | 3% | 1.902 |
| 51. | Rockville (36.1%) | Montgomery | 18% | 1.827 |
| 52. | Loudoun County | Loudoun | 12% | 1.783 |
| 53. | Gaithersburg** (29.3%) | Montgomery | 21% | 1.773 |
| 54. | Urbana* (35.2%) | Frederick, Md. | 4% | 1.753 |
| 55. | Broad Run | Loudoun | 8% | 1.738 |
| 56. | Lee* (39.9%) | Fairfax | 30% | 1.720 |
| 57. | Blake (42.8%) | Montgomery | 11% | 1.718 |
| 58. | Southern (21.2%) | Anne Arundel | 8% | 1.715 |
| 59. | Paint Branch (33.5%) | Montgomery | 15% | 1.692 |
| 60. | School Without Walls | D.C. | 13% | 1.674 |
| 61. | Stonewall Jackson* | Prince William | 24% | 1.665 |
| 62. | Stone (12.9%) | Charles | 10% | 1.641 |
| 63. | South Lakes* (38.5%) | Fairfax | 28% | 1.612 |
| 64. | Watkins Mill* (34%) | Montgomery | 25% | 1.568 |
| 65. | Mt. Vernon* (33.8%) | Fairfax | 36% | 1.567 |
| 66. | Wheaton (23.4%) | Montgomery | 40% | 1.563 |
| 67. | Park View | Loudoun | 23% | 1.555 |
| 68. | Edison* (40.7%) | Fairfax | 28% | 1.542 |
| 69. | Damascus (37.6%) | Montgomery | 6% | 1.541 |
| 70. | Gov. Thomas Johnson (30.9%) | Frederick, Md. | 14% | 1.540 |
| 71. | Patuxent (28%) | Calvert | 11% | 1.536 |
| 72. | Great Mills (18.2%) | St. Mary's | 30% | 1.517 |
| 73. | Einstein* (35.4%) | Montgomery | 30% | 1.517 |
| 74. | T.C. Williams (20%) | Alexandria | 40% | 1.494 |
| 75. | Hylton (20%) | Prince William | 17% | 1.493 |
| 76. | Osbourn Park (32.2%) | Prince William | 9% | 1.475 |
| 77. | Woodbridge (17%) | Prince William | 24% | 1.441 |
| 78. | Northwest (30.6%) | Montgomery | 13% | 1.439 |
| 79. | La Plata (21.4%) | Charles | 18% | 1.437 |
| 80. | Northern (27.5%) | Calvert | 7% | 1.409 |
| 81. | Glenelg (29.6%) | Howard | 2% | 1.383 |
| 82. | Manassas Park** | Manassas Park | 21% | 1.368 |
| 83. | Seneca Valley (25.8%) | Montgomery | 18% | 1.367 |
| 84. | Old Mill (22.4%) | Anne Arundel | 10% | 1.347 |
| 85. | Walkersville (35%) | Frederick, Md. | 10% | 1.346 |
| 86. | Kennedy (22.9%) | Montgomery | 30% | 1.333 |
| 87. | Atholton (27.6%) | Howard | 5% | 1.329 |
| 88. | Annandale* (38.1%) | Fairfax | 39% | 1.329 |
| 89. | Monroe (19%) | Fredericksburg | 30% | 1.322 |
| 90. | Potomac** | Prince William | 26% | 1.306 |
| 91. | Eleanor Roosevelt | Prince George's | 19% | 1.302 |
| 92. | Brentsville** (23.7%) | Prince William | 3% | 1.296 |
| 93. | Fauquier (14.9%) | Fauquier | 9% | 1.279 |
| 94. | Mount Hebron (24.9%) | Howard | 5% | 1.247 |
| 95. | Gar-Field* | Prince William | 31% | 1.242 |
| 96. | Massaponax (27.7%0 | Spotsylvania | 10% | 1.241 |
| 97. | Colonial Forge (24%) | Stafford | 5% | 1.223 |
| 98. | Frederick (28.6%) | Frederick, Md. | 22% | 1.202 |
| 99. | Westlake (18.4%) | Charles | 8% | 1.181 |
| 100. | Math Science Tech Charter | D.C. | 80% | 1.174 |
| 101. | Courtland | Spotsylvania | 11% | 1.164 |
| 102. | Chesapeake (18%) | Anne Arundel | 5% | 1.138 |
| 103. | Rappahannock County (18.2%) | Rappahannock | 1% | 1.118 |
| 104. | Linganore (30.4%) | Frederick, Md. | 5% | 1.112 |
| 105. | Osbourn | Manassas | 12% | 1.096 |
| 106. | South Carroll (22.1%) | Carroll | 4% | 1.087 |
| 107. | Forest Park (26%) | Prince William | 16% | 1.080 |
| 108. | Annapolis | Anne Arundel | 22% | 1.053 |
| 109. | Catoctin (18.2%) | Frederick, Md. | 11% | 1.043 |
| 110. | Chopticon (10.1%) | St. Mary's | 10% | 1.035 |
| 111. | Howard (17%) | Howard | 6% | 1.032 |
| 112. | Wilde Lake (22%) | Howard | 19% | 1.015 |
| 113. | Chancellor (21%) | Spotsylvania | 17% | 1.008 |
| 114. | Spotsylvania | Spotsylvania | 21% | 0.995 |
| 115. | Meade | Anne Arundel | 21% | 0.968 |
| 116. | Reservoir (28%) | Howard | 9% | 0.965 |
| 117. | Arundel (19.2%) | Anne Arundel | 8% | 0.964 |
| 118. | Bell Multicultural | D.C. | 81% | 0.930 |
| 119. | Hammond (20%) | Howard | 11% | 0.902 |
| 120. | Bowie | Prince George's | 15% | 0.860 |
