Patriot High School Tops Prince William Scores in Washington Post Challenge Index

Patriot High School courtesy of Prince William County Schools.

Patriot High School in Nokesville, Virginia was ranked the highest of Prince William public schools by the annual Washington Post Challenge Index of America’s Most Challenging High Schools published May 5.

Patriot, which serves students  from Bristow and Gainesville, received a national rank of 538, which exceeded its 2016 ranking.

Patriot received an Excellence and Equity rating of 51 as more than half its graduates completed at least one college course while attending. Forty-seven was the previous high score attained by the school division.

Patriot received a composite index score of 3.434, meaning the number of AP or Advanced Placement tests given to seniors was 3.4 times the number of graduating seniors.

"This also is an outstanding accomplishment and speaks to the dedication of our staff and community to provide a quality educational experience for our students," said Dr. Michael Bishop, Principal of Patriot High School. "Without their tireless dedication, none of this is possible."

In April, Patriot High School also received the honor of being ranked the 17th best school in Virginia, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2017 list.

Patriot offers an AP Scholars specialty program that enrolls 600 of its 2,747 students. However, Patriot encourages many students to challenge themselves through taking these courses that teach them to think critically and work on a college level.

Since the AP program began, Patriot has added seven additional Pre AP and AP courses. Recently, the school added the AP Capstone Seminar and Research. They are research based courses for juniors and seniors. In the summer before 9th grade, students can participate in the Summer Bridge program, which promotes organization, time management and critical thinking in small group settings.

Bishop also recognized the hard work of Patriot students in helping the school achieve this honor. "They are the best students at The Best High School in the Nation. They make me proud to be their principal."

This is the 30th consecutive year the Washington Post has published its Challenge Index of America's Most Challenging High Schools. Wa.Po. Columnist Jay Matthews said he founded the index to challenge all schools to offer college level choices so that all students had a chance to succeed.

"This is the 30th anniversary of a moment that changed my life, when I discovered that a public school in a poor Hispanic neighborhood could produce 26 percent of all the successful Mexican American Advanced Placement calculus students in the country by giving students more time and encouragement to learn," Matthews begins his article.

The Washington Post Challenge Index is one factor that has led high schools in the D.C. Metro Area to offer a great number of A.P. and other college level courses to its students.

Some other Prince William public schools received the following Excellence and Equity ratings: Battlefield, Haymarket, 48.1, Osbourn Park, Manassas, 47; Brentsville District, Nokesville, 42.7; Woodbridge Sr., Lake Ridge, 35.3; Stonewall Jackson, Manassas, 28.

St. Anselm's Abby School, a private school in D.C., ranked number one in the DMV on the Challenge Index and 17th in the country.