New rankings show Atlanta's top-rated and most-improved public high schools

New rankings show Atlanta's top-rated and most-improved public high schoolsPhoto: Unsplash
Hoodline
Published on August 13, 2019

How strong are the public high schools in Atlanta?

With a fresh school year around the corner, we analyzed newly released data from Niche.com, which incorporates comprehensive report cards, rankings and reviews to help you choose the right school, to identify those schools that made the biggest strides last year, as well as those that top the city's best public high school rankings.

North Springs High School's overall rating improved the most among its peers in Atlanta, rising from a B+ to an A-, according to data from Niche.

For the 2019-2020 school year, the school, located at 7447 Roswell Road, enrolls 1,626 students. North Springs High School serves a diverse population: 52% of students identify as black, 28% identify as white and 15% identify as Hispanic. Niche gave the school mixed grades: B+ on an A-D scale for academics, C- for administration and B- for clubs and activities.

The overall ranking comes from Niche's proprietary algorithms. A school's ranking might change due to many factors, including the relative rankings of similar schools and whether a school gained or lost peers due to openings or closings. Other numbers come from current public data from the U.S. government.

Academically, 37% of North Springs High School's students scored as proficient or above in math, and 58% did so in reading. That's compared to city averages of 19% in math and 30% in reading.

It's not the only school that's climbed Niche's rankings this year. Crim High School saw its overall rating jump from a D to a D+. The school is located at 256 Clifton St. SE and is much smaller, currently serving 133 students.

Niche gave Crim High School mixed grades: D+ on an A-D scale for academics, C- for administration and B+ for clubs and activities. Crim High School's latest math proficiency was at 10%, and reading proficiency was 10%. The school's upswing is notable since it serves a less affluent population, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, 17% more than the city average.

While some public high schools are moving up the ranks, others are consistently top-rated overall, including:

  • Grady High School, with an overall rating of A.
  • Lakeside High School, with an A- rating overall.
  • North Atlanta High School, rated A- overall.

This story was created automatically using data from Niche.com, then reviewed by an editor before publication. Click here for more about how and why Hoodline is automating local news. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.