Nine Idaho high schools make Washington Post list

The Washington Post has issued its list of the nation’s most challenging high schools, and Idaho’s representatives have a familiar ring to them.

Coeur d'Alene Charter
Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy

The Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy is once again Idaho’s top school on the list — which is based on the number of advanced tests taken by students.

The charter academy was ranked No. 220 among 22,000 high schools nationally. The academy was also Idaho’s highest ranked school in 2013 and 2014.

The other Idaho schools on the Washington Post list:

  • 459. North Star Charter School, Eagle.
  • 654. Boise High School.
  • 1175. Timberline High School, Boise.
  • 1454. Wood River High School, Hailey.
  • 1846. Capital High School, Boise.
  • 1999. Borah High School, Boise.
  • 2045. Century High School, Pocatello.
  • 2259. Vallivue High School, Caldwell.

These are the same nine Idaho high schools to make the Post’s 2014 list.

The Washington Post calculates its results by taking the total number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests given each year and dividing by the number of graduates. If each student were to take one test, for example, the school would receive a score of 1.00, the benchmark to make the Post’s list.

Kevin Richert

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]

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