best high school in North OC (Anaheim, Huntington Beach: top schools, university, live)

[oc2nyc]

My kids go to Los Al and they are doing very well. My oldest daughter was well prepared for college as were her friends. Let me say though, it is not the best by any means. My daughter was on the Song team and ASB so she was kept very busy. There are drugs there, but most of the high schools have them, whether they admit it or not. I made sure my daughter didn't have time to get involved with the wrong crowd. Also they are highly competitive in sports which is sometimes not such a good thing. I cannot compare their classes to any other high school as it is the only one my kids have attended. I do know that they have open enrollment right now and that school is already bursting at the seams with over 3,000 kids. too many if you ask me. My daughter who is a Sophmore is taking 3 honors classes but we are relocating to the East Coast at the end of the school year and I am afraid that my kids will be behind just having gone to a California school period. Good luck in your decision.

[YLresident]

There are 30 OC High Schools on Newsweek's top 1300 American High Schools list 2006:

46. Troy - Fullerton
156. University - Irvine
175. Sunny Hills - Fullerton
296. Northwood - Irvine
358. Tesoro - Rancho Santa Margarita
393. Mission Viejo - Mission Viejo
397. San Clemente - San Clemente
457. Marina - Huntington Beach
497. Esperanza - Anaheim
600. Villa Park - Villa Park
612. Aliso Niguel - Aliso Viejo
615. Fountain Valley - Fountain Valley
666. Ocean View - Huntington Beach
667. Capistrano Valley - Mission Viejo
686. Valencia - Placentia
708. Dana Hills - Dana Point
804. Newport Harbor - Newport Beach
815. Tustin - Tustin
874. Huntington Beach - Huntington Beach
965. Sonora - La Habra
969. Canyon - Anaheim
1029. Edison - Huntington Beach
1044. Irvine - Irvine
1080. Foothill - Santa Ana
1153. Laguna Beach - Laguna Beach
1156. Woodbridge - Irvine
1161. Los Alamitos - Los Alamitos
1164. El Modena - Orange
1170. Garden Grove - Garden Grove
1184. Bolsa Grande - Garden Grove


Website:
America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com

"Public schools are ranked according to a ratio devised by Jay Mathews (http://www.newsweek.com/related.aspx?subject=Jay+Mathews - broken link): the number of Advanced Placement, Intl. Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in 2006 divided by the number of graduating seniors. All of the schools on the list have an index of at least 1.000; they are in the top 5 percent of public schools measured this way. If you have 2006 data showing that your school should be on this list, please contact Mathews at challenge@washpost.com. For complete coverage, visit NEWSWEEK's Top High Schools section."

[zenjenn]

My mother and stepfather (both teachers in OC districts), have always had a bone to pick with this Newsweek list, because it is so heavily weighted by students taking AP tests. Never mind that some schools might neglect the arts, athletics, mainstream, college prep, and special ed services, and so on in order to boast a stronger emphasis on advanced placement criteria. I'm always boggled by parents who flock to neighborhoods districted to schools that must be on this list, as if their toddler is destined to be a brilliant honor's student. If your child ends up being academically average, or with a learning disability, or whathaveyou, you might live to regret it. A good school by my book is one that is balanced and caters to the needs of *all* students.

Also, it doesn't say anything about the *scores* achieved on those tests, just that the tests were taken? If the scores are not considered, that is unbelievable. Anyone willing to write a check can have their kid take an AP exam. Also, divided by the number of graduating seniors? That doesn't say much about how drop-out rates affects the overall quality of the school, does it?

I'd love to know if that's really the methodology. The fact that El Dorado is not on that list but Valencia is.. I know alumni from both schools and did substitute teaching at both schools, and I'd be blown away if someone thought Valencia was any better than El Dorado in any meaningful sense of the word. You might be able to make a case that Valencia is not meaningfully worse than El Dorado, but I don't see any feasible way to make the case that Valencia is better.

