How's Homewood? (Chicago, Clinton, Humboldt: middle school, college, rooftop)

[allen2323]

Hi, I just thought I would post the link to the 2010 newsweek best high schools in the country rankings. That's right 2010, this year. HF is solidly on this years list among the other high performing high schools in the chicagoland area. The list is calculated in a very academic and objective fashion. They look at things like the percentage of students taking advanced placement, the percentage of ALL seniors who PASSED the advance placement tests, etc . Real quantitative measures of academic excellence. At HF a WHOPPING 84 percent of senoirs PASSED advance placement tests! In fact that is where they really stand out. There aren't many high schools that even compare in that regard. Definately nothing to sneeze at. I think the numbers that regular joes latch on to and the numbers that those who are well regarded in the academic world and are trained to look at things more objectively look at are totally different. Trained academics aren't comparing the number of disadvantaged students who are sneaking into the school from out of the district. And, from the uninformed comments left by posters on this board I now realize that nothing is easier than to come up with rationales for non objective arguments. Well anyway, it's 2010 folks. And it looks like another blue ribbon year for Homewood-flossmoor.

Here is the list. You can search by state.

America's Best High Schools: The List - Newsweek

[supportyourschools]

While you fellas were busy having your pissing match about H-F High School, I went back to read the original post. NOWHERE did the OP ask specifically about schools (and before you go into "good schools equal better neighborhoods and higher resale", blah blah blah, I know all that), so I will answer with my OPINION on Homewood since I have lived there...

I LOVED living in Homewood. I both rented and owned, and have nothing but good things to say about the town. I liked being able to hop on the Metra and be in the city in about 45 minutes (or less). I liked the walkable downtown, lots of shops and restaurants. The park district is great, and I enjoyed taking my dog to the dog park. There is plenty of shopping on Halsted; I always felt a little skeeved out by K-Mart, but since I prefer Target (which is right across the street), it wasn't too big of a deal for me. Homewood had everything I needed, and whatever it didn't have was not too far away in either Tinley/Orland or NWI.

Property taxes...kind of high. I had a two bedroom brick ranch in the Southgate subdivision. Very modest home, typical lot size, and my taxes were over $5,000 a year. However, I felt the excellent city services, park district, and (GASP, dare I say it???) schools were worth the price.

I always felt very safe in Homewood and would still choose to live there if I hadn't had to relocate for work. People I know that still live there have nothing but good things to say about it. Take a drive/walk around the area and see for yourself.

[Chuckity]

Originally Posted by allen2323

Hi, I just thought I would post the link to the 2010 newsweek best high schools in the country rankings. That's right 2010, this year. HF is solidly on this years list among the other high performing high schools in the chicagoland area. The list is calculated in a very academic and objective fashion. They look at things like the percentage of students taking advanced placement, the percentage of ALL seniors who PASSED the advance placement tests, etc . Real quantitative measures of academic excellence. At HF a WHOPPING 84 percent of senoirs PASSED advance placement tests! In fact that is where they really stand out. There aren't many high schools that even compare in that regard. Definately nothing to sneeze at. I think the numbers that regular joes latch on to and the numbers that those who are well regarded in the academic world and are trained to look at things more objectively look at are totally different. Trained academics aren't comparing the number of disadvantaged students who are sneaking into the school from out of the district. And, from the uninformed comments left by posters on this board I now realize that nothing is easier than to come up with rationales for non objective arguments. Well anyway, it's 2010 folks. And it looks like another blue ribbon year for Homewood-flossmoor.

Here is the list. You can search by state.

America's Best High Schools: The List - Newsweek

Sigh.

You may actually want to read how Newsweek calculates the list - and pay close attention to #3. "Why do you count only the number of tests given, and not how well the students do on the tests? " (I did mention this glaring fact several posts ago - and you choose to ignore it. And I'm sure you'll ignore it again. Whatever.)

America's Best High Schools: The FAQ - Newsweek

[allen2323]

Originally Posted by Chuckity

Sigh.

You may actually want to read how Newsweek calculates the list - and pay close attention to #3. "Why do you count only the number of tests given, and not how well the students do on the tests? " (I did mention this glaring fact several posts ago - and you choose to ignore it. And I'm sure you'll ignore it again. Whatever.)

America's Best High Schools: The FAQ - Newsweek

Oh chuckity knows best. What makes you the expert? What academic credentials do you have, if any? I would trust the objective approach that newsweek takes over your complete biased babble any day of the week. And, 84 percent of HF seniors PASSED the advance placement test. Not just took them. As I said before they really stand out in that regard.

[Chuckity]

Originally Posted by allen2323

Oh chuckity knows best. What makes you the expert? What academic credentials do you have, if any? I would trust the objective approach that newsweek takes over your complete biased babble any day of the week. And, 84 percent of HF seniors PASSED the advance placement test. Not just took them. As I said before they really stand out in that regard.

Read the FAQs. What's so hard about that? Read. The. FAQs.

[Chuckity]

Originally Posted by allen2323

And, 84 percent of HF seniors PASSED the advance placement test. Not just took them. As I said before they really stand out in that regard.

Oh, and FYI you're mistaken on the Equity & Excellence percentage as well:

It is the Equity and Excellence rate, the percentage of ALL graduating seniors, including those who never got near an AP course, who had at least one score of 3 or above on at least one AP test sometime in high school. That is the "E&E" on our list.

[Frank the Tank]

Originally Posted by Chuckity

Sigh.

Listen, HF (and we were talking about HF, not Glenbrook, not Munster, not Olympia Fields, not Matteson) is not the bottom of the education barrel. But it's not the end all be all it once was.

If you had an indepth knowledge of the area - long term knowledge, not superficial current knowledge - you'd know that HF had the reputation of this iconic school that churned out the best of the best. They were superkids ... almost on par with the golden kids at New Trier. Really really.

But now? Not so much.

Let me prove it to you. Of course you'll come up with some kind of bizzaro reason why the stats could not possibly mean what they say in black & white ... but whatever. And the thing is, I KNOW you get it & understand that HF is slipping ... but this pride thing you have going on has gotten the best of you.

Anyhow ... the number is the percentage meeting or exceeding state standards.

Homewood-Flossmoor
Reading 65%, Science 59%, Math 61%

Glenbrook South
Reading 74%, Science 74%, Math 79%

Lincoln Way Central
Reading 76%, Science 72%, Math 72%

Naperville Central
Reading 76%, Science 78%, Math 76%

New Trier
Reading 91%, Science 92%, Math 93%

And for the heck of it ...

Munster, Indiana
English/Language Arts 84%, Math 82%

I wish I had older stats on HF ... I would bet you a nickel that the test scores would've been practically interchangable with ALL of the schools.

Now? It's slipped by a solid 10 percentage points in each category.

I'm a proud HF alum, but this is true. I graduated from there in '96 and the test scores were right next to New Trier and the Naperville schools without any qualifications. Is HF still better than the other schools in the South Suburbs? Absolutely by a massive long shot. However, that wasn't the measuring stick before - we were legitimately on par with the New Triers of the world back in the day. Once again, that doesn't mean that HF is a bad school now, but it's not at the elite level any more by the objective measures.

[BriGuy23]

Another HF alum here (Class of '98).

When I went looking for a college to attend I knew that I had an edge due to graduating from one of the top schools in the state. I looked at state schools and I looked at private universities. I had the upper edge when applying due to going to one of the more elite High Schools in Illinois. Many of the admissions counselors of the different schools commented that being successful at HF will help put you 'on the top of the pile'.

HF was comparable to Hinsdale Central, New Trier and the Naperville schools at that point of time.

Fast forward 4 years later and my younger sibling is graduating from HF. Unfortunately this elite view of HF is gone and did not elicit the same response as it did for me only 4 years earlier.

HF was an Elite school up until about 2000. Though HF is not what it was in the past, it is still a great school and a very viable option in the South Suburbs.

Homewood as a whole is still a great community. I grew up there and have many great memories. If they could take the town and put it far away from the likes of Harvey, Hazel Crest and some parts of Chicago Heights I would definitely raise my kids there. Just too risky in my opinion as a new parent.

[allen2323]

I am also a HF 90's alum. Maybe you guys should pay your old alma mater a visit. My cousin plays on the football team and I have been to a couple of games. It also ranks the same or better than when we attended school there in the 90's. There advanced placement program is probably more highly regarded now than it was before. I remember taking college algebra as a freshman. It was very challenging. The advanced placement program is what seperates the school. That and that alone. Yes, it does rank with hinsdale, new trier, and all of the other top schools. HF's program ranks in the top 5 percent of all high schools in the united states. Not just in the south suburbs.

America's Best High Schools: The List - Newsweek

[will skate for food]

I'm a class of 1970-something and I can definitely say that H-F is going downhill. I got a 29 on my ACT test and my daughter only got a 28. Seriously.