Published: December 30, 2009 12:02 am      

County schools named to ‘Best Buy’ list

Plainfield selected as ‘Head of the Class’

All six of the Hendricks County public high schools were recently included on the “Best Buy” list of high schools by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. That includes Avon, Brownsburg, Cascade, Danville, Plainfield, and Tri-West high schools.

The chamber calculates the highest achievement levels for the lowest amount of tax dollars of 357 Indiana public high schools. They use ISTEP+ pass rates, ISTEP+ Pass+ rates, graduation rates, SAT participation rates and average composite scores, and Advanced Placement passing scores to calculate the total school performance index for each school.

The index, referred to as the school’s quality index, was compared to each school’s total revenues per pupil to determine the “best buy” schools. From that list, “honor roll” schools were selected, based on each school’s at-risk student/poverty rate, as measured by participation in the federal free/reduced lunch program.

For 2009, 135 schools were designated as “best buy” schools for giving taxpayers the most value for their money.

A school was named a “best buy” if it had a quality index above the state median and revenues below the statewide median of $10,179 per student; and if the quality index ranking was 20 percent higher than the school’s revenue ranking.

Aside from the “Best Buy” list, 26 high schools were given the “honor roll” distinction for excelling academically, despite having at-risk student demographics above the statewide median.

The top five schools from the “Best Buy” and “Honor Roll” lists were then selected as “Head of the Class” members.

Plainfield Community High School was among those named “Head of the Class.” It was the first time for the school to be named to the list.

“All of the ‘Best Buy’ schools are getting the utmost out of their taxpayer dollars by, in turn, delivering high-quality education to their students,” Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar said. “This balancing act of limited funding while realizing a varied and competitive education is no easy task. Businesses and communities in these areas should be very proud of what their schools are achieving and how their students are being readied for further education paths and a competitive job market.”

The SAT and AP test data used in the “Best Buys” report was provided directly by the Indiana Department of Education. All other data was collected from Indiana Department of Education databases.

To view the report and learn which high schools are among Indiana’s “Best Buys,” visit the website at www.indianachamber.com/bestbuys.