Westport's is the fifth best high school in Connecticut and the 302nd best in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report's 2012 Best High Schools ranking.
The annual list ranks schools based on student performance on standardized tests as well as student participation in Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) programs.
Since 2009 the list has been expanded from 1,800 to 22,000 high schools in 49 states and the District of Columbia (Nebraska did not report enough data to be included in this year's rankings), U.S. News reports.
U.S. News says it partnered with the Washington, D.C.-based American Institutes for Research in developing the ranking methodology.
In addition U.S. News awarded more than 4,850 gold, silver, and bronze medals to the top-performing schools. won gold for its high level of student performance.
According to the report, the AP exam participation rate at Staples High School is 57 percent, helping it reach 52.9 on the College Readiness Index. With 1,785 students and 139 teachers, the high school maintains a 13:1 student to teacher ratio.
For more, check out U.S. News and World Report's 2012 Best High Schools ranking.
