Kyle Freeman: “Once again Orcas Island has been recognized as one of the top schools in the state of Washington, #15 and the nation #740. This is an award that the students, staff (k-12), parents and community should be proud of and once again recognizes the commitment of our entire community to providing a high quality education to our children.”

Freeman’s comments came after U.S. News & World Report published the 2015 Best High Schools rankings last month.

The new Best High Schools rankings, which are available online only at usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/washington/rankings, are produced in conjunction with RTI International, a global nonprofit social science research firm.

With the launch, U.S. News has published detailed information on more than 21,150 public high schools, including school-specific data on enrollment, student ethnicity, location, school type and results of state assessments, as well as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests. Using some of these data and a comprehensive methodology, many of the schools were given a College Readiness Index score, with the top-scoring 6,500-plus schools receiving a gold, silver or bronze medal – and in the case of gold and silver schools, a national numerical ranking.

In addition to the new national rankings, U.S. News also released new statewide rankings, as well as new rankings for the nation’s Best Charter Schools, Best Magnet Schools and Best STEM Schools.