We’re not fans of national rankings of schools, universities, or health-care systems. We’re always dubious of the metrics.
That said, if you take the widest lens in considering such rankings, there can be a bit of value and it is a contrast to the very narrow band in which locals often look at their schools.
This is all about the recently released U.S. News rankings of American high schools. More than 18,000 schools were ranked across the nation. In Illinois 700 high schools were evaluated on metrics of AP classes passed, graduation rates, etc.
Oak Park and River Forest High School placed 34th in Illinois out of those 700 schools. On the scoring rubric, it measured out at 95.57. For the nostalgists among us who clamor for the days when OPRF might have ranked higher, we’ll make this point again: This is a more complex and a more ambitious high school than it was in the last century. The school has a very diverse student body with a wider range of needs than ever and a much more conscious effort to address those many needs.
Far from perfect, always subject to critique, OPRF remains a core institution for these villages.