Utica Community Schools Rank among Washington Post's Most Challenging

Superintendent of schools for the Utica Community Schools (UCS) district in Sterling Heights, Michigan, Dr. Christine Johns maintains a commitment to implementing new initiatives to foster student success. A recipient of a 2014 Tech-Savvy Superintendent of the Year Award by eSchool News, Dr. Christine Johns also leads her schools in receiving national attention as a forerunner for positive educational changes. For instance, the Washington Post has recognized all four UCS high schools through the America’s Most Challenging High Schools list in multiple years.

The America’s Most Challenging High Schools consists of a listing of the nation’s most academically challenging high school institutions based on the ratio results of an internal index formula. Known as the Challenge Index, the formula examines students’ participation in advanced placement programs and divides the number of tests taken by the number of graduating seniors for each year. Particular program tests the Challenge Index looks for include International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), and the Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE). In order to rank among the listing, schools must obtain an index ratio of 1.00, which indicates that the number of tests taken that year match the number of graduating seniors.

Organizers for the America’s Most Challenging High Schools list choose not to include student test results as a factor due to the actions undertaken by some schools to boost their test score rates. According to research conducted by organizers, some schools establish artificial test score rates by only allowing top students to participate in IB, AP, and AICE courses. Furthermore, the listing also excludes well-known magnet and charter schools whose concentration of top-preforming students exceeds the highest average for open enrollment schools.