2008 Dallas Area National Merit Semifinalists, ranked by school (Arlington, Plano: low income, credit)

[FarNorthDallas]

ETA: I don't mean ranked by school, but ranked by number of kids from each school

From The Dallas Morning News a week or so ago:

Number of Semi-finalists/High School/(District)

60 Plano (Plano ISD)
46 Plano West (Plano ISD)
40 Texas Academy of Math & Science (selective public residential school at Univ Of North Texas)
30 St. Marks (private)
21 Plano East (Plano ISD)

14 Hockaday (private)
14 Coppell (Coppell ISD)
13 Cisterician Prep (private)
13 Flower Mound (Lewisville ISD)

11 Homeschoolers
11 Allen High (Allen ISD)
10 Highland Park (Highland Park ISD)
10 Carroll (Carroll ISD)

8 Marcus (Lewisville ISD)
8 Martin (Arlington ISD)
8 Garland (Garland ISD)
7 Pearce (Richardson ISD)
7 Boyd (McKinney ISD)

6 Talented & Gifted Magnet (Dallas ISD)
6 Jesuit (private)
6 Lamar (Arlington ISD)
6 Newman Smith (Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD)
6 Heritage (Grapevine-Colleyville ISD)
6 Episcopal School of Dallas (private)
6 Keller (Keller ISD)

5 Greenhill (private)
5 Trinity (HEB ISD)
5 Grapevine (Grapevine-Colleyville ISD)

4 Bishop Lynch (private)
4 Creekview (Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD)
4 Hebron (Lewisville ISD)
4 Central (Keller ISD)
4 Cambridge School (private)
4 Ursuline (private)

3 McKinney (McKinney ISD)
3 Pope John Paul (private)
3 Lewisville (Lewisville ISD)
3 Oakridge School (private)
3 RL Turner (Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD)
3 Trinity Christian Academy (private)
3 Science & Engineering Magnet (Dallas ISD)
3 North Garland (Garland ISD)

2 Fossil Ridge (Keller ISD)
2 Rockwall (Rockwall ISD)
2 Coram Deo Academy (private)
2 Lake Highlands (Richardson ISD)
2 Summit (Mansfield ISD)

2 Dallas Christian School (private)
2 Guyer (Denton ISD)
2 Frisco (Frisco ISD)
2 Wakeland (Frisco ISD)
2 Prestonwood Christian Academy (private)
2 Canyon Creek Christian Academy (private)

1 Aledo (Aledo ISD)
1 Argyle (Argyle ISD)
1 Bell (HEB ISD)
1 Booker T Performing Arts Magnet (Dallas ISD)
1 Burleson (Burleson ISD)
1 Canteberry Episcopal (private)

1 Carrollton Christian Academy (private)
1 Centennial (Frisco ISD)
1 The Colony (Lewisville ISD)
1 Covenant Christian Academy (private)
1 The Covenant School (private)
1 Crowley (Crowley ISD)

1 Decatur (Decatur ISD)
1 Duncanville (Duncanville ISD)
1 Ennis (Ennis ISD)
1 Grace Prepatory Academy (private)
1 The Highlands School (private)
1 Hillcrest (Dallas ISD)

1 Lakewood Presbyterian School (private)
1 Legacy Christian Academy (private)
1 Liberty (Frisco ISD)
1 MacArthur (Irving ISD)
1 Mansfield (Mansfield ISD)
1 McKinney North (McKinney ISD)

1 Naaman Forest (Garland ISD)
1 Nimitz (Irving ISD)
1 North Hills School (charter)
1 Pantego Christian Academy (private)
1 Parish Episcopal School (private)

1 Poteet (Mesquite ISD)
1 Prosper (Prosper ISD)
1 Richland Collegiate (charter)
1 Sachse (Garland ISD)
1 Spring Creek Academy (private)

[loves2read]

I would have thought a Science/engineering magnet school would have had more than 3--how many are in their class?

[padcrasher]

You can see some patterns here.

Schools with high Asian enrollment, affluent schools, and black/hispanic magnet programs from the large public ISDs.


This organization runs a racially segregated scholarship program.

One scholarship is open to all races and the other scholarship is open only to blacks. Very few blacks qualify under the open program.

[FarNorthDallas]

Originally Posted by loves2read

I would have thought a Science/engineering magnet school would have had more than 3--how many are in their class?

