Dear Voorheesville Families, Staff and Community Members,
Each year, U.S. News & World Report releases its Best High Schools rankings. Voorheesville has consistently been recognized among the highest-performing high schools in our region, and we are proud that Voorheesville High School once again ranks among the region’s top ten.
This year, Voorheesville is ranked seventh in the region, compared with second last year. We recognize that this change may raise questions, particularly given the pride our community has in our schools. I want to provide some context about this year’s rankings but, more importantly, I want to keep the focus where it belongs: on our students, the opportunities we provide them, and the mission and vision that guide our work as a school district.
Understanding This Year’s Ranking
There was an important change this year in some of the information available to U.S. News & World Report when evaluating New York high schools.
Per New York State Education Department, certain Advanced Placement (AP) data previously available for use in the rankings were not provided in the same manner this year due to student data privacy considerations at the state level. This is particularly relevant for schools with significant student participation in AP coursework.
For Voorheesville, that context matters.
Despite being a relatively small high school, we are proud to provide our students with access to a broad range of Advanced Placement courses and other rigorous academic opportunities. Our District offers 12 courses that are AP eligible. AP coursework is an important component of our advanced academic program and provides our students with opportunities to challenge themselves, pursue their interests, and experience college-level learning while still in high school.
Other high schools may provide advanced coursework through different models, including International Baccalaureate programs. Because the information available for AP and IB programs was not the same for purposes of this year’s rankings, comparisons among schools, as well as comparisons with rankings from previous years, should be viewed with appropriate context.
The New York State Education Department has acknowledged that the change in available AP data may have had a significant effect on how some New York high schools appear in this year’s rankings, particularly schools with high levels of AP participation.
For Voorheesville, that is an important context when considering our movement from second to seventh.
Our Students Are the Measure That Matters Most
While rankings receive attention, they do not define our students or our schools.
We do not believe Voorheesville was a better school simply because we were ranked second last year, and we do not believe we became a lesser school because we are ranked seventh this year.
That perspective is consistent with how the New York State Education Department approaches school performance. In addressing this year’s U.S. News & World Report rankings, NYSED emphasized that these rankings are not developed, endorsed, or used by the State as an accountability measure. NYSED further cautioned that a change in a school’s ranking should not be interpreted as a change in the quality of its students, educators, academic programs, or outcomes.
New York State’s own approach to evaluating high schools looks at multiple measures, including student achievement, performance in core academic subjects, graduation rates, attendance, and college, career, and civic readiness.
We believe that a broader view matters.
It also closely aligns with the mission and vision of the Voorheesville Central School District.
Our Mission
The mission of the Voorheesville Central School District is to provide all students a strong foundation of knowledge and experiences in a safe and supportive environment, to prepare them to be productive members of the global society, and to value life-long learning.
Our Vision
The Voorheesville Central School District is an engaging and supportive community of learning where everyone can participate and thrive at their highest potential.
Our mission and vision remind us that educating students is about much more than producing a number, a test score, or a position on a ranking.
We want our students to achieve at high levels academically. We also want them to challenge themselves, discover their strengths and interests, build meaningful relationships, participate in their school and community, and develop the skills and confidence necessary to pursue whatever path they choose after graduation.
That is why we provide opportunities that extend well beyond any single measure — Advanced Placement and other rigorous coursework, the arts, athletics, extracurricular activities, career exploration, leadership, service, and the many experiences that allow students to discover who they are and what they are capable of accomplishing.
And in a small district like Voorheesville, providing that breadth of opportunity is something in which we take particular pride.
Looking Beyond a Single Number
Voorheesville remains among the region’s top ten high schools, and we are proud of that recognition. We take external measures seriously, and when data identify an area in which we can improve, we have a responsibility to examine it.
But responsible evaluation also requires looking at the whole picture.
For us, that means asking:
- Are our students growing academically?
- Are they graduating prepared for college, careers, and civic life?
- Are they challenging themselves through rigorous coursework?
- Do they have access to meaningful opportunities regardless of the size of our school?
- Do they feel known, supported, safe, and connected?
- Are they discovering interests and talents that will help shape their futures?
- And, ultimately, are we fulfilling the mission and vision we have established for every Voorheesville student?
Those questions tell us much more about the health and quality of our schools than movement from one position to another on an annual ranking.
Our ranking changed this year. Our commitment to our students did not.
We will continue to examine data, celebrate our successes, identify opportunities for improvement, and hold ourselves accountable to high expectations. But our ultimate measure of success will continue to be whether the students who walk through our doors leave Voorheesville prepared, confident, challenged, supported, and ready for what comes next.
Proud of Our Students and Staff. Focused on Our Future.
We are proud that Voorheesville continues to be recognized among the region’s top ten high schools. External recognition is meaningful, and we celebrate the accomplishments of our students and staff when others recognize them. But a ranking is one measure at one moment in time.
As a district, we look at a much broader picture of student success: academic achievement and growth, graduation outcomes, participation and success in advanced coursework, college and career readiness, student engagement, and the breadth of opportunities available to our students. We also value things that are much more difficult to capture in a ranking: relationships, belonging, curiosity, resilience, creativity, confidence, character, and a student’s willingness to challenge themselves and grow.
Our students did not suddenly become less accomplished. Our educators did not suddenly become less dedicated. And our academic program did not suddenly become less rigorous. We remain proud of the students behind the ranking, their hard work, their accomplishments, their willingness to challenge themselves, and the many different paths they pursue during and after their time in our schools.
We will continue to examine data, celebrate our successes, identify areas where we can improve, and hold ourselves to high expectations. That is part of our responsibility as a school district and is consistent with our mission and vision for our students.
Ultimately, the question that matters most is not simply, “Where are we ranked?”
It is:
“Are we fulfilling our mission and providing every student with the opportunities, support, challenge, and preparation necessary to realize our vision for a Voorheesville graduate?”
That is the standard by which we will continue to measure ourselves.
Thank you for your continued support of our students and the Voorheesville Central School District.
Sincerely,
Frank Macri
Superintendent of Schools
Voorheesville Central School District