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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 %
166 James Wood Frederick 0.150 0.12
165 Roosevelt D.C. 0.193 0.02 0.54
164 Milbrook Frederick 0.209 0.15
163 Sherando Frederick 0.288 0.10
162 Skyline Warren 0.347 0.06 0.13
161 Culpeper County Culpeper 0.415 0.10 0.16
160 Suitland * Prince George's 0.416 0.42
159 Key Carroll 0.471 0.13 0.19
158 Warren County Warren 0.486 0.10 0.13
157 Frederick Douglass Prince George's 0.526 0.04 0.18
156 North Carroll Carroll 0.602 0.15 0.08
155 Spotsylvania Spotsylvania 0.614 0.09 0.20
154 Westminster Carroll 0.674 0.21 0.09
153 Parkdale * Prince George's 0.698 0.08 0.52
152 DuVal Prince George's 0.722 0.06 0.40
151 Northeast Anne Arundel 0.752 0.14 0.14
150 Winters Mill Carroll 0.753 0.25 0.17
149 Liberty Fauquier 0.770 0.13 0.14
148 Courtland Spotsylvania 0.774 0.21 0.13
145 South Carroll Carroll 0.840 0.18 0.04
146 Chopticon St. Mary's 0.840 0.10 0.12
144 Glen Burnie Anne Arundel 0.847 0.10 0.25
143 Northwestern Prince George's 0.857 0.19 0.54
142 Central * Prince George's 0.865 0.51
141 Hammond Howard 0.929 0.16 0.17
140 Cesar Chavez D.C. 0.937 0.03 0.71
139 Laurel * Prince George's 0.939 0.11 0.36
138 Oakland Mills Howard 0.943 0.18 0.24
137 Calvert Calvert 0.964 0.16 0.15
136 Tuscarora Frederick 0.978 0.24 0.15
135 Ellington D.C. 0.981 0.20 0.32
134 Chancellor Spotsylvania 0.982 0.17 0.18
133 Long Reach Howard 1.000 0.19 0.19
132 North Stafford Stafford 1.003 0.19 0.13
131 Westlake Charles 1.010 0.16 0.13
130 Flowers Prince George's 1.041 0.31
129 Stone Charles 1.051 0.14 0.18
128 Freedom Prince William 1.054 0.08 0.50
127 Century Carroll 1.059 0.26 0.07
126 Lackey Charles 1.111 0.10 0.23
125 Bowie Prince George's 1.118 0.10 0.17
124 Monroe Fredericksburg 1.145 0.25 0.31
123 Mountain View * Stafford 1.176 0.18 0.08
122 North County Anne Arundel 1.194 0.09 0.24
121 Gov. Thomas Johnson Frederick 1.227 0.26 0.17
120 Wilde Lake Howard 1.258 0.24 0.20
119 Manassas Park ** Manassas Park 1.295 0.10 0.37
118 Riverbend Spotsylvania 1.308 0.26 0.10
117 Forest Park Prince William 1.314 0.24 0.16
116 Reservoir Howard 1.322 0.30 0.13
115 Osbourn Manassas City 1.326 0.20 0.13
114 Mount Vernon * Fairfax 1.334 0.35 0.42
113 Brunswick Frederick 1.356 0.20 0.13
112 Brooke Point Stafford 1.386 0.20 0.14
111 Atholton Howard 1.415 0.25 0.05
110 Northern Calvert 1.426 0.28 0.09
109 Catoctin Frederick 1.433 0.10 0.13
108 Great Mills St. Mary's 1.438 0.11 0.32
107 Liberty Carroll 1.485 0.39 0.04
106 Frederick Frederick 1.516 0.30 0.30
105 Annandale * Fairfax 1.542 0.44 0.43
104 High Point Prince George's 1.547 0.22 0.53
102 Arundel Senior Anne Arundel 1.551 0.32 0.10
103 Howard Howard 1.551 0.19 0.05
101 Stonewall Jackson * Prince William 1.558 0.30 0.34
100 Oxon Hill Prince George's 1.600 0.11 0.32
99 Chesapeake Anne Arundel 1.613 0.24 0.08
98 Massaponax Spotsylvania 1.620 0.21 0.15
97 Woodbridge Prince William 1.629 0.22 0.25
96 Colonial Forge Stafford 1.655 0.34 0.09
95 Leonardtown St. Mary's 1.693 0.25 0.11
94 Meade Anne Arundel 1.710 0.17 0.27
93 T.C. Williams ** Alexandria 1.710 0.32 0.50
92 Mount Hebron Howard 1.712 0.30 0.07
91 Walkersville Frederick 1.731 0.36 0.11
90 Lee * Fairfax 1.733 0.38 0.39
89 Edison * Fairfax 1.750 0.44 0.33
88 Fauquier Fauquier 1.795 0.26 0.10
87 Southern Anne Arundel 1.818 0.21 0.11
86 Glenelg Howard 1.829 0.31 0.02
85 Urbana * Frederick 1.833 0.45 0.04
84 McDonough Charles 1.852 0.16 0.16
83 Linganore Frederick 1.880 0.36 0.04
