What's the deal with Clermont area high schools? (transfer, middle schools)

[DisneyDiva]

When researching schools I am oftem confused as to how elementary & middle schools can be A rated & the high school drops to a D.

Looking at Clermont specifically, how is it that Windy Hill, Clermont & Gray MS are all A & B but East Ridge & South Lake HS are both D?

Are the grades deceiving? What can you tell me about the high schools?

Also, what is with all the charter & alternative schools? Are the charter's really better? If so, I would guess there would be waitlists & tuition???

Our boys are currently in 5th & 8th grade so we really need to focus on both MS & HS.

[StephanieScrapbooks]

I live in the area and have friends that work at both schools and I could be totally wrong as I have been before, but from what I understand the biggest reason why high schools drop especially in rural, building, or poverty areas is because the grading and testing system has a big flaw.
That is that the results are based on every student who should be there testing and not only the students that take the test. So if 25 students decide not to take the test, are dropping out, couldn't make it, transferred schools etc... the whole school loses out because they are 0's and bring the grade down further than even a 50% F would bring it down.
So for every 100 students that test if 25 make a 0 then it takes the other 75 students to make a perfect score to even get just a B. So if 50 students make a perfect B and the other 25 students make a perfect A then the schools final grade can not be any more than a 2.5 because those 25 students still have a 0 and the final grade would be a middle C.
As we all know that students in elementary and middle school have much more supervision, and consequences so thats why they have a better percent of students taking the actual test. Some of those other high schools that have higher grades have a smaller student population therefore leading to less that are not taking the test.
If schools were soley based on the scores of just the students who took the test I am sure you would see a higher grade. But then the problem with that is school officials allowing lower scoring students out of the testing. BIG PROBLEM!!!!


Please someone from the school system that knows the exact numbers or have a better answer please do tell. This is (I think) how it was explained to me. At least it's how I understood it.

[DisneyDiva]

Thanks for the insight!