Middle Schools: Grisham, Four Points, or Canyon Vista? (Austin, West: apartment, transfer to)

[WhatTheFox]

Seventh grader arrested for possession of a loaded gun at Noel Grisham Middle School (Round Rock ISD).

[S6Sputnik]

I have a son currently in 8th grade at Four Points, and I also had a daughter go through there and Vandegrift. My experience is that they come to college very well prepared! The 4points principal is outstanding!!!!!!! The other schools you mention are all fantastic as well, you cannot go wrong!

Hope that helps!

[CarnivalGal]

For what it's worth, I have a friend with a daughter at Westwood, and she's really struggling. Not academically. In fact, she has a 4.9 GPA (on a 4.0 scale). But her class rank is 245. She's feeling horribly defeated because she's busting her butt and literally can't do any better and is still ranked 245.

But you are going to run into the same thing at Vandegrift as well.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by CarnivalGal

For what it's worth, I have a friend with a daughter at Westwood, and she's really struggling. Not academically. In fact, she has a 4.9 GPA (on a 4.0 scale). But her class rank is 245. She's feeling horribly defeated because she's busting her butt and literally can't do any better and is still ranked 245.

But you are going to run into the same thing at Vandegrift as well.

Out of state private schools will snap her up! RRISD should do what Eanes does, rank only the top 10% for TX schools and leave the rest unranked.

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Out of state private schools will snap her up! RRISD should do what Eanes does, rank only the top 10% for TX schools and leave the rest unranked.

Not everyone can afford private, out-of-state schools.

And RRISD (and LISD) will leave off class rank but many universities (including UT) wised up to that and now require it be included on the transcript.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by CarnivalGal

Not everyone can afford private, out-of-state schools.

And RRISD (and LISD) will leave off class rank but many universities (including UT) wised up to that and now require it be included on the transcript.

This is OT but most private schools are very generous with merit aid for top students. Example Trinity in SA, they hand out merit money like candy! Any private school where her GPA/SAT put her in the 75th percentile of admitted students or higher should equal substantial merit aid, certainly enough to put it close to instate tuition.

[Meaux]

Originally Posted by CarnivalGal

For what it's worth, I have a friend with a daughter at Westwood, and she's really struggling. Not academically. In fact, she has a 4.9 GPA (on a 4.0 scale). But her class rank is 245. She's feeling horribly defeated because she's busting her butt and literally can't do any better and is still ranked 245.

But you are going to run into the same thing at Vandegrift as well.

Realize that GPA here in Texas is horribly inflated. Per my understanding (this might be a little off but the concept is right):

4.0 elective classes
5.0 core classes like English/Languages, Math, Science
6.0 preAP and AP classes (so, if you pass and get a C you are earning a 4.0...)

And at my daughters school, the teachers running the 6.0 classes really really make them strict and heavy workload I think to make up for the extra points on the GPA. At the end of Freshman year, we went to the ceremony