U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings for America's Best High Schools is out for 2023. Once again, HF-L High School has been honored as a top high school in the nation! HF-L High School ranks #4in the Rochester Metro Area, #80 out of 1,198 in New York State, and #712 out of 17,650 in the nation! HF-L High School has an enrollment of 677 students with a 95% graduation rate! These rankings place HF-L in the 96th percentile in New York State! In fourth place, HF-L is close on the tails of Pittsford Mendon (30 in NYS & 261 in the nation), Pittsford Sutherland (46 in NYS & 349 in the nation), and Brighton (67 in NYS & 620 in the nation). Rounding out the top five is Webster Thomas (96 in NYS & 883 in the nation).
In third place, HF-L is close on the tails of Pittsford Sutherland (46 in NYS & 349 in the nation), and Brighton (67 in NYS & 620 in the nation). Rounding out the top five include Webster Thomas (96 in NYS & 883 in the nation), and Geneseo (110 in NYS & 1,037 in the nation).
“The culminating data used reflects the pride that the HF-L community has in both education and children”, said Superintendent Gene Mancuso. “The District routinely uses data to inform instructional decisions and is just the right size to really get to know its students and help them explore the possibilities that await them. We truly believe in a growth mindset and continuous improvement, and we trust the processes we have in place to support every student, every day.”
It’s important to understand that the methodology used by “U.S. News & World Report” is not static. That is why it’s important that the District avoid overreaction to the high schools’ placement on this list. The factors used to assess and compare shift regularly – as does the very number of schools evaluated. For example, if a school’s overall score creeped up by just one point (say, from 97 to 98 in a year), that school’s ranking would leap in the rankings by approximately 179 places. In the same way, if a school’s scores slipped by even half a point (say, from 97 to 96.5 in a year), it would fall by approximately 90 places in the rankings. Learn more by checking out how U.S. News & World Report calculates its rankings.
Also important to note, in 2019 “U.S. News & World Report” altered their ranking system to include every eligible public high school in the nation (~17,800 schools). Before 2019, they ranked only ~2,700 high schools nationally – a change that impacted HFLCSD’s standing. Learn more by checking out why U.S. News & World Report revamped the 2019 Best High School rankings. In addition, they now consider six factors in their calculation of yearly rankings:
- 30% – College Readiness.
- 20% – Math/Reading Proficiency; state standardized tests (opt-outs not included); compares one state versus others.
- 20% – Math/Reading Performance; derived from math/reading state assessments, comparing scores with what US News predicted for a school w/its demographic characteristics.
- 10% – College curriculum breadth.
- 10% – Underserved Student Performance; score on state assessments vs. other states.
- 10% – Graduation Rate (prior to 2019).
This in no way means that we should celebrate this ranking any less. This achievement is truly reflective of the outstanding teachers, staff, and students of the Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District.
Congratulations to the entire school community on a job well done!