NWA School District Discussion - State's top 3 H.S. are in NWA (Fayetteville: top schools)

[Rock Climber]

http://my.socialtoaster.com/splash/3TwdV/

Six of the top 10 high schools in the state are located in Northwest Arkansas, a new ranking published by U.S. News and World Report shows.

The three best high schools in Arkansas are Fayetteville’s Haas Hall Academy, Bentonville High School and Rogers High School, the report shows.

Search Arkansas High Schools | US News

For comparison's sake, Arkansas has 9 public high schools ranked higher than the highest ranked public school in neighboring Mississippi, a state with a similar population total.

[Loveswater_outdoors]

This is great news. I hope the elementary schools are similar in excellence for my Fiancee's sake. As for Mississippi, that state is garbage. It literally ranks last in almost every measurable civilized metric. That Subway worker that was fired recently is what the state is full of.

[Rock Climber]

I think some of Haas Hall's excellence has come at the expense of Fayetteville High. A lot of the very top tier of Fayetteville school distict students who don't want to play sports or be a part of the marching band, etc, are now going to Haas Hall rather than Fayetteville High. I can't blame them, because HHA is a nationally recognized fantastic FREE high school. FHS used to also rank very highly in these things.

[Rock Climber]

Originally Posted by Loveswater_outdoors

This is great news. I hope the elementary schools are similar in excellence for my Fiancee's sake. As for Mississippi, that state is garbage. It literally ranks last in almost every measurable civilized metric. That Subway worker that was fired recently is what the state is full of.

The two states have often been classed together by outsiders. I agree that Arkansas is much better overall in most categories. Mainly, I compared the data because the two states are almost identical in population total, and are part of the same region of the U.S.

Arkansas public education has been making strides the past decade.

[gunslinger256]

Keep in mind that Haas Hall admission is by lottery. My son did not get in for next school year so we wait for the next draw across 2 campuses.

The school policy is fairly strict, if you fall below a B average you will be kicked out of the school. The children are all very disciplined and all great kids working to get into college.

I like that my daughters don't mingle with kids having no intention on education beyond high school.

Everyone is motivated to succeed.

[Rock Climber]

I read that the state legislature just improved funding sources for open-enrollment charter schools. Hopefully Haas Hall will continue to grow.

[Dil'se]

Well. We need to look a little deeper in these rankings since rankings are based on average/mean data.

-If you look at "at risk" student population, Public Schools like Fayetteville has 1/3rd to 1/4th the population while Haas Hall has zero (selection bias/may note be intentional??) according to Arkansas Demorat. Also, you consider gunslinger256 comment about students falling below B average being kicked out, no wonder Haas Hall performs better. If you take "at risk students" out of Fayetteville High as a group, they will be ranked as one of the top schools in the country (but is that the purpose of the school?).

-Top students from Fayetteville High go to best colleges in the country and in the last five years, they had at least a student making perfect ACT score.

-Fayetteville High has one of the best AP programs in the region.

Each family/student needs to do their research instead of solely relying on the rankings. In general, public schools can't toot their own horn like charter or private schools do.

[Johnhw2]

Originally Posted by Rock Climber

The two states have often been classed together by outsiders. I agree that Arkansas is much better overall in most categories. Mainly, I compared the data because the two states are almost identical in population total, and are part of the same region of the U.S.

Arkansas public education has been making strides the past decade.

Oklahoma is Similar in size so why not compare to them? They share more border than the state does with missippi?

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Johnhw2

Oklahoma is Similar in size so why not compare to them? They share more border than the state does with missippi?

good point and I would be more inclined to compare us with Ok and MO, than Mississippi. Regardless, this thread is 2 years old and new ones, comparing this and that have come out. These studies are really pretty meaningless in my view.