Once again, Barrington students have distinguished themselves as some of the best in the nation. This time, it is for STEM.

On Friday, the district announced that Barrington High School was ranked as the 129th best STEM high school in the country. The rank placed BHS atop all other high schools in Rhode Island for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and above most of the 5,000 other high schools — public and private — that were included in a recent Newsweek Magazine ranking.

"This recognition reflects the commitment of BPS (Barrington Public Schools) in providing curriculum-based and extracurricular opportunities for our students to develop the deep learning competencies needed to excel in the STEM fields," stated a press release from Barrington Superintendent of Schools Michael Messore. "We recognize that the students of today will be the leaders and problem-solvers of tomorrow, entering a globally connected and rapidly changing world."

Only four schools from the entire state were ranked among Newsweek's top 5,000 STEM high schools in the country, and three of them were private schools. Following Barrington at 129 was Wheeler School at 265, St. George's School at 480, and Moses Brown at 500. 

News of the strong STEM ranking for Barrington High School follows other reports of academic excellence. Barrington schools ranked at the top for the recent RICAS assessments, and local students' SAT scores were very impressive — an average of 610 in reading and writing, and 623 in math. 

In addition, Barrington's AP scores were stellar. Of the 793 Advanced Placement tests take, 732 (or 88 percent) yielded a score of 3 or higher. 

Educators know that these types of rankings and results do not happen by mistake. They know the scores and distinctions are evidence of hard work, by teachers, students, parents and administrators. They also know that the awards bestowed on the high school, including the recent STEM rankings, are the product of K-12 learning.

"The work begins very early," said Mr. Messore during an earlier interview. "The students come into Barrington High School and they take it (learning) to a new level."

Congratulations Barrington schools, on continued excellence.