8 New York City Schools Among U.S. News' Top 100

We're always bitching about city schools, but no less than eight of our high schools are listed among U.S. News & World Reports' "Gold Medal" 100 Best High Schools in the country today. They are Newcomers High School in Long Island City -- the highest local placer at #6, and recipient of an A grade from the Department of Education; it has 60.7 percent minority enrollment and a mission of mainstreaming immigrant children -- the High School for the Americas at Lehman College, The Bronx, at #19; Stuyvesant High in Manhattan (#31); Townsend Harris High (#33); Staten Island Tech (#34); High School for Dual Language and Asian Studies, Manhattan (#52); Bronx Science High (#58); and Brooklyn Tech (#63).

All told the city had 74 finishers in the Gold, Silver, and Bronze categories.

A school makes the list based on how well it "attains performance levels that exceed statistical expectations," "achieves proficiency rates on state tests for their least advantaged student groups that exceed state averages," and "prepares its students for college."