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The Washington Post Challenge Index measures a public high school’s effort to challenge all of its students. The formula is simple: Divide the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or other college-level tests a school gave in 2009 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 the one quantifiable factor that seems to reveal best the level of a high school’s commitment to preparing average students for college.

When compared with schools across the country, Washington-area schools are overall the most encouraging of college-level testing, as measured by the index. In the list below, any school with a rating of 1.000 or above is in the top 6 percent of all U.S. high schools in encouraging students to take AP, IB or Cambridge tests. That means 77 percent of Washington area schools rank in the top 6 percent of U.S. schools, measured this way.

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 portion of subsidized-lunch applicants is a rough indicator of a school’s poverty level. High poverty schools are at a disadvantage in persuading students to take college-level courses and tests, but some on this list have succeeded in doing so anyway.

In parenthesis 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 AP Equity and Excellence rate for all U.S. schools is about 15 percent.

For the 24 schools with AP test passing rates under 10 percent, see the separate 2010 Challenge Index—Catching Up schools list.


RANK SCHOOL DISTRICT INDEX E&E % SUBS. LUNCH %
1 H-B Woodlawn ** Arlington 6.000 86.80 18.00
2 Richard Montgomery * ** Montgomery 5.663 62.10 16.00
3 Columbia Heights (formerly Bell Multicultural) ** DC 5.595 24.60 84.00
4 George Mason * Falls Church 5.333 66.70 6.00
5 Poolesville ** Montgomery 4.867 50.20 4.00
6 Washington-Lee * ** Arlington 4.797 45.50 34.00
7 Bethesda Chevy Chase * ** Montgomery 4.795 72.20 9.00
8 Churchill ** Montgomery 4.470 77.90 2.00
9 T.S. Wootton ** Montgomery 4.428 79.90 4.00
10 Yorktown ** Arlington 4.344 73.60 15.00
11 Whitman ** Montgomery 4.298 75.20 2.00
12 School Without Walls ** D.C. 4.264 47.30 22.00
13 W. T. Woodson ** Fairfax 4.137 69.40 7.00
14 Walter Johnson ** Montgomery 4.089 65.50 6.00
15 Woodrow Wilson ** D.C. 4.011 32.00 39.00
16 McLean ** Fairfax 4.002 70.30 8.00
17 Langley ** Fairfax 3.767 67.10 2.00
18 Montgomery Blair ** Montgomery 3.594 52.90 31.00
19 Centreville ** Fairfax 3.591 51.90 17.00
20 James Madison ** Fairfax 3.569 59.70 7.00
21 Loudoun Valley ** Loudoun 3.542 43.90 6.00
22 Herndon ** Fairfax 3.523 54.10 23.00
23 Oakton ** Fairfax 3.496 59.70 9.00
24 River Hill ** Howard 3.495 46.30 4.00
25 Lake Braddock ** Fairfax 3.418 51.70 14.00
26 Fairfax ** Fairfax 3.369 55.30 21.00
27 Severna Park ** Anne Arundel 3.355 48.70 3.00
28 Broad Run ** Loudoun 3.346 36.50 12.00
29 Dominion ** Loudoun 3.254 28.30 18.00
30 Marshall * Fairfax 3.228 61.40 18.00
31 Stone Bridge ** Loudoun 3.210 41.50 6.00
32 Freedom ** Loudoun 3.200 32.00 10.00
33 Briar Woods ** Loudoun 3.173 40.10 6.00
34 South Lakes * Fairfax 3.135 48.00 33.00
35 Quince Orchard ** Montgomery 3.134 49.20 17.00
36 Chantilly ** Fairfax 3.125 51.30 12.00
37 Banneker * ** D.C. 3.093 17.00 46.00
38 Centennial ** Howard 3.047 42.70 5.00
39 Paint Branch ** Montgomery 2.921 41.40 22.00
40 West Springfield ** Fairfax 2.873 48.90 11.00
