Mililani High Named One Of Nation’s Best For College Prep

By Caitlin Basilio

Eight Hawaii high schools recently were recognized in The Washington Post‘s “2012 High School Challenge Index,” which highlights the nation’s top 9 percent of schools for effectively preparing students for college.

Of the eight schools cited, Mililani High School was one of Hawaii’s honored six public high schools.

The Post‘s Jay Matthews, who has compiled the Challenge Index of Washington-area schools since 1998, expanded the rankings to high schools across the country in 2011. The formula divides the number of Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate or other college-level tests given by a school by the number of graduating seniors.

Mililani offers more than 24 sections of 17 AP courses in subjects ranging from English literature to U.S. government and politics, physics and music theory.

Earning this recognition from Matthews has been a longtime goal for Mililani’s faculty.

“I don’t think most people in Hawaii realize how big a thing this is,” said the school’s AP administrator James Petersen.

“It’s a national recognition of our school’s efforts to prepare our students to be successful,” he said. “More than that, it’s recognition that MHS is trying to help our students realize their dreams.”

The schools that had at least a 1.000 ratio made the national list. Mililani made the list with a score of 1.035.

“The recognition of MHS on the Washington Post‘s Challenge Index is just a beginning,” Petersen added. “It’s a milestone on our journey to provide a path to our students’ future.”