[YLresident]

Originally Posted by zenjenn

My mother and stepfather (both teachers in OC districts), have always had a bone to pick with this Newsweek list, because it is so heavily weighted by students taking AP tests. Never mind that some schools might neglect the arts, athletics, mainstream, college prep, and special ed services, and so on in order to boast a stronger emphasis on advanced placement criteria. I'm always boggled by parents who flock to neighborhoods districted to schools that must be on this list, as if their toddler is destined to be a brilliant honor's student. If your child ends up being academically average, or with a learning disability, or whathaveyou, you might live to regret it. A good school by my book is one that is balanced and caters to the needs of *all* students.

Also, it doesn't say anything about the *scores* achieved on those tests, just that the tests were taken? If the scores are not considered, that is unbelievable. Anyone willing to write a check can have their kid take an AP exam. Also, divided by the number of graduating seniors? That doesn't say much about how drop-out rates affects the overall quality of the school, does it?

I'd love to know if that's really the methodology. The fact that El Dorado is not on that list but Valencia is.. I know alumni from both schools and did substitute teaching at both schools, and I'd be blown away if someone thought Valencia was any better than El Dorado in any meaningful sense of the word. You might be able to make a case that Valencia is not meaningfully worse than El Dorado, but I don't see any feasible way to make the case that Valencia is better.

Valencia is the tech school in the PYLUSD district... and El Dorado didn't offer IB when I went there, only AP (although, I know nothing of IB)--some universities take little stock in AP or IB test scores anyway...).

Interesting note, though--even though Valencia's the tech school, Esperanza scored almost 200 spots higher. In terms of college prep, unless you're actually a star athlete or artist/singer going into college as an athlete or a major in the arts, neither athletics nor arts has any effect really on your getting into college.

A great arts and/or athletic program, however, can be very enriching and encourage kids to excel in other arenas with the skills they learn through being involved. I took part in El Dorado's great drama, choir, and athletic programs in addition to their excellent honors program--though I cannot really say much for their regular classes... I found little intellectual stimulation in the regular classes I took, though they were a lot of fun. That could've been the individual teachers, too, though.

I personally think El Dorado is a fabulous school and would love for my future kids (if any) to go there--but each parent has there own idea of what school they'd like their children to go to. As children get older and develop their various interests and talents, their parents should encourage them... and choose their childerns' schools accordingly.

I'm sure Newsweek's methodology leaves much to be desired, but it at least gives parents an idea of what areas of the country tend to have great schools--parents should conduct their own research based on their own crieteria, too. I wouldn't trust some list telling me whats best for my kids, I'd get out there and see for myself. ^_^

[YLresident]

Originally Posted by YLresident

There are 31 OC High Schools on Newsweek's top 1300 American High Schools list 2006:

46. Troy - Fullerton
156. University - Irvine
175. Sunny Hills - Fullerton
296. Northwood - Irvine
358. Tesoro - Rancho Santa Margarita
393. Mission Viejo - Mission Viejo
397. San Clemente - San Clemente
457. Marina - Huntington Beach
497. Esperanza - Anaheim
600. Villa Park - Villa Park
612. Aliso Niguel - Aliso Viejo
615. Fountain Valley - Fountain Valley
629. La Quinta - La Quinta
666. Ocean View - Huntington Beach
667. Capistrano Valley - Mission Viejo
686. Valencia - Placentia
708. Dana Hills - Dana Point
804. Newport Harbor - Newport Beach
815. Tustin - Tustin
874. Huntington Beach - Huntington Beach
965. Sonora - La Habra
969. Canyon - Anaheim
1029. Edison - Huntington Beach
1044. Irvine - Irvine
1080. Foothill - Santa Ana
1153. Laguna Beach - Laguna Beach
1156. Woodbridge - Irvine
1161. Los Alamitos - Los Alamitos
1164. El Modena - Orange
1170. Garden Grove - Garden Grove
1184. Bolsa Grande - Garden Grove


Website:
America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com

"Public schools are ranked according to a ratio devised by Jay Mathews (http://www.newsweek.com/related.aspx?subject=Jay+Mathews - broken link): the number of Advanced Placement, Intl. Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in 2006 divided by the number of graduating seniors. All of the schools on the list have an index of at least 1.000; they are in the top 5 percent of public schools measured this way. If you have 2006 data showing that your school should be on this list, please contact Mathews at challenge@washpost.com. For complete coverage, visit NEWSWEEK's Top High Schools section."