41 Broadneck ** Anne Arundel 2.830 45.60 6.00
42 Annapolis * ** Anne Arundel 2.790 25.70 33.00
43 Rockville * ** Montgomery 2.784 45.80 21.00
44 South County ** Fairfax 2.773 48.70 15.00
45 Potomac ** Prince William 2.768 29.00 35.00
46 Loudoun County ** Loudoun 2.761 31.70 13.00
47 Robinson * ** Fairfax 2.708 48.60 11.00
48 Hylton ** Prince William 2.707 33.60 27.00
49 Westfield ** Fairfax 2.664 54.90 14.00
50 Einstein * ** Montgomery 2.602 39.20 37.00
51 Sherwood ** Montgomery 2.593 44.20 13.00
52 Osbourn Park ** Prince William 2.580 45.40 20.00
53 Wakefield ** Arlington 2.554 36.60 48.00
54 Huntingtown ** Calvert 2.523 44.70 6.00
55 Blake ** Montgomery 2.508 47.50 20.00
56 Eleanor Roosevelt ** Prince George's 2.460 50.00 25.00
57 Clarke County * ** Clarke 2.435 70.00 13.00
58 Stuart * Fairfax 2.429 41.30 55.00
59 Kennedy ** Montgomery 2.412 31.10 42.00
60 Northwest ** Montgomery 2.411 42.30 16.00
61 Potomac Falls ** Loudoun 2.410 39.80 12.00
62 South River ** Anne Arundel 2.364 42.50 5.00
63 Falls Church ** Fairfax 2.358 30.20 46.00
64 Urbana * Frederick 2.329 50.20 5.00
65 Magruder ** Montgomery 2.326 44.90 24.00
66 La Plata ** Charles 2.310 33.90 12.00
67 John Handley ** Winchester 2.310 30.00 34.00
68 Wheaton ** Montgomery 2.274 26.70 53.00
69 Old Mill * Anne Arundel 2.269 31.00 18.00
70 Gaithersburg ** Montgomery 2.248 31.00 30.00
71 West Potomac ** Fairfax 2.244 44.20 34.00
72 Hayfield ** Fairfax 2.216 30.20 25.00
73 Brentsville ** Prince William 2.202 36.70 9.00
74 Springbrook * ** Montgomery 2.201 33.20 35.00
75 Damascus ** Montgomery 2.193 42.00 10.00
76 Middletown ** Frederick 2.192 44.40 6.00
77 Gar-Field * Prince William 2.180 36.90 44.00
78 Heritage ** Loudoun 2.158 31.70 19.00
79 Seneca Valley ** Montgomery 2.116 32.70 24.00
80 Southern ** Anne Arundel 2.071 30.00 14.00
81 Patuxent ** Calvert 2.044 34.40 15.00
82 Clarksburg ** Montgomery 2.038 31.40 24.00
83 Marriotts Ridge ** Howard 2.033 30.80 4.00
84 Battlefield ** Prince William 2.003 33.00 12.00
85 Leonardtown ** St. Mary's 1.994 34.40 13.00
86 Colonial Forge ** Stafford 1.981 29.20 10.00
87 Northwood ** Montgomery 1.948 32.20 31.00
88 Mount Hebron ** Howard 1.935 33.10 10.00
89 Rappahannock County ** Rappahannock 1.908 30.00 19.00
90 Woodbridge ** Prince William 1.908 28.60 27.00
91 Watkins Mill * Montgomery 1.906 34.30 36.00
92 Park View ** Loudoun 1.899 25.80 38.00
93 Linganore ** Frederick 1.891 40.70 6.00
94 Edison * Fairfax 1.870 43.40 34.00
95 Arundel Senior ** Anne Arundel 1.866 45.70 11.00
96 Great Mills ** St. Mary's 1.827 37.00 32.00
97 Meade ** Anne Arundel 1.798 16.80 29.00
98 Stonewall Jackson ** Prince William 1.777 38.10 39.00
99 Northern ** Calvert 1.724 33.80 9.00
100 Glenelg ** Howard 1.722 31.30 2.00
101 Forest Park ** Prince William 1.669 27.20 19.00
102 Oxon Hill ** Prince George's 1.639 12.10 35.00
103 M.J. McDonough ** Charles 1.635 16.80 22.00
104 Century ** Carroll 1.610 35.00 6.00
105 Chesapeake ** Anne Arundel 1.607 27.90 9.00
106 Walkersville ** Frederick 1.601 39.90 13.00
107 Northeast ** Anne Arundel 1.581 19.50 18.00
108 Catoctin ** Frederick 1.558 29.30 17.00
109 North Point ** Charles 1.545 20.90 10.00
110 Fauquier Fauquier 1.543 32.10 15.00
111 Gov. Thomas Johnson ** Frederick 1.528 31.30 21.00
112 T.C. Williams ** Alexandria 1.505 28.00 53.00
113 Riverbend ** Spotsylvania 1.495 28.10 15.00
