Barrington High School is now ranked among the top 200 high schools in the country, according to a recent analysis by US News and World Report. 

The analysis, which included information from more than 23,000 public high schools across the country, listed Barrington High School at 189. 

In total, more than 17,000 high schools were ranked, including 56 from Rhode Island. Barrington was the second-highest ranked high school in Rhode Island, as Classical was ranked at 168.

The top-200 rank for Barrington High School was an impressive jump from last year's list, and from the 2017 report. In 2018, Barrington High School was listed at 316, and in 2017, the local school was ranked at 417.

The ranking is based on Barrington High School students' performance on state assessments, graduation rates, how disadvantaged students performed in comparison to the state average, and how well students are prepared for college. 

Barrington's current rank at 189 is its highest ever in the US News and World Report analysis.

"When I looked at the rankings, I was pleasantly surprised," said Barrington Superintendent of Schools Michael Messore. 

The superintendent said there are a number of reasons Barrington High School has been recognized repeatedly as one of the top high schools in the country. He credited the "excellent teachers in the district"; the students who go to school each day prepared to succeed; and the community of parents who provide key support to the school system and the students. 

Mr. Messore said that while Barrington High School is being recognized in the US News and World Report analysis, all six of the district's schools deserve credit for helping students gain the skills needed to succeed in education and in life. 

A number of factors figured into Barrington High School's high rank in the recent analysis: About 66 percent of BHS students took at least one AP exam last year and 91 percent of students who sat for AP tests passed those exams; the high school's math proficiency mark was 74 percent and reading proficiency was even better at 79 percent; and the graduation rate at Barrington High School is 96 percent. 

Mr. Messore praised the local high school's participation rate on AP exams. He said Barrington High School has open enrollment for the AP exams, meaning that any students who wants to take an AP exam can do so. 

RI's top 10

Following Classical and Barrington in the rankings among Rhode Island high schools was East Greenwich, which had a national rank of 655. North Kingstown was ranked 1,204 nationally and fourth-best in Rhode Island, while North Smithfield was 1,845 nationally and fifth-best in Rhode Island. 

Chariho High School, the third-best high school in last year's ranking, slipped to sixth-best this year and 1,845 nationally. Portsmouth was ranked 1,893 nationally and seventh in the state, while Exeter-West Greenwich was 2,188 nationally and eighth in Rhode Island. South Kingstown was ranked 2,556 nationally and ninth in Rhode Island, and Paul Cuffee Charter School was 2,566 nationally and 10th in Rhode Island.

STEM ranking

In addition to the 189 rank overall, Barrington High School also scored a 182 rank for STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) high schools. 

Barrington was the only STEM school named in Rhode Island.

"To determine a top science, technology, engineering and math school, a public high school first had to be very highly ranked in the 2019 U.S. News Best High Schools rankings," stated a recent press release. "That meant that the top 1,000 – a change from the top 500 last year – nationally ranked high schools were eligible for the STEM rankings. Schools were then evaluated based upon their students' participation and success in Advanced Placement science and math tests."

Barrington was ranked 43rd in the nation for STEM schools last year, but dropped a bit when officials expanded the list from 500 to 1,000.