New York, NY, December 4, 2007: U.S. News and World Report has named the Academy of American Studies, a Gilder Lehrman history school in Queens, New York, one of the top high schools in the United States, awarding the school a silver medal. The ranking puts the Academy of American Studies in the top 500 high schools in the nation.

Founded in 1996 as a partnership between the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and New York City’s Department of Education, the Academy of American Studies features an innovative American history-based curriculum. The school’s 608 students are chosen from a pool of thousands of applicants and are among the most diverse in New York City—more than forty percent of the student body is African American or Latino, and sixty percent receiving free or reduced school lunch. The Gilder Lehrman Institute continues to provide academic support to the Academy, including staff development workshops and educational resources.

“Our mission is to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s challenges by providing insights into America’s rich history,” said Ellen Sherman, Principal of the Academy of American Studies. “We are proud to be acknowledged for these successes and look forward to the future.”

The magazine analyzed academic and enrollment data for more than 18,000 public high schools and based the rankings on a variety of factors, including state proficiency standards and college readiness. To view all the rankings, visit http://www.usnews.com/sections/education/high-schools.

Founded in 1994, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History promotes the study and love of American history. The Institute serves teachers, students, scholars, and the general public. It helps create history-centered schools and academic research centers, organizes seminars and programs for educators, produces print and electronic publications and traveling exhibitions, sponsors lectures by eminent historians, and administers a History Teacher of the Year Award in every state through its partnership with Preserve America. The Institute also conducts awards including the Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and George Washington Book Prizes, and offers fellowships for scholars to work in the Gilder Lehrman Collection and other archives. The Institute maintains two websites, www.gilderlehrman.org and the quarterly online journal www.historynow.org.

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The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
19 West 44th Street, Suite 500
New York, NY 10036
www.gilderlehrman.org