| 121. | Westminster (22.8%) | Carroll | 6% | 0.849 |
| 122. | Stafford (15.6%) | Stafford | 10% | 0.844 |
| 123. | Ellington | D.C. | 32% | 0.841 |
| 124. | Long Reach (18.2%) | Howard | 17% | 0.840 |
| 125. | Winters Mill (22.2%) | Carroll | 15% | 0.821 |
| 126. | Liberty (16.4%) | Fauquier | 12% | 0.817 |
| 127. | Liberty (20.6%) | Carroll | 2% | 0.797 |
| 128. | Century (24.3%) | Carroll | 4% | 0.792 |
| 129. | Cardozo | D.C. | 66% | 0.763 |
| 130. | Brunswick (15.1%) | Frederick, Md. | 12% | 0.756 |
| 131. | Lackey (10.1%) | Charles | 14% | 0.752 |
| 132. | Northeast (13.9%) | Anne Arundel | 12% | 0.742 |
| 133. | Glen Burnie | Anne Arundel | 16% | 0.726 |
| 134. | Northwestern | Prince George's | 53% | 0.725 |
| 135. | Brooke Point (14%) | Stafford | 10% | 0.700 |
| 136. | Oakland Mills (15.9%) | Howard | 18% | 0.690 |
| 137. | Laurel* | Prince George's | 25% | 0.667 |
| 138. | High Point | Prince George's | 49% | 0.637 |
| 139. | Frederick Douglass | Prince George's | 16% | 0.628 |
| 140. | Calvert (18.2%) | Calvert | 13% | 0.581 |
| 141. | Parkdale* | Prince George's | 53% | 0.568 |
| 142. | Booker T. Washington Charter | D.C. | 86% | 0.565 |
| 143. | North Stafford (10.4%) | Stafford | 6% | 0.564 |
| 144. | Flowers | Prince George's | 72% | 0.559 |
| 145. | North County (9.4%) | Anne Arundel | 17% | 0.550 |
| 146. | Central* | Prince George's | 42% | 0.518 |
| 147. | Warren County | Warren | 13% | 0.481 |
| 148. | Suitland* | Prince George's | 34% | 0.446 |
| 149. | Culpeper County | Culpeper | 18% | 0.425 |
| 150. | Key (11.4%) | Carroll | 13% | 0.407 |
| 151. | North Carroll (11%) | Carroll | 5% | 0.407 |
| 152. | Oxon Hill | Prince George's | 23% | 0.361 |
| 153. | Friendship-Edison Woodson | D.C. | 70% | 0.356 |
| 154. | Potomac | Prince George's | 47% | 0.314 |
| 155. | Friendly | Prince George's | 18% | 0.296 |
| 156. | Coolidge | D.C. | 56% | 0.264 |
| 157. | Roosevelt | D.C. | 55% | 0.255 |
| 158. | Bladensburg | Prince George's | 41% | 0.232 |
| 159. | Gwynn Park | Prince George's | 12% | 0.204 |
| 160. | Anacostia | D.C. | 69% | 0.203 |
| 161. | Eastern | D.C. | 64% | 0.203 |
| 162. | James Wood (8.6%) | Frederick, Va. | 12% | 0.192 |
| 163. | Sherando | Frederick, Va. | 10% | 0.185 |
| 164. | Surrattsville | Prince George's | 15% | 0.183 |
| 165. | Millbrook (8.6%) | Frederick, Va. | 15% | 0.176 |
| 166. | Largo | Prince George's | 20% | 0.174 |
| 167. | Ballou | D.C. | 90% | 0.162 |
| 168. | Spingarn | D.C. | 79% | 0.146 |
| 169. | Dunbar | D.C. | 54% | 0.144 |
| 170. | Crossland | Prince George's | 34% | 0.102 |
| 171. | DuVal | Prince George's | 32% | 0.096 |
| 172. | Fairmont Heights | Prince George's | 37% | 0.090 |
| 173. | Forestville | Prince George's | 42% | 0.043 |
| 174. | H.D. Woodson | D.C. | 60% | 0.000 |
*Includes IB tests.
**Includes community college or other types of college-level courses.
*Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, with a rating of 7.359, was not ranked because it is a magnet school with a selective admissions policy and an average SAT score, 1468, higher than the highest average for any regular enrollment school in the country. The index is designed to show which schools are challenging average students and does not work well with schools like Jefferson that have few or no average students.
*Dominion and Heritage in Loudoun County, Freedom in Prince William County, Mountain View in Stafford County, Riverbend in Spotsylvania County, Northwood in Montgomery County, Tuscarora in Frederick County, North Point in Charles County, Huntingtown in Calvert County, Winters Mill in Carroll County and Cesar Chavez and SEED charter schools in the District were not included because they are new schools and did not have full senior classes graduating this year.
