Current feedback on Clark and Plano Senior (Lewisville: credit, middle school)

[UnfairPark]

I can’t help you with specifics of daily lives of current students but here is something useful as your kid is interested in music. Plano ISD’s music department is consistently good and constantly improving.

https://communityimpact.com/dallas-f...ool-standards/

[UnfairPark]

Originally Posted by thenewtexan

Where's the rest of the data? Plenty of far more elite colleges and universities outside of Texas.

Public school districts doesn’t publish that information. If you have a student at a high school, you can look at school’s Naviance to find out how many of their students get accepted to elite schools.

[Taub201]

Good stuff, UnfairPark.


With over 800 going to Collin College from Plano ISD in 2018, how does that jive with fewer than 5% enrolling in two year colleges?


Highland Park ISD is probably 98% going to college. When we have senior banquets for sports, band, etc., each student's future college choice is announced. It's rare that they're undecided. Then again, some could say they're going to college, with some intention, but really have no clue.


Plano West is incredible. Plano Sr High and PESH are also very good. I was just surprised at the list of Texas colleges when my friend sent them to me. For example, only five in the whole ISD went to TCU in 2018. Meanwhile, TCU is a top 7 school at HP with over 2-3% of the student body represented. I get the cost issue but TCU offers significant financial aid and is a Top 90 school with excellent career options.

[UnfairPark]

Originally Posted by Taub201

For example, only five in the whole ISD went to TCU in 2018. Meanwhile, TCU is a top 7 school at HP with over 2-3% of the student body represented. I get the cost issue but TCU offers significant financial aid and is a Top 90 school with excellent career options.

TCU, Baylor, SMU are seen as rich white kid schools even though all three rank much higher and offer more enriching college life experience than popular local picks.

[UnfairPark]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

I had no idea that existed. I guess they didn't have it when I was in high school (not that I'm in any of those categories anyway).

Education is getting diluted on every level to support much needed diversity in all fields of life, instead of providing support from elementary level so every student becomes able to run in the same lane when it comes to high school. Good intentions, bad solutions.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

For the data I have (from 2015, so starting to get old):



320 of 620 Carroll graduates planned to attend college post-graduation, with the number being slightly less than half who attend college in Texas plus the ones attending out of state raising the number to slightly more than 50% of graduates attending college.


Highland Park is pretty much the same. About 50% go to college. You would think it would be higher, but no not really.



For Plano Senior, due to Collin County Community College (which Highland Park and Southlake don't seem to have a comparable affordable local option as an analogue), Senior actually sends close to 75% of their students (vs about 55% at the other two) to college. Plano Senior sends approximately 2X as many students to CCCC as they do to UT Dallas at #2.

I’m sorry, WHAT? 98% of HP graduates matriculate in college. Much, much higher than the 50% you mentioned. Care to share your source? Because it’s completely wrong based on my experience as a 3rd generation HP graduate with family members still in the district, as well as the district’s school profile:

https://4.files.edl.io/8c8a/12/03/18...2f90147ad2.pdf

Your number looks really off for Carroll, too, as they track in the 90%++ college-bound range, too.

[Peter5457]

Originally Posted by BayTexan

Thank you all for the valuable insight! I appreciate the details and stats about Plano Senior.

I was hoping to get any additional insight from folks who have kids in Clark or Plano Senior (or those whose kids went through these schools recently) - specifically around safety, bullying, extra curricular activities (specifically choir), and academics. I understand there is racial diversity as well as economic diversity.

PISD overall does a great job with these issues and especially at the HS level. If a HS student becomes a troublemaker they will be expelled from the school and may have to go to Guinn special ed center in a different location. This works out well for everyone as the offender gets another clean start and allows the rest of the school to keep educating everyone else without the troublemakers.

But there is one notorious MS near Clark that has a long history of poor performance with bullying and fighting. And apparently PISD allows this MS to keep running their school this way. And there isn't a special center for MS troublemakers to get banished to like the HS level. So, these kids just keep getting in trouble until they get to Clark and straighten up or get expelled. So, yes, the issue is there. None of my kids or their friends had any issues with fighting, bullying or safety. Or, even knew anyone personally who did. But they knew about fights especially beginning of new school year.

As for choir I know their is a rigorous try out for the Plano SR choir but that is all that I know. So bottom line if you avoid that one MS, Clark and Plano Sr can be a great setting for a great education.

[UnfairPark]

Teen age behavioral issues happen everywhere, no community is completely immune. If you know of any ongoing issue in any school, send written complaint to the teacher, CC school’s guidance counselor, principle, superintendent of the district and president of the school board. You’ll get prompt attention.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by UnfairPark

Education is getting diluted on every level to support much needed diversity in all fields of life, instead of providing support from elementary level so every student becomes able to run in the same lane when it comes to high school. Good intentions, bad solutions.

I don't think it helps young people to be given a leg up into college; by then the damage is done and it's infinitely harder for a disadvantaged kid to catch up. Disadvantaged minorities, particularly those who are the first members of their family to attend college, drop out at much higher rates than other students.


I agree with you that the focus really needs to be on equalizing educational opportunities from a very young age. But it's easier to give a few "deserving minorities" a slightly easier path to college admission than it is to really acknowledge that we waste a tremendous amount of human capital in this country...and then to actually DO something about it.

[VictoryPlaza]

Originally Posted by CMC_TX

Clark & Plano Sr. used to be very sought after schools. With demographics shifting and that area aging out, I think the desirability has gone down significantly. They don't have the allure of IB like Plano East, and the rezoning that moved the feeders to only Vines & Clark definitely caused the academic rep to take a hit.


I think you can get a good academic experience at any PISD school, but these schools are definitely rougher than they used to be. Folks seeking the new, clean schools have moved on further North to Frisco, Prosper & Celina ISDs.

Interesting use of code words and phrases like "demographics shifting" and "aging out" "caused the academic rep to take a hit."


Due to the natural growth going on in the Dallas Metro, "these schools are definitely rougher than they used to be." and "Folks seeking the new, clean schools..."