If a school had as many tests as it had seniors, a Challenge Index rating of 1.000, that was very good. About one percent of all U.S. high school reached that mark in 1996. Today the portion is larger, about five percent of 25,000 American secondary schools. The Washington area does much better. But there are still many that do not appear to be trying very hard to give more students an early taste of the rigors of college.
Many educators hate comparing schools, with good reason.
Each campus is different. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. But I think ranking them this way works because the focus is so narrow. Everyone can see what the numbers mean. Schools like Garfield that invite even mediocre students to try one scary course, and make sure they take the final examination, have higher ratings than similar schools that don't.