Two Long Island elementary schools, both in the Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District, are among the top 10 in New York State, according to rankings just released by US News & World Report.
Old Bethpage School ranked eighth and Judy Jacobs Parkway Elementary School ranked ninth, according to rankings of nearly 4,000 elementary schools across the state, which were released Tuesday.
Among the news magazine’s rankings of nearly 3,000 middle schools, also released Tuesday, Garden City and Jericho high schools were tied for 14th, Willets Road School in Roslyn Heights was 17th and Paul Middle School J. Gelinas in East Setauket was 18th.
The methodology for the rankings, based in part on federal education data, analyzes state assessments of students who were rated proficient or above in mathematics and reading/language arts. The methodology takes into account students’ backgrounds, “achievement in core subjects and how well schools are educating their students,” US News & World Report said.
US News & World Report, which has ranked schools since 1983, is best known for its college rankings. For its elementary and secondary school rankings, the organization analyzed schools in every state and the District of Columbia.
In a statement, the Plainview-Old Bethpage district called the rankings “a great honor for our schools to once again be recognized as top performers.”
“The most important thing is the children. Their curiosity, tenacity, and commitment to learning allow them to achieve at an incredible rate. “We couldn’t be prouder of our staff and students,” the statement said.
According to the rankings, the highest-ranked elementary and secondary schools were in New York City.
Teresa Valerio Parrot, an educational consultant in Boulder, Colorado, said parents should not focus on a single rating system, but rather look at several to form an opinion about a school.
“There are so many classifications today that it doesn’t have to be a one-stop shop for everyone,” he said, adding, “It can be one of the many pieces that families use to piece together their next steps.” “.
Earlier this year, 23 Long Island public high schools were among the top 1,000 in the country.
Also earlier this year, several universities and graduate schools opted out of US News & World Report’s rankings, complaining about the methodologies used to compile the rankings.