U.S. News & World Report lists 17 Long Island schools among top 50 in NYS

Eight Long Island elementary schools and nine middle schools are among the top 50 in their respective categories in New York State, according to newly released rankings from U.S. News & World Report.

Lakeville Elementary School in Great Neck, which was recognized in September as a National Blue Ribbon School, is the highest-ranked on the Island, 13th out of nearly 4,000 elementary schools statewide, according to the news magazine. The rankings were released Thursday.

"Great Neck has a long-standing history of academic excellence and these rankings reflect the commitment of the entire school community to provide the best programs for all students," Great Neck schools Superintendent Kenneth R. Bossert said in a statement.

Also high on the list is Jeffrey Ratner Robert Seaman Elementary School in Jericho, in the 19th spot statewide. Jericho’s other two elementary schools, George A. Jackson and Cantiague, also cracked the top 50, in 26th and 43rd place, respectively.

"It’s a testament to our students and teaching staff ... their commitment to education, to do well," said Jericho schools Superintendent Henry Grishman. "Our teaching staff goes above and beyond always to ensure that our kids are progressing, learning, achieving."

In the news magazine's rankings of nearly 2,900 middle schools statewide, Jericho Middle School is the top-ranked on Long Island, in the 19th spot.

Manhasset Middle school follows in the 28th position. Great Neck South is 29th, Willets Road School in Roslyn Heights is 31st, while H.B. Thompson Middle School in Syosset comes in at 36th.

Also in the top 50 are the North Shore Middle School in Glen Head, at 37; Herricks Middle School in Albertson, at 39; and South Woods Middle School in Syosset, at 46.

All of the Long Island schools on the top-50 lists are located in Nassau except for the Paul J. Gelinas Junior High School in East Setauket, which is ranked 49th among middle schools. That school is in the Three Village district.

In a statement, Three Village schools Superintendent Kevin Scanlon said the district is "extraordinarily proud of the recognition" and credited the ranking to "a culmination of the hard work and dedication of the administration, faculty, staff, parents and students."

Among elementary schools, North Side School in East Williston ranks 29th in the state — a jump from the 96th spot last year.

Denton Avenue School in the Herricks district ranks No. 38. West Side School in Syosset is in the 47th slot, while Center Street School in Williston Park takes the 49th spot.

The highest-ranking elementary and middle schools statewide are in New York City, according to the rankings. The top-ranked elementary school in the state is P.S. 172 Beacon School of Excellence in Brooklyn, and the top-ranked middle school is The Anderson School in Manhattan. 

The methodology for the rankings is based on "state assessments of students who were proficient or above proficient in mathematics and reading/language arts, while accounting for student background and achievement in core subjects," according to a U.S. News & World Report news release. Student-teacher ratios are applied to break ties in the overall score, the organization noted.

"The data empowers families and communities to advocate for their children’s education," LaMont Jones, managing editor for Education at U.S. News, said in a news release. "Research continues to indicate that how students perform academically at these early grade levels is a big factor in their success in high school and beyond." 

In April, U.S. News & World Report released its annual list of top high schools, with Jericho leading the way on Long Island.