Bowling Green High School achieved its second-highest ranking in the “America’s Most Challenging High Schools” list produced each year by Washington Post education columnist Jay Matthews.

The school is ranked ninth among 15 Kentucky high schools listed and 739th in America among the more than 1,900 high schools on the list.

In 2012, the high school was ranked 554th in the nation, its top ranking since it first appeared on the list in 2011.

“They don’t settle for just a diploma,” Deborah Williams, vice chairman of the Bowling Green Independent School District school board and a BGHS graduate, said of the school’s academic efforts. 

Williams said the work by social studies teacher Ron Skillern and freshman principal William King to help students with information on advanced placement class coursework prior to AP tests is an example of extra effort.

The students use the first class of the day to study AP coursework in English, math, science, U.S. history, European history and psychology. The school offers 20 advanced placement courses.

Jennifer Davis, director of elementary and secondary programs for the city school district, said the national ranking coincides with the academic rigor expected in the classrooms.

BGHS students benefit from dual-credit classes

At one time, students had to apply to take AP courses – classwork presented by teachers at the college level – then open enrollment was instituted. The percentage of students at the 1,200-student high school taking AP courses has increased from 10 percent in 2002 to 30 percent in 2013.

“It is really challenging students to the utmost of their abilities,” Davis said. 

Students also do well on the AP tests, with 71 percent notching a passing grade, Davis said. Because teachers are willing to help,students plunge into the challenging coursework.

“It creates the culture of the school. It’s cool to be smart,” Davis said.

When state grant money was available from Advance Kentucky, kids attended study sessions for AP coursework on Saturdays for English, math and science.

BGHS students also benefit from eight dual-credit classes Western Kentucky University offers at the school and eight dual credit classes offered by Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College. By completing college credit coursework in high school, students can enroll in college as sophomores and pursue double majors, Davis said.

Davis said the accomplishment befits a school district with the motto “Excellence is worth the effort.”

“We are committed to make sure that students are ready for college,” Williams said.

Matthews has ranked the most challenging schools in the country and the District of Columbia area for 16 years, Leslie Peek, public relations coordinator for the city school district, said in a release.

The formula for determining the list of most challenging schools, the Challenge Index, is based on the number of AP, international baccalaureate and advanced international certificate of education tests given at a school each year, divided by the number of seniors who graduated in May or June.

Noted in the national and local tables is the percentage of students eligible for government meal subsidies, a common benchmark for poverty, and each school’s average SAT/ACT score. 

A new question added to the survey this year reflecting a change in school cultures was whether each school has an 11-person football team. Research indicates that high school sports, including football, give students valuable time-management and leadership skills, Peek said in the release.

— To view the Post’s rankings of how effectively a school prepares its students for college, visit apps.washingtonpost.com/local/highschoolchallenge.

— Follow education reporter Chuck Mason on Twitter at twitter.com/bgdnschools or visit bgdailynews.com.