North Allegheny ranks No. 6 in Most Envied School Districts national survey

North Allegheny ranks sixth on a list of 250 Most Envied School Districts in America and is the only entry from Western Pennsylvania, according to a Test Prep Insights online survey.

Only five school districts in the state made the list.

Test Prep Insight, an online education company, gave the survey to 3,000 parents with the question: “Which districts would you most like your child or children to attend school in, if distance from your home (were) not a factor?”

North Allegheny Superintendent Brendan Hyland received the news from others who had seen the February article posted by Test Prep Insight.

“We are very proud to receive external validation for the dedication, commitment to excellence and professionalism demonstrated by all of our employees. We are also fully aware that our families and students are immensely supportive and truly exceptional,” he said.

“Our pride extends to the 75 years of excellence that have come before us, yet our dedication remains focused on ensuring the next 75 years are equally impressive, if not better.”

The 3,000 survey respondents were chosen from a geographically representative online panel of “double opt-in” members, according to John Ross, president of Testing Prep Insight.

This selection was further tailored to screen parents only. There were no age limits, per se, although no survey respondent was under age 18, he said.

Ross further explained that “geographically representative” indicated that participation in the survey included individuals from every state, ensuring a balanced representation that mitigates the risk of overemphasis on responses from more heavily populated states, such as California.

“Double opt-in” refers to the process by which respondents have expressly consented to participate in survey questions.

The process is in contrast to some methodologies in which surveys are indiscriminately embedded on web pages, leading to the possibility of respondents hastily providing arbitrary answers simply to gain access to the page’s content. The double opt-in approach enhances the credibility and reliability of the responses received, Ross said.

Regarding the screening of participants, the survey exclusively targeted parents. This selective process was implemented to ensure that the insights and data collected were directly relevant to the demographic of interest, thus maintaining the survey’s focus and integrity, according to Ross.

“The reason that no other Pittsburgh school districts made the list was simply because not enough parents voted for them,” he said.

When asked if the notification was a surprise, Hyland said:

“It is always nice to be recognized for excellence and being one of five districts in the entire commonwealth to be recognized is a tremendous honor. However, we must always keep in mind and guard against resting on our laurels, and we are committed to getting better every day for our students.”

The top five on the list, in order, are Lower Merion School District in Montgomery County, near Philadelphia; Great Neck Public Schools and Jericho Union Free School District, both in Nassau County, N.Y.; Eanes Independent School District, Austin, Texas; and Carrboro City Schools, Chapel Hill, N.C.

Other Pennsylvania schools include Tredyffrin- Easttown School District, Chester County, at No. 59; Radnor Township School District, Delaware County, at No. 58; and Central Bucks School District, Doylestown, at No. 146.

Visit www.testprepinsight.com for the complete list.