According to this, they were 396 students in 2007:
School Profile - School Of Science & Engineering, Dallas ISD - School Data - Texas - NCEA/Just for the Kids

[unexpected]

I find this interesting, as most hs juniors are taking the PSAT on October 15 (PSAT Site). So this means that these are last years numbers.

[FarNorthDallas]

Right, I think these kids took the test last year and they are seniors this year. At least the one kid I know on this list is a senior this year.

[loves2read]

so 1% of Dallas ISD science/engineering students made that cut...
that would be a real issue for me if I were on the board or a parent with student in that school...the Academy of Math and Science in Denton has about 376 students total and so fewer would be juniors taking the test...

and yes--they take the tests as juniors and get their results/standing as seniors

anyone thinking this is a racially segregated scholarship program is nuts...

anyone who qualifies is eligible to win...make sure kids of color/low income qualify...

there must be concentrated effort in any environment for years--especially at the family level --low income or not...minority or not--to achieve this level of academic success...

you can't say that X% of any racial group deserves to win National Merit--the title says it all...
check out this about Pascal HS's winners
you will see an assortment of ethnicities--and girls as well as guys, I am glad to say...
2007- 08 National Merit and Minority Scholars – Paschal High School

and this from the Paschal site
Paschal

there are a lot of things FTWISD is NOT doing right--but Paschal is about quality in education--
it is a school within a school--because not all of the students are on the AP track--and it does pull good students from other high schools in FTW that would help raise their neighborhood schools' scores probably--but quality teaching is at Paschal and that is where the parents want their kids...

[padcrasher]

Oh yes anyone who thinks the scholarships are not open to everyone is "nuts".

"African American students who meet entry requirements and request consideration when they take PSAT/NMSQT can enter the National Achievement Scholarship Program as well as the National Merit Program. The two programs are conducted concurrently; however a student's standing in each program is determined independently. Black students can qualify for recognition, become candidates for awards, and be honored as Scholars in both competitions, but they can receive only one monetary award from NMSC. Students who are chosen as both National Achievement and National Merit Scholars receive the monetary award that is most advantageous to them and are recognized as Honorary Scholars in the other program.

Steps in the Achievement Scholarship competition are parallel to those in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Of 130,000 entrants, some 3,000 students are referred to colleges for their academic potential and an additional 1,600 students are designated Semifinalists on a regional representation basis. Semifinalists are the highest scorers in the states that make up each region and have an opportunity to continue in the competition for scholarships.

Around 1,500 semifinalists go on to be named Finalists and about 800 receive scholarships. These include 700 National Achievement $2500 Scholarships, most of which are provided by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, and about 100 corporate-sponsored Achievement Scholarships awards.

Please tell me how my white kids can apply for black only portion of scholarships????

[loves2read]

Wikipedia says that about 1500 students qualify under the Nationa Acheivement Program and 800 win scholarships---so that means there are more spots open for students who score lower than they did to receive awards..that money comes from companies who contribute to the scholarship awards--that is similar to making a donation to National Negro College Fund but more tied to superior academic achievement...do you want to do away with that organization?

About the National Merit awards it says this:
Of the 15,000 Finalists, about 8,200 receive Merit Scholarship awards. All Finalists are considered for one of the 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships, which are awarded on a state representational basis. NMSC's own funds support the majority of these awards but corporate sponsors help underwrite these awards with grants they provide to NMSC in lieu of paying administrative fees. About 1,100 Merit Scholarship awards are provided by corporate sponsors for Finalists who meet criteria specified by the sponsor. Most of these awards are for children of the sponsor's employees, for Finalists living in a particular geographic area, or for Finalists who have career plans the sponsor wishes to encourage. These two types of awards can be used at any regionally accredited college or university in the United States. There are also approximately 4,600 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who plan to attend a sponsor college. Finalists report to NMSC their first choice college ("College-Sponsored Merit Awards"). In addition, about 1,500 program participants who are below the Finalist level receive Special Scholarships provided by corporate sponsors.

So it actually benefits students who are not black because it allows them to move up and receive an award they might not otherwise qualify for...

[unexpected]

padcrasher is taking an exception because there's a separate program designed for black students who wouldn't ordinarily qualify for National Merit to get some money. The cutoffs for National Achievement are a lot lower than the National Merit cutoffs.

The same is true for hispanics- the cutoff for National Hispanic Scholar is usually around 180 or so, but they don't receive any money, only recognition