Academic Magnet High School among 16 in S.C. on best high schools list by Newsweek

Academic Magnet High School again has been named one of the top schools in the country by Newsweek magazine.

The North Charleston magnet school retained its No. 12 spot on the list of America’s Best High Schools, an annual ranking of the top public high schools based on rigorous course offerings.

Academic Magnet was the only Lowcountry high school to make the list; 16 high schools statewide were recognized, down from 22 last year. Nine of the state’s ranked schools moved up this year, while six slipped to lower spots.

“The idea is to create a list that measures how good schools are in challenging all students and not just how high their students’ test scores are,” according to the magazine.

Newsweek’s 2010 list of America’s best high schools.

To rank schools, Newsweek uses a formula that looks at the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and similar college-credit tests taken by students and divides that by the number of graduating seniors. The magazine surveyed more than 27,000 high schools, and those that made the list represent the top 6 percent in the country.

Academic Magnet has a highly selective admissions process, and once enrolled, students must take at least four Advanced Placement courses. Many students take more than the required number of AP classes.

Academic Magnet also has made U.S. News & World Report’s list of the top schools in the country, most recently ranking No. 12 overall.