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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 Cambridge tests a school gave by the number of graduating seniors. Tests taken by all students, not just seniors, are counted.

The rating is not a measure of the overall quality of the school but illuminates one factor that many educators consider important and that can favorably affect other factors.

When compared with schools across the country, Washington area schools are the most encouraging overall of college-level testing. In the list below, any school with a rating of 1.000 or above is in the top six percent of all U.S. high schools in encouraging students to take AP, IB or Cambridge tests. Also listed are 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 portion of subsidized-lunch applicants is a rough indicator of a school's poverty level. High poverty schools are at disadvantage in persuading students to take college-level courses, but some on this list have succeeded in doing so.

After each school's name is its Equity and Excellence rate, the percentage of all seniors who have had at least one score on an AP, IB or Cambridge test that would qualify them for college credit. The average Equity and Excellence rate for all U.S. schools is about 15 percent.


RANK SCHOOL DISTRICT INDEX E&E % SUBS. LUNCH %
1 H-B Woodlawn Arlington 5.636 93.60 17.00
2 Richard Montgomery * Montgomery 5.061 61.30 15.00
3 Clarke County * Clarke 4.535 82.00 13.00
4 Langley Fairfax 4.280 67.40 1.00
5 Washington-Lee * Arlington 4.179 43.80 36.00
6 George Mason * Falls Church 4.176 65.00 7.00
7 T.S. Wootton Montgomery 4.133 71.50 4.00
8 Bethesda Chevy Chase * Montgomery 4.056 66.80 9.00
9 Whitman Montgomery 4.023 73.50 2.00
10 W. T. Woodson Fairfax 3.907 59.50 6.00
11 Yorktown Arlington 3.896 66.30 15.00
12 Walter Johnson Montgomery 3.893 59.10 6.00
13 Bell Multicultural D.C. 3.888 11.00 81.00
14 Lake Braddock Fairfax 3.681 54.40 11.00
15 Churchill Montgomery 3.658 72.70 3.00
16 McLean Fairfax 3.646 68.20 6.00
17 Oakton Fairfax 3.590 55.40 9.00
18 Centreville Fairfax 3.566 45.30 11.00
19 Chantilly Fairfax 3.346 47.60 11.00
20 Woodrow Wilson D.C. 3.272 35.00 42.00
21 Herndon Fairfax 3.265 53.70 18.00
22 South County Fairfax 3.190 35.00 15.00
23 Westfield Fairfax 3.138 49.50 12.00
24 James Madison Fairfax 3.107 53.60 5.00
25 Banneker * D.C. 3.106 32.00 39.00
26 Loudoun Valley Loudoun 3.032 49.70 4.00
27 Potomac Falls Loudoun 2.977 43.80 9.00
28 Broad Run Loudoun 2.933 40.00 9.00
29 Montgomery Blair Montgomery 2.795 47.60 29.00
30 Broadneck Anne Arundel 2.730 41.50 5.00
31 James W. Robinson Secondary 2.720
32 Robinson * Fairfax 2.718 52.10 10.00
33 West Potomac Fairfax 2.700 39.30 30.00
34 John Handley Winchester 2.615 30.30 30.00
35 Handley 2.610
36 West Springfield Fairfax 2.605 52.10 9.00
37 Marshall * Fairfax 2.599 55.40 16.00
38 Loudoun County Loudoun 2.596 40.50 10.00
39 Fairfax Fairfax 2.587 42.70 16.00
40 Stone Bridge Loudoun 2.562 49.10 5.00
41 Dominion Loudoun 2.551 38.80 12.00
42 Centennial Howard 2.547 46.80 4.00
43 Severna Park Anne Arundel 2.494 43.50 2.00
44 Hylton Prince William 2.493 23.50 20.00
45 River Hill Howard 2.472 47.20 4.00
46 Springbrook * Montgomery 2.466 40.20 28.00
47 Poolesville Montgomery 2.411 55.70 3.00
48 Rockville Montgomery 2.410 43.90 18.00
49 Stuart * Fairfax 2.378 43.10 51.00
50 Einstein * Montgomery 2.358 41.30 32.00
