DFW Public Middle Schools Rankings 2015 (Dallas, Plano: rental, condos, townhomes)

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by GreyDay

That's a very generous grade for HPMS.

Actually, you make a good point. I'm not sure how/why they earned a "C" for diversity. My point is judging a school, even in part, via diversity metrics is lame.

[J800]

Originally Posted by EDS_

Actually, you make a good point. I'm not sure how/why they earned a "C" for diversity. My point is judging a school, even in part, via diversity metrics is lame.

I don't think it's "lame" at all. Being able to accomplish a good academic environment in a diverse school is more impressive than great test scores in a school that isn't diverse at all. High test scores are great, but it's much harder to achieve in a diverse environment. We all know the impact of different socioeconomic factors when it comes to academic achievement.

Plano schools continue to have excellent academics with a diverse student body, which in my opinion, is very impressive. I'm not saying that if HP was diverse it wouldn't be the same way, but I can understand these rankings.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by J800

I don't think it's "lame" at all. Being able to accomplish a good academic environment in a diverse school is more impressive than great test scores in a school that isn't diverse at all. High test scores are great, but it's much harder to achieve in a diverse environment. We all know the impact of different socioeconomic factors when it comes to academic achievement.

Plano schools continue to have excellent academics with a diverse student body, which in my opinion, is very impressive. I'm not saying that if HP was diverse it wouldn't be the same way, but I can understand these rankings.

If we are really striving towards being a color/skin tone neutral society why should anyone care? And more importantly, to my way of thinking, quantitive metrics are the only ones that should matter.

So far as Plano schools go.......Asians are not, "underrepresented minorities" in any way. To make it more clear an Asian Woman applying to medical school is shown no preferential admissions bias at all (same for all "white" women BTW).

That's a long way of saying that culturally broad and skin tone broad does not equal diverse in the sense that that .gov't. types use the term(s). Re-stated again Plano, especially Plano West, is less diverse than most people would assume at first blush.

Hard data driven metrics matter most - everything else is window dressing.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by J800

I don't think it's "lame" at all. Being able to accomplish a good academic environment in a diverse school is more impressive than great test scores in a school that isn't diverse at all. High test scores are great, but it's much harder to achieve in a diverse environment. We all know the impact of different socioeconomic factors when it comes to academic achievement.

Plano schools continue to have excellent academics with a diverse student body, which in my opinion, is very impressive. I'm not saying that if HP was diverse it wouldn't be the same way, but I can understand these rankings.

And with respect; are you implying that historical minorities are less able than others? It seems you may be headed toward that logical dead end.

[J800]

Originally Posted by EDS_

And with respect; are you implying that historical minorities are less able than others? It seems you may be headed toward that logical dead end.

No, minorities are not less able than others, but there are some factors that influence academic performance (initially at least). Household income and the home environment come to mind. This plays a major role in academic performance, regardless of how "able" you are or have the potential to be. Unfortunately, a large percentage of students (of any color) come from low-income households. This is not to say they won't succeed, just that performance may be affected.

"In a nationwide study of American kindergarten children, 36 percent of parents in the lowest-income quintile read to their children on a daily basis, compared with 62 percent of parents from the highest-income quintile (Coley, 2002)." - From the APA.

It starts at home. Any student with the ability to succeed will do so regardless of the home environment, it may just be a bit harder initially.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by J800

No, minorities are not less able than others, but there are some factors that influence academic performance (initially at least). Household income and the home environment come to mind. This plays a major role in academic performance, regardless of how "able" you are or have the potential to be. Unfortunately, a large percentage of students (of any color) come from low-income households. This is not to say they won't succeed, just that performance may be affected.

"In a nationwide study of American kindergarten children, 36 percent of parents in the lowest-income quintile read to their children on a daily basis, compared with 62 percent of parents from the highest-income quintile (Coley, 2002)." - From the APA.

It starts at home. Any student with the ability to succeed will do so regardless of the home environment, it may just be a bit harder initially.

Good response thank you for it. I'll respond later.

[GreyDay]

Originally Posted by J800

I don't think it's "lame" at all. Being able to accomplish a good academic environment in a diverse school is more impressive than great test scores in a school that isn't diverse at all. High test scores are great, but it's much harder to achieve in a diverse environment. We all know the impact of different socioeconomic factors when it comes to academic achievement.

Plano schools continue to have excellent academics with a diverse student body, which in my opinion, is very impressive. I'm not saying that if HP was diverse it wouldn't be the same way, but I can understand these rankings.

Even if HPISD had improved racial diversity, it would still be quite homogeneous and lack financial diversity. Diversity or more correctly, racial diversity is many time the un-named stand-in for Social Economic Status.

So yes, in broad and general terms, schools with low SES do worse than schools with high SES. School diversity generally has a rough correlation with SES.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by EDS_

It's a really stupid list. HP gets a C for diversity.

I would give HP an F- for diversity. No economic diversity and very little racial diversity.

[TurtleCreek80]

HPISD has gone from about 1% diverse to almost 10% in a decade with no signs of slowing down. Their scores and achievements have not slipped at all. So it appears the district is doing an A+ job with 10% diversity just as it did when there were almost no Hispanic, Asian, black, etc students.

I have a hard time with this ranking because it was rigged from the start...if a school has little diversity, it has no chance of being ranked in the top 10, even if academics and other metrics place the school in the top 4. Schools should have received two scores- one pure academics/teachers/admin rank and one taking into account diversity.

Parents using this ranking could be surprised to find their kids enrolled in a school that isn't living up to it's very high ranking because a high score in diversity overshadowed teaching or admin issues....

[J800]

Thanks for that stat TC. I didn't know the district was up to 10%.

After doing some research, it's 3% Asian, 5% Hispanic, 0.5% African-American, and I don't remember the rest. 0% economically disadvantaged.