114 Howard ** Howard 1.494 18.50 7.00
115 Liberty ** Carroll 1.491 38.10 5.00
116 Reservoir ** Howard 1.462 29.00 16.00
117 Atholton ** Howard 1.456 27.20 6.00
118 Lee * Fairfax 1.441 39.00 39.00
119 Frederick ** Frederick 1.440 29.70 26.00
120 Stafford ** Stafford 1.423 22.60 15.00
121 Bowie ** Prince George's 1.420 48.40 18.00
122 Annandale * Fairfax 1.391 40.80 43.00
123 Thurgood Marshall ** D.C. 1.358 5.10 72.00
124 Brooke Point ** Stafford 1.343 16.40 14.00
125 Manassas Park ** Manassas Park 1.339 16.80 38.00
126 Mountain View * Stafford 1.324 17.30 8.00
127 Massaponax ** Spotsylvania 1.309 25.50 23.00
128 Laurel * Prince George's 1.252 11.60 38.00
129 High Point ** Prince George's 1.233 17.90 53.00
130 Freedom ** Prince William 1.227 10.70 56.00
131 Mount Vernon * Fairfax 1.183 29.30 42.00
132 Central * Prince George's 1.179 9.00 51.00
133 Brunswick ** Frederick 1.176 24.30 17.00
134 Wilde Lake ** Howard 1.167 26.50 21.00
135 Westlake ** Charles 1.162 7.90 24.00
136 Glen Burnie ** Anne Arundel 1.153 11.00 28.00
137 Calvert ** Calvert 1.137 23.70 16.00
138 Parkdale * Prince George's 1.122 7.50 56.00
139 Cesar Chavez-Capitol Hill ** DC charter 1.095 4.80 66.00
140 Hammond ** Howard 1.094 17.20 20.00
141 Tuscarora ** Frederick 1.059 28.30 18.00
142 Chopticon ** St. Mary's 1.058 20.10 14.00
143 Winters Mill ** Carroll 1.058 32.50 16.00
144 Ellington ** D.C. 1.038 19.60 38.00
145 McKinley Technology ** D.C. 1.011 3.60 45.00
146 Osbourn ** Manassas City 0.987 17.30 36.00
147 Stone ** Charles 0.970 14.70 22.00
148 Flowers ** Prince George's 0.969 10.40 32.00
149 Lackey ** Charles 0.949 7.40 29.00
150 Northwestern ** Prince George's 0.869 19.20 57.00
151 North County ** Anne Arundel 0.867 10.00 26.00
152 Oakland Mills ** Howard 0.857 15.70 27.00
153 Westminster ** Carroll 0.857 23.90 9.00
154 North Stafford ** Stafford 0.856 15.70 13.00
155 Courtland ** Spotsylvania 0.855 29.50 17.00
156 South Carroll ** Carroll 0.839 24.10 4.00
157 Eastern View ** Culpeper 0.807 9.50 32.00
158 Culpeper County ** Culpeper 0.763 16.40 16.00
159 Long Reach ** Howard 0.754 11.10 20.00
160 Suitland * Prince George's 0.747 3.50 43.00
161 Chancellor ** Spotsylvania 0.729 19.90 25.00
162 DuVal ** Prince George's 0.724 7.90 44.00
163 Warren County ** Warren 0.696 9.00 13.00
164 North Carroll ** Carroll 0.679 17.20 9.00
165 Monroe ** Fredericksburg 0.657 17.60 37.00
166 Liberty ** Fauquier 0.641 20.40 20.00
167 Key ** Carroll 0.634 13.30 19.00
168 Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. ** Prince George's 0.590 2.90 27.00
169 Skyline ** Warren 0.586 3.00 30.00
170 Frederick Douglass ** Prince George's 0.535 4.20 24.00
171 Spotsylvania ** Spotsylvania 0.512 10.10 31.00
172 Roosevelt ** D.C. 0.478 3.00 67.00

*Mostly IB tests.
**Mostly AP tests and other tests, such as Cambridge.
***Both AP and IB tests.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, with a rating of 7.307 and an Equity and Excellence rate of 100 percent, was not ranked because it is a magnet school with a selective admissions policy and an average SAT score, 2184, 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.

Kettle Run High School in Fauquier County was not included because it is a new school and did not have a full senior class graduating in 2009.

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