so the new Newsweek top high schools are out (New York: buy, top schools)

[brassbin]

There is this particular question that bugs. Take Huntington Station for example, the area is usually to be avoided, the school is full of illegals, yet it is still ranked 900 something among the top 5% of the country's best public high schools, so are we(LI) just better than the rest of the world?

[JustBored]

I was reading the FAQ on how they determine what school is good vs not.. and this was interesting..

Schools had to have an average SAT score below 1300 on the reading and math sections, or an average ACT score below 29, to be included on the list.

heh does this mean Jericho ranked #20, had an average of 1300 and under? and 70% of Jericho students receive federally subsidized meals from 0% last year??

[newtoli]

Wait... they had to be UNDER 1300?

[JustBored]

Why don't I see famous public high schools like Stuyvesant in New York City or Thomas Jefferson in Fairfax County, Va., on the NEWSWEEK list?
We do not include magnet or charter high schools that draw high concentrations of top students whose average SAT or ACT scores significantly exceed the highest average for any normal enrollment school in the country. This year that meant such schools had to have an average SAT score below 1300 on the reading and math sections, or an average ACT score below 29, to be included on the list.
The schools you name are terrific places with some of the highest average test scores in the country, but it would be deceptive for us to put them on this list. The Challenge Index is designed to honor schools that have done the best job in persuading average students to take college level courses and tests. It does not work with schools that have no, or almost no, average students. The idea is to create a list that measures how good schools are in challenging all students, and not just how high their students' test scores are. The high-performing schools we have excluded from the list all have great teachers, but research indicates that high SAT and ACT averages are much more an indication of the affluence of the students' parents.
Using average SAT or ACT scores is a change from the previous system we used, which excluded schools that admitted more than half of their students based on grades and test scores. That system penalized some inner city magnet schools that had high Challenge Index ratings but whose average SAT or ACT scores were below those of many normal enrollment suburban schools, so we switched to a system that we consider more fair and clear.

On our Public Elites' list, however, we do acknowledge schools that did not make the big list because their average SAT or ACT scores were too high.

I didn't read the whole FAQ ,but thats straight from it.. which is kinda weird.. *looks for 2007 Jericho SAT Average score list*

[GCGuy]

Well, that's just stoopit.

Originally Posted by JustBored

Why don't I see famous public high schools like Stuyvesant in New York City or Thomas Jefferson in Fairfax County, Va., on the NEWSWEEK list?
We do not include magnet or charter high schools that draw high concentrations of top students whose average SAT or ACT scores significantly exceed the highest average for any normal enrollment school in the country. This year that meant such schools had to have an average SAT score below 1300 on the reading and math sections, or an average ACT score below 29, to be included on the list.
The schools you name are terrific places with some of the highest average test scores in the country, but it would be deceptive for us to put them on this list. The Challenge Index is designed to honor schools that have done the best job in persuading average students to take college level courses and tests. It does not work with schools that have no, or almost no, average students. The idea is to create a list that measures how good schools are in challenging all students, and not just how high their students' test scores are. The high-performing schools we have excluded from the list all have great teachers, but research indicates that high SAT and ACT averages are much more an indication of the affluence of the students' parents.
Using average SAT or ACT scores is a change from the previous system we used, which excluded schools that admitted more than half of their students based on grades and test scores. That system penalized some inner city magnet schools that had high Challenge Index ratings but whose average SAT or ACT scores were below those of many normal enrollment suburban schools, so we switched to a system that we consider more fair and clear.

On our Public Elites' list, however, we do acknowledge schools that did not make the big list because their average SAT or ACT scores were too high.

I didn't read the whole FAQ ,but thats straight from it.. which is kinda weird.. *looks for 2007 Jericho SAT Average score list*

[llama8]

The only thing that bugs me about this list is well...everything. The way the "best" schools are determined is by dividing the senior class by the number of kids enrolled in AP classes. Not even the scores on the AP, just enrollment. That's it. I don't see how this makes a school "the best". All a school has to do is shove a whole bunch of kids into AP and they make the list.

I wish the criteria was a little more well-rounded. As a teacher (who's school is on the list) is still don't agree that this criteria is the best way to judge a school or limit other school's from being considered.

[flowergarden]

That's why the US News and World Report ranking is "better". It determines the "best" schools by dividing the senior class by the number of kids who achieve a 3 or better on the AP tests. So, you actually have to preform well. Of course, "best" school is hard define,and we all know that. All these ranking tell you is if you have a pretty smart kid, your kid will be given the opportunity to excel. Opportunity is all anyone can ask for their kids. The rest is up to them. Of course, private colleges do look at these rankings and accept kids or don't accept kids based on how they performed in high school. They look more favorable on kids who perform well in a higher ranked school than a kid who performs well in a lower ranked or unranked school.

Speaking as a parent whose children currently attend a top 100 high school according to US World News or a top 300 school according to Newsweek - but who is considering moving them to an unranked school due to a job change. Very difficult choices!

[iluvmycuties]

Flower, I wouldn't worry about moving your child from one ranked school to another. Because I have plenty of friends in the Charlotte area who have NO CLUE how their high school was even listed in the top 100 (in fact, parents try to go private in order to avoid this HS). This is in no way putting down NC at all, just an example. And Port Jeff HS rated higher than Manhasset? I'm from PJ, and it's nice to read, but I'm a little confused with how that ranking was established.

[Samrai309]

This is just another example of using standardized measures to justify excellence. As a teacher, I don't buy into it at the test level to justify student excellence and would not put much stock into it in this survey of "top schools".
The value of a student's education is measured in their approach to it--they take away from their education what they wanted to get out of it. Just my two cents though.

[GCGuy]

Originally Posted by Samrai309

This is just another example of using standardized measures to justify excellence. As a teacher, I don't buy into it at the test level to justify student excellence and would not put much stock into it in this survey of "top schools".
The value of a student's education is measured in their approach to it--they take away from their education what they wanted to get out of it. Just my two cents though.

While do not totally denouce testing, it is not the only indicator of doing well, that's certain. To think that this list is just people that enrolled in a class, that's just bizarre. How can any publication attempt to pass this off as valid? Are you kidding me? It's like saying a school is amazing b/c everyone takes math...don't worry that 85% are failing.