Dallas Schools Top in Nation (Austin, Plano: buying, school rankings, income)

[Lakewooder]

The last time D Magazine did a list which included city and suburban high schools was 2006:

http://www.dmagazine.com/april2006/b...sapril2006.pdf

I hope you will take notice that my alma mater, W.W., outranked Frisco and McKinney North and was the top-ranked comprehensive high school in Dallas.

[DWong]

Originally Posted by settledindfw

I should be proud that many local schools made it in the list. However I agree that this is false information. If you understand statistics, politics, and popularism, you'll know data is flawed. Data is based on AP test takers/graduating students only because it's the only reliable available data out there according to the 'inventor'. One school data does not justify name them top school. Data is valid, but not enough to justify TOP school. Newsweek published this data. Because it's from Newsweek, people tend to immediately agree with stats. "It's from Newsweek, so data is real." type of mentality.

I bet if the author is from an unknown magazine, people won't be talking about this.

Agreed. data is valid, but not to justify a TOP SCHOOL.

[DWong]

Originally Posted by FarNorthDallas

I don't get how D Magazine came up with school related data in relation to suburbs since school district lines are not the same as city lines.

For example, most of Richardson ISD is in the city of Dallas. Some of the city of Richardson attend Plano schools. Some in the city of Garland attend Richardson schools. Some of city of Plano attend Frisco schools. Some of the city of McKinney attend Frisco schools. Some of Little Elm attend Frisco schools. Seagoville is in the Dallas school district. Wilmer and Hutchins are in the Dallas ISD. Flower Mound is in Lewisville ISD. Some of Irving is in Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD, etc. etc.

Well, just for clarification, at least this provides some results!

[tallscot]

Yeah, a school that gets to pick and choose who will attend and has a custom curriculum geared towards a narrow, selective criteria will get better results than a normal school - go figure. Those top 2 schools in DISD get to screen students and pick who they want to attend.

It doesn't mean the same kind of education can't be had at a public school through advanced placement courses.

Plano High School has to take whoever lives in the boundary, but it administers the most Advanced Placement tests of any school west of the Mississippi. Plano offers 31 advanced placement courses out of 34 possible, which is a huge number.

So cherry-picking charter and magnet schools is not a good indicator of the district those schools are in.

Go check out the Texas Academic Decathlon results for 2008 and you will see the top 10 loaded with Plano, Frisco, Richardson...

[tallscot]

There is only a single DISD school even listed in the decathlon results.

[Lakewooder]

OK we were also ahead of Plano in this list:

http://www.dmagazine.com/schools/bes...hoolssep00.pdf

[lpepping]

Originally Posted by tallscot

There is only a single DISD school even listed in the decathlon results.

I've never even heard of this. Probably because my school was too poor. We did go to the DISD competitions but that was about it.

[tallscot]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

OK we were also ahead of Plano in this list:

http://www.dmagazine.com/schools/bes...hoolssep00.pdf

Your school rated Acceptable by the state is ahead of Exemplary Plano Senior High?

[Lakewooder]

I said on that list -- we are a very small school - you are not just a number as in Plano.

BTW where did Plano and the other northern suburbs come in in Texas State Mock Trail Competition this year? -- I only see us (second place), Decatur and Waco (also Dallas Skyline did well).

[tallscot]

Plano's 2,500 isn't nearly as bad as Allen's 3,500. It's certainly not as bad as UT's 50,000.

I've never heard of the Mock Trail. Does that have something to do with wagons?