E.H. Greene Intermediate School and Sycamore Junior High School both placed in the top 2% of all middle school campuses in Ohio, according to the district's announcement on the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings Friday, Aug. 28.

The two schools together serve about 1,920 students. E.H. Greene covers grades 5 through 7 with about 996 students, while Sycamore Junior High covers grades 7 and 8 with about 921.

U.S. News based the standings on public state assessment data, measuring two factors: math and reading proficiency on standardized tests, and how well students performed relative to expectations given their school's demographics.

The district said the recognition reflects the dedication of students, educators, staff and families as Aviators prepare for high school.

District-wide pattern

The honor follows a separate announcement Wednesday, Aug. 26, that all four Sycamore elementary schools landed in Ohio's top 4%. Blue Ash Elementary, Maple Dale Elementary, Montgomery Elementary and Symmes Elementary each earned that distinction.

At the high school level, Sycamore High School holds a No. 18 ranking among Ohio high schools from U.S. News, placing in the top 3% of nearly 18,000 public high schools evaluated nationally with a score of 97.12 out of 100.

The rankings now span every grade level in the 6,051-student Sycamore Community Schools district, which serves families in Montgomery, Blue Ash and Sycamore Township.

How the rankings work

For the middle-level rankings, U.S. News analyzes two metrics. The first measures academic achievement and core skill mastery on state standardized tests. The second evaluates assessment results in the context of student body demographics, comparing actual performance against expected outcomes.

Both schools cleared that bar.