82 Wheaton ** Montgomery 1.913 0.22 0.48
81 Battlefield Prince William 1.941 0.32 0.10
80 Park View Loudoun 1.975 0.33 0.30
79 Gaithersburg ** Montgomery 1.983 0.32 0.28
78 Gar-Field * Prince William 1.986 0.31 0.40
77 Seneca Valley ** Montgomery 2.038 0.28 0.24
76 South Lakes * Fairfax 2.048 0.43 0.34
75 Patuxent Calvert 2.069 0.27 0.13
74 Brentsville ** Prince William 2.082 0.28 0.08
73 Damascus ** Montgomery 2.089 0.37 0.09
72 Middletown Frederick 2.090 0.42 0.05
71 Kennedy ** Montgomery 2.109 0.20 0.37
70 Stafford Stafford 2.137 0.22 0.14
69 Northwest Montgomery 2.143 0.37 0.16
68 Hayfield Fairfax 2.146 0.31 0.25
67 Huntingtown Calvert 2.160 0.39 0.06
66 Rappahannock County ** Rappahannock 2.167 0.44 0.15
65 Magruder Montgomery 2.182 0.41 0.19
64 Heritage Prince William 2.217 0.43 0.16
63 Old Mill * Anne Arundel 2.222 0.15 0.15
62 South River Anne Arundel 2.306 0.41 0.04
61 Osbourn Manassas City 2.318 0.43 0.14
60 Watkins Mill * Montgomery 2.345 0.39 0.33
59 La Plata Charles 2.358 0.29 0.11
58 Sherwood ** Montgomery 2.366 0.45 0.12
57 Blake ** Montgomery 2.373 0.41 0.17
56 Eleanor Roosevelt Prince George's 2.388 0.30 0.22
55 Hylton Prince William 2.392 0.28 0.22
54 Annapolis * Anne Arundel 2.398 0.21 0.29
52 School Without Walls D.C. 2.416 0.30 0.13
52 Marriotts Ridge Howard 2.462 0.35 0.03
51 Paint Branch Montgomery 2.471 0.40 0.21
50 Springbrook * Montgomery 2.516 0.38 0.31
49 Einstein * Montgomery 2.522 0.43 0.36
48 John Handley Winchester 2.549 0.34 0.31
47 Poolesville Montgomery 2.585 0.44 0.04
46 Robinson Fairfax 2.606 0.51 0.11
45 River Hill Howard 2.625 0.42 0.05
44 Quince Orchard ** Montgomery 2.625 0.49 0.16
43 Montgomery Blair ** Montgomery 2.631 0.48 0.31
42 Stuart * Fairfax 2.656 0.43 0.58
41 West Potomac Fairfax 2.733 0.36 0.36
40 Potomac ** Prince George's 2.752 0.28 0.33
39 West Springfield Fairfax 2.764 0.52 0.11
38 Potomac Falls Loudoun 2.786 0.45 0.09
37 Broadneck Anne Arundel 2.802 0.50 0.05
36 Centennial Howard 2.816 0.40 0.05
35 Woodrow Wilson D.C. 2.819 0.30 0.42
34 Dominion Loudoun 2.876 0.33 0.17
33 Rockville Montgomery 2.944 0.40 0.19
32 James Madison Fairfax 3.027 0.55 0.06
31 Falls Church Fairfax 3.030 0.36 0.46
30 Loudoun County Loudoun 3.040 0.40 0.11
29 Westfield Fairfax 3.063 0.52 0.14
28 South County Fairfax 3.139 0.41 0.15
27 Herndon Fairfax 3.183 0.57 0.21
26 Banneker * D.C. 3.189 0.33 0.39
25 Stone Bridge Loudoun 3.215 0.55 0.05
24 Marshall * Fairfax 3.239 0.61 0.18
23 Oakton Fairfax 3.243 0.60 0.09
22 Broad Run Loudoun 3.277 0.41 0.11
21 Severna Park Anne Arundel 3.281 0.53 0.03
20 Loudoun Valley Loudoun 3.322 0.52 0.05
19 Chantilly Fairfax 3.389 0.50 0.12
17 Fairfax Fairfax 3.429 0.44 0.20
18 Centreville Fairfax 3.442 0.50 0.17
16 Wakefield Arlington 3.500 0.39 0.43
15 McLean Fairfax 3.626 0.64 0.08
14 Walter Johnson ** Montgomery 3.688 0.68 0.06
13 Lake Braddock Fairfax 3.705 0.60 0.13
12 Whitman ** Montgomery 3.761 0.76 0.02
11 Langley Fairfax 3.807 0.76 0.07
10 Yorktown Arlington 3.809 0.62 0.13
9 Churchill ** Montgomery 3.901 0.76 0.03
8 W. T. Woodson Fairfax 4.229 0.62 0.07
7 Washington-Lee ** Arlington 4.321 0.41 0.30
6 George Mason * Falls Church 4.327 0.67 0.07
5 Bethesda Chevy Chase * Montgomery 4.552 0.68 0.09
4 T.S. Wootton ** Montgomery 4.776 0.75 0.05
3 Clarke County * Clarke 5.061 0.80 0.13
2 Richard Montgomery ** Montgomery 5.188 0.61 0.16
1 H-B Woodlawn Arlington 5.250 0.85 0.13

*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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