51 Blake Montgomery 2.339 43.00 13.00
52 Annapolis * Anne Arundel 2.298 18.20 28.00
53 Falls Church Fairfax 2.245 35.20 37.00
54 McDonough Charles 2.216 19.00 18.00
55 South River Anne Arundel 2.182 35.20 4.00
56 Paint Branch Montgomery 2.162 36.10 19.00
57 Wakefield Arlington 2.157 38.40 52.00
58 Middletown Frederick 2.133 46.00 5.00
59 Watkins Mill * Montgomery 2.115 40.80 28.00
60 Heritage Loudoun 2.108 33.60 17.00
61 Northwest Montgomery 2.040 34.20 15.00
62 Sherwood Montgomery 2.002 44.10 10.00
63 Old Mill * Anne Arundel 1.998 31.00 15.00
64 Eleanor Roosevelt Prince George's 1.992 30.00 20.00
65 South Lakes * Fairfax 1.991 41.50 33.00
66 Patuxent Calvert 1.951 32.20 8.00
67 Park View Loudoun 1.937 30.00 30.00
68 Magruder Montgomery 1.933 39.50 18.00
69 Rappahannock County * ** Rappahannock 1.932 44.00 15.00
70 Potomac * ** Prince William 1.919 14.50 30.00
71 SEED Public Charter School D.C. 1.917 20.00 73.00
72 Huntingtown Calvert 1.912 n/a 6.00
73 Linganore Frederick 1.842 39.10 5.00
74 Leonardtown St. Mary's 1.836 29.10 12.00
75 Osbourn Park Prince William 1.827 39.10 12.00
76 La Plata Charles 1.771 20.20 11.00
77 Gaithersburg Montgomery 1.757 32.20 24.00
78 Southern Anne Arundel 1.738 19.00 11.00
79 Hyde D.C. 1.706 n/a 50.00
79 Stonewall Jackson * Prince William 1.706 28.80 31.00
81 Quince Orchard Montgomery 1.704 43.40 16.00
82 Gar-Field * Prince William 1.694 25.30 38.00
83 Colonial Forge Stafford 1.655 34.20 9.00
84 Mount Hebron Howard 1.647 35.80 7.00
85 Urbana * Frederick 1.645 43.00 4.00
86 Edison * Fairfax 1.635 42.40 29.00
87 T.C. Williams * ** Alexandria 1.590 22.50 50.00
88 Lee * Fairfax 1.582 37.60 32.00
89 Hayfield Fairfax 1.577 27.20 21.00
90 Frederick Frederick 1.572 34.40 28.00
91 Wheaton Montgomery 1.557 27.30 41.00
92 Gov. Thomas Johnson Frederick 1.556 28.80 19.00
93 Woodbridge Prince William 1.546 23.90 23.00
94 Fauquier Fauquier 1.520 23.10 10.00
95 Massaponax Spotsylvania 1.514 23.00 15.00
96 Mount Vernon * Fairfax 1.511 34.90 38.00
97 Mount Vernon Fairfax 1.510
98 Seneca Valley * ** Montgomery 1.506 25.70 21.00
99 Damascus Montgomery 1.495 38.70 8.00
100 Great Mills St. Mary's 1.482 18.10 30.00
101 School Without Walls D.C. 1.468 35.00 13.00
102 Riverbend Spotsylvania 1.462 22.00 10.00
103 Brunswick Frederick 1.454 28.60 14.00
104 Northern Calvert 1.442 26.30 8.00
105 Glenelg Howard 1.435 28.50 2.00
106 Walkersville Frederick 1.431 33.40 12.00
107 Annandale * Fairfax 1.425 40.00 40.00
108 Stone Charles 1.419 13.70 20.00
109 Chancellor Spotsylvania 1.412 n/a 18.00
110 Liberty Carroll 1.409 32.60 3.00
111 Westlake Charles 1.401 16.90 14.00
112 Oxon Hill Prince George's 1.394 10.90 30.00
113 Friendship Collegiate * ** D.C. 1.382 n/a 67.00
114 McKinley Technology D.C. 1.380 4.00 53.00
115 Atholton Howard 1.364 25.10 5.00
116 Stafford Stafford 1.359 18.40 14.00
117 Brentsville * ** Prince William 1.337 21.50 6.00
118 Forest Park Prince William 1.333 21.70 16.00
119 Kennedy Montgomery 1.332 26.30 31.00
120 Howard Howard 1.327 18.50 7.00
121 Catoctin Frederick 1.303 26.80 13.00
122 Arundel Senior Anne Arundel 1.277 20.80 10.00
123 Courtland Spotsylvania 1.268 31.80 13.00
124 Wilde Lake Howard 1.241 29.50 19.00
125 Ellington D.C. 1.231 n/a 32.00
126 Chesapeake Anne Arundel 1.226 23.70 7.00
127 Cardozo D.C. 1.203 2.40 66.00
128 Thurgood Marshall D.C. 1.179 4.70 70.00
129 Reservoir Howard 1.138 25.40 12.00
130 Monroe Fredericksburg 1.091 24.90 30.00
131 Tuscarora Frederick 1.069 31.10 14.00
132 Calvert Calvert 1.063 15.90 15.00
133 North Stafford Stafford 1.045 17.90 12.00
134 Coolidge D.C. 1.038 2.00 55.00
135 Manassas Park * ** Manassas Park 0.993 7.70 30.00
136 Winters Mill Carroll 0.975 27.30 17.00
137 Chopticon St. Mary's 0.970 15.00 10.00
138 Spotsylvania Spotsylvania 0.959 17.00 20.00
139 Brooke Point Stafford 0.951 15.70 11.00
139 Oakland Mills Howard 0.951 23.00 22.00
141 Bowie Prince George's 0.947 9.90 16.00
142 Mountain View * Stafford 0.942 5.00 7.00
143 North County Anne Arundel 0.922 10.00 24.00
144 Hammond Howard 0.921 20.90 17.00
144 Hammond Howard 0.921 20.90 17.00
146 Laurel * Prince George's 0.909 11.40 34.00
147 Northeast Anne Arundel 0.893 16.70 13.00
148 Century Carroll 0.887 27.80 6.00
149 High Point Prince George's 0.872 11.20 51.00
150 Booker T. Washington D.C. 0.862 86.00
151 Long Reach Howard 0.845 18.90 19.00
152 Liberty Fauquier 0.835 18.40 14.00
153 South Carroll Carroll 0.819 20.70 4.00
154 Lackey Charles 0.815 11.10 23.00
155 Osbourn Manassas City 0.800 18.70 13.00
156 Parkdale * Prince George's 0.772 8.50 47.00
157 Meade Anne Arundel 0.770 16.60 26.00
158 Cesar Chavez D.C. 0.761 81.00
159 Westminster Carroll 0.756 29.40 6.00
160 Flowers Prince George's 0.717 n/a 30.00
161 Glen Burnie Anne Arundel 0.708 10.00 23.00
162 Northwestern Prince George's 0.699 19.00 51.00
163 Washington Math & Science Tech D.C. 0.663 7.00 80.00
164 Culpeper County Culpeper 0.588 9.60 20.00
165 DuVal Prince George's 0.573 3.90 40.00
166 Crossland Prince George's 0.567 1.90 35.00
167 Suitland * Prince George's 0.556 1.70 39.00
168 North Carroll Carroll 0.538 15.70 8.00
169 Gwynn Park Prince George's 0.521 2.20 17.00
170 M.M. Washington D.C. 0.516 67.00
171 H.D. Woodson D.C. 0.510 2.00 62.00
172 Potomac Prince George's 0.461 1.10 41.00
173 Warren County Warren 0.423 5.00 18.00
174 Frederick Douglass Prince George's 0.387 4.50 18.00
175 Central * Prince George's 0.366 n/a 51.00
176 Dunbar D.C. 0.351 54.00
177 Integrated Design and Electronics D.C. 0.348 75.00
178 Bladensburg Prince George's 0.290 6.00 50.00
179 Key Carroll 0.283 11.20 18.00
180 Surrattsville Prince George's 0.273 1.10 22.00
181 Spingarn D.C. 0.269 79.00
182 Roosevelt D.C. 0.258 2.50 54.00
183 Friendly Prince George's 0.180 1.50 27.00
184 Eastern D.C. 0.154 2.00 63.00
185 Largo Prince George's 0.150 1.10 25.00
186 Fairmont Heights Prince George's 0.134 1.80 48.00
187 Anacostia D.C. 0.123 68.00
188 Spingarn STAY D.C. 0.043 4.00 80.00
189 Forestville Prince George's 0.025 n/a 48.00
190 Ballou D.C. 0.000 90.00

*Includes IB tests.
**Includes Cambridge, community college or other types of college-level final exams.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, with a rating of 7.575 and an Equity and Excellence rate of 100 percent, was not ranked because it is a magnet school with a selective admissions police and an average SAT score, 2214, 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 such as Jefferson that have few or no average students.

Briar Woods and Freedom in Loudoun County, Clarksburg and Northwood in Montgomery County, Dr. Henry A. Wise in Prince George's County and North Point in Charles County were not included because they are new schools and did not have full senior classes graduating this year.

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