KENDALLVILLE - East Noble High School has been ranked as one of America's Best Public High Schools for 2010 by Newsweek magazine based on how hard school staffs work to challenge students with Advanced Placement college-level courses and tests.

East Noble was placed 1,468 out of 1,623 schools, or in the top six percent of the approximately 27,000 public high schools in the nation.

Indiana had 28 high schools in the list with Homestead High School in southwest Allen County, ranked 1,180, the only other northeast Indiana high school included in the national list.

East Noble's "Challenge Index," the score Newsweek used to rank schools, was 1.135 based on 2009 statistical data. The top Indiana school was Signature School in Evansville with a 9.962 index which placed it seventh nationally.

Talented and Gifted High School in Dallas, Texas, was ranked America's Best Public High School with a 14.938 index.

"It is exciting to see East Noble High School being nationally recognized," commented East Noble School Corp. acting superintendent Ann Linson. She will become superintendent on July 1 when current superintendent Dr. H. Steve Sprunger retires. "The ranking is focused on Advanced Placement (AP) exam administration and success which correlates with the high expectations we have of our students," she added.

Over the past several years, East Noble High School has moved from offering three AP courses to the top students to offering 10 AP courses to all students. "Our students have stepped up to the challenge, and are participating in these courses in record numbers," said Linson.

Newsweek's Challenge Index is determined by taking the total number of AP, International Baccalaureate (IB) or Cambridge (ACIE) tests given at a school each year and dividing that total by the number of seniors graduating in May or June, according to Jay Mathews, Newsweek contributing editor, who explained the ranking on Newsweek's website. The rankings were based on 2009 statistics.

Schools that achieved a ratio of at least 1.000, meaning they had as many tests in 2009, as they had graduates were put on the list. A school can reach the 1.000 level if only half of its students take one AP, IB or Cambridge test in the junior year and one in their senior year, according to Mathews.

Newsweek did not count passing rates because most American high schools keep those rates artificially high by allowing only top students to take the courses, he explained. In other instances, they open the courses to all but encourage the best students to take the tests.

The list also includes a statistic called the Equity and Excellence (E and E) rate that indicates how well students are doing on the exams while still recognizing the importance of increasing student participation. The E and E is determined by the percentage of all graduating seniors, including those who never got near an AP course, who had at least one score of 3 or above on at least one AP test sometime in high school.

Another statistic on the list titled "Subs. lunch" indicates the percentage of students who qualify for federally subsidized lunches, the best measure of the percentage of low-income students in each school.

"Our challenge index honors schools that have done the best job in persuading average students to take college-level courses and tests," stated Mathews.

Students who complete, with dedication and effort, an AP exam will be better prepared for college level success, according to Linson. "East Noble High School believes that a high school diploma is not enough for our students to experience life long success. Providing these challenging opportunities to our students will best prepare them for that next level of education that they need."

Linson said the national recognition is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of East Noble's teachers.

For a complete list of high schools go to: newsweek.com/feature/2010/americas.best.high.schools.html.