3 Corridor high schools rank as state’s most challenging

CEDAR RAPIDS - Washington and Kennedy high schools are among the state's top most-challenging schools, according to a recent national ranking by the Washington Post.

The Post's 'America's Most Challenging High Schools” list puts Washington at first in the state and Kennedy at third. Iowa City's City High was fifth out of the six Iowa schools that made the list.

The newspaper's 'Challenge Index” score was calculated by taking the number of advanced placement - or college level - tests given at a school in the previous year divided by the number of graduates that year.

'We are very proud of the amazing work of Washington students, which keeps their school No. 1 in Iowa on this important list,” Washington Principal Ralph Plagman said.

'The coursework is challenging, but it is all about pushing the kids and helping them to be successful,” said Jason Kline, principal of Kennedy.

Of the 22,000 U.S. public high schools, nearly 2,300 made the cut. Nationally, Washington ranked 644th, Kennedy 843rd and City High 1,721st, the index showed.

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