Newsweek Magazine announced, this week, its list of Americas Top Schools, and in it were 4 Charles County Schools, including La Plata, McDonough, Westlake and North Point Highschools.

La Plata High School topped the County's list, ranking at 487, while McDonough at 961, Westlake at 1,043 and North Point at 1,443, in Newsweeks list of the 1,622 of Americas top schools.

The Newsweek list is based on the Challenge Index developed by the Washington Post. It ranks the number of AP tests taken in relation to the number of graduating seniors. Schools rank in the top 6 percent if they achieve a ratio of at least 1.0, meaning they had as many tests taken in 2009 as they had graduates.

More than half of Maryland’s 185 public high schools – 53 percent – were on Newsweek’s list.

“We continue to work to ensure that our students are challenging themselves by taking the highest level of courses they can. We encourage students to take Advanced Placement classes and we continue to offer rigorous coursework for all students,” Superintendent James E. Richmond said.

Richmond pointed to a new initiative, the Stars (Scholars Targeting Academic Rigor with Success) program that is encouraging rising ninth-grade students to enroll in challenging courses. The program is designed to push students with potential, especially those from traditionally underserved populations, to take the most rigorous courses possible, including honors and AP classes.