Superintendent, Principal Respond to CHS Ranking, Silver Medal

Columbia High School was awarded a Silver Medal as one of the Best High Schools in the Country, according to U.S. News and World Reports. 

In their annual Best High Schools edition, Columbia High School ranked 36th in New Jersey (out of 395), and 757th nationally (out of more than 21,000).  This puts CHS in the top 10% of high schools in the State, and the top 4% of public high schools in the nation.

To be included in the national rankings, schools had to pass three steps which “ensured that the schools serve all of their students well, using performance on state proficiency tests as the benchmark” and also “assessed the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work.” 

Superintendent Brian Osborne said: “We are very proud of this national recognition by U.S. News and World Reports .  It is particularly gratifying to receive this honor given the methodology’s emphasis on 'serving all of its students well' and 'successfully educating its student body across a range of performance indicators.'  For many years we have been working diligently to improve the learning outcomes of all of our students by expanding opportunities for rigor for all students, and providing additional support to help all students succeed.   Congratulations to Dr. Lilly, her outstanding faculty, our talented students and involved families for their dedication and commitment to excellence."

CHS Principal Lovie Lilly said:  “These rankings are indicators that our strategic focus is defining the instructional pathways for teaching and learning at Columbia High School.  Through our unified efforts, we will continue to refine our learning goals and establish clear expectations for student performance and success.”

 For more details:

• CHS Ranking: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/new-jersey/districts/south-orange-maplewood/columbia-senior-high-school-12765
• Best High Schools in New Jersey: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/new-jersey
• Best High Schools Nationwide: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools
• Methodology used by U.S. News and World Report:  http://www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2013/04/22/how-us-news-calculated-the-2013-best-high-schools-rankings