Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD has two HS with top honors in Math and Science (Dallas: low income, high schools)

[sonshinelife]

Carrollton- Farmers Branch ISD recently had two schools that rank in the top of math/science schools. You can read about this on the CFBISD website. Main story. Impressive if you ask me.

[FarNorthDallas]

A few other schools that rec'd the same recognition are Carter and Woodrow in Dallas ISD, Berkner and Richardson in Richardson ISD and Lewisville High in Lewisville ISD.

I don't know. I'm sortof suspicious. The group that did this is a mostly Republican group and they focused on schools with higher percentages of low income and minorities and then said one of the common denominators of these schools is the kids do better with bigger science classes. And then if the class sizes are bigger, then the math and science teachers can be paid more, they say, and it's a way to deal with the shortage of math and science teachers.

Texas Public Policy Foundation

[sonshinelife]

In all due respect: Quite honestly I don't care if the group is Republican or Democrat.

I'm just pleased to see that schools are being recognized for the students achievements as well as the teachers. Sidenote: Creekview is not a low economic building and it made this list. RL Turner students deserve to be recognized for the good they do as do the other schools in the Dallas area that fall under the umbrella of low economic/diverse populations etc.... I just get tired of all the negative news, schools receive. Finally some good news for these schools as a whole.

[FarNorthDallas]

This group determined these schools are schools of excellence in science and math based on what?? Who is this group that is deciding which high schools are "Best Practices" high schools? Can any group just put out a press release and make a list of schools they think are schools of excellence? If Carter is going to be on this list don't you think it would have been nice if at least half their kids could have passed the math TAKS?

[loves2read]

check this info vs their TAKS scores in science and math--right to task FarNorthDallas--
and as an English teacher I guarantee NO GOOD SCIENCE TEACHER feels that kids learn BETTER in bigger classes--especially if there are labs involved like with physics and chemistry---bigger classes mean more paperwork to grade/evaluate which usually means teachers do less quality writing assignments or anything but multiple-choice testing and there is certainly less one-to-one interaction and supervision...which often means more cheating and less insight into individual improvement/knowledge...

and frankly I don't know ANY school that pays teachers more if they have bigger classes--they get paid based on their teaching years and education level (BA/BS vs MA/MS) ...some districts might pay a bonus to science and math teachers because they are scarce but have never heard they were paid more to teach more...so that is a faulty premise for them to make their judgement from--just cause they THINK it would be a good idea does not mean it would be effective teaching situation...

I know plenty of English and math and science teachers who feel their classes are too crowded to do effective teaching -- they get no no extra pay if they have more than 25-28-30 students but they are not in the districts cited...

[loves2read]

I checked the science and math TAKS scores at CFBISD and they only have the total district scores on their web sites--they dropped 4 % points from 2005 TAKS in math and science to the 2007 scores--of course that does not separate out the different HSs so that RL Turner could be higher than the district average...one that that group advocates is ability leveling of classes--putting kids that are low performing into classes where they apparently would do more remedial work that would focus on TAKS skills and test readiness--but then they want it done OUT of the classroom which means after school or special tutorials--and who is paying for that--and what kids have the time for it???
these guys have never taught a class in their lives

would be nice to see the individual school scores
I don't agree with the logic behind their reasoning on WHY these schools have larger math and science class sizes and what the effect is either...

[Worried'n'FRISCO]

Is anyone considering the number of Asians in the Car/FB area? No shock they are being recognized for anything science or math related. The dwindling majority need to sit up and pay attention!

[FarNorthDallas]

Carrollton-Farmers Branch is 10.2% Asian. Plano is 18.3% Asian. I did not see any Plano school listed as a school of excellence in math and science according to Texa Public Policy Foundation lobby, I mean organization.

[sonshinelife]

I honestly can not believe what was meant to be a compliment and an honest recognition of these students and schools has turned into such a debate. I regret ever posting this info. as it wasn't meant to turn into a debate.

[FarNorthDallas]

Not a debate. Just doing a little higher order thinking, a skill we want our kids to learn in school, right? We don't want our kids to just learn and regurgitate facts. We want them to think, analyze, challenge, question, compare, right?