Missed one--LQ. My bad... it's in bold up above. >_<

Now we have 31. ^_^

[missionhome]

I thought I would help out by posting the new and revised 2007 list of Newsweeks top public high schools. 30 high schools made the list this year, with several changes. Many schools moving up in rank and a lot moving down in rank. Congrats to Troy High School who is now number 30 in the whole nation!

Place, School Name, City, Index, Sub Lunch, E&E **=School gave AP & IB Exams
30 Troy ** Fullerton Calif. 4.766 5.5 70
182 University Irvine Calif. 2.767 6.8 67.3
251 Corona del Mar Newport Beach Calif. 2.475 1 28.4
284 Sunny Hills ** Fullerton Calif. 2.357 4 47
385 Northwood Irvine Calif. 2.142 2 53.4
409 Mission Viejo ** Mission Viejo Calif. 2.08 <1 25.6
471 San Clemente ** San Clemente Calif. 1.958 15 31.8
486 Fountain Valley Fountain Valley Calif. 1.932 9.4 33.1
498 Valencia ** Placentia Calif. 1.917 47 29.8
520 Laguna Beach Laguna Beach Calif. 1.878 4 47.9
536 Capistrano Valley ** Mission Viejo Calif. 1.854 17.8 31.6
556 Tesoro Rancho Santa Margarita Calif. 1.828 2 37.9
616 Aliso Niguel Aliso Viejo Calif. 1.755 6.7 29
652 Marina Huntington Beach Calif. 1.713 9.5 21.9
734 Esperanza Anaheim Calif. 1.603 2 35.2
767 Canyon ** Anaheim Calif. 1.573 2 24.1
778 Dana Hills Dana Point Calif. 1.568 17.7 31.1
796 Laguna Hills ** Laguna Hills Calif. 1.547 7 30
948 Irvine Irvine Calif. 1.389 4.8 36.6
967 Tustin Tustin Calif. 1.371 20 23.1
1033 Foothill ** Tustin Calif. 1.288 14.4 27.1
1077 Brea Olinda Brea Calif. 1.243 8 29.8
1092 El Modena Orange Calif. 1.23 14 23.9
1144 Trabuco Hills Mission Viejo Calif. 1.188 <1 27.1
1168 Los Amigos Fountain Valley Calif. 1.168 77 23.1
1172 Huntington Beach Huntington Beach Calif. 1.164 7.7 23.3
1176 Bolsa Grande Garden Grove Calif. 1.16 66.5 18.5
1297 Edison Huntington Beach Calif. 1.046 5.1 21.5
1328 Cypress Cypress Calif. 1.023 12 15.5
1335 Garden Grove (tie) Garden Grove Calif. 1.016 51 22.3

[missionhome]

By the way, La Quinta isn't in Orange County. It is in the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs.

[YLresident]

Originally Posted by missionhome

By the way, La Quinta isn't in Orange County. It is in the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs.

OH?!? HAHA! D'oh... I that it was the OC La Quinta High School--didn't even notice the city... just saw the name of the school! >_<

I thought it was this La Quinta High School in Westminster: La Quinta High School... oops! Thanks for checking up--my bad! ^_^

[Coldjensens]

Oxford, Troy, OCHSA (in Santa Ana) or private school

[cobmw]

You can't get into Oxford. They admit only the top 20 kids out of the graduating 7th grade class from each Anaheim school. They will take an additional 20 from out of Anaheim, but your kid has to compete for the spot by taking a test. He'll be competing against some of the sharpest Asian kids in Orange County. If the California school system (including Troy, etc) had even a glimmer of a resemblance to Oxford it would be a good system. But it doesn't.