That news even surprised Edgecombe County school officials Friday when U.S. News released its first list of the nation's top public high schools. No Triangle high school made the magazine's list, which selected 1,591 schools. North Edgecombe High School did.

"I can't speak for other districts," Edgecombe Superintendent Craig Witherspoon said. "There are challenges in the eastern part of the state, but it shows the hard work of the staff trying to help students succeed is working."

In all, 34 North Carolina high schools made the magazine's list. None ranked in the top 100, which received gold medals. Six of the 405 silver medals were awarded to schools in North Carolina. Of the 1,086 schools to get bronze medals, including North Edgecombe, 28 were from this state.

The results, posted online Friday, will be in the magazine's Dec. 10 edition. U.S. News is already known for its annual rankings of colleges, graduate schools and hospitals.

The findings are sharply different from what Triangle high schools are used to on a similar annual list done by Newsweek. In that magazine, Raleigh Charter High School ranked 20th this year, and Enloe High School in Raleigh came in 56th. Seven other Triangle high schools ranked in Newsweek's top 1,000 schools.

Unlike Newsweek, U.S. News specifically factored the performance of low-income and minority students into its rankings. After factoring in those groups when looking at state math and reading tests, U.S. News assessed whether schools did better than expected.

Paul Gazzerro, the lead analyst for the project, said the method requires schools to do more than Newsweek's to be recognized. The methodology was developed by School Evaluation Services, a K-12 education data research business run by Standard & Poor's.

Brian Kelly, editor of U.S. News, said in an interview that it's important to measure schools based on how all students are doing, not just the high achievers.

"To be a very good school performing at a very good level is not enough," Kelly said. "We're looking at schools that are exceeding expectations."

Kelly stressed that it didn't mean a school is bad if it didn't receive an award from the magazine. But Gazzerro said it could show that a school's disadvantaged students are "falling through the cracks."

The results surprised Triangle school officials.

Ken Branch, Wake's senior director for high school programs, said he needed to review the methodology before commenting.

Tom Humble, principal of Raleigh Charter High School, also said he needed more time to review the results before commenting.

Efforts to reach school officials in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Durham districts were not successful Friday.

Gazzerro said Raleigh Charter didn't make the list because some of the school's test data were missing from the material provided by the state.

Gazzerro said Enloe didn't make it because the school's performance, once all the disadvantaged groups are factored in, did not meet expectations.

The new rankings are shaking up schools all across the country.

"There are people who are going to be quite pleasantly surprised to get national recognition for doing well," Kelly said. "There are also schools who are seemingly very good schools but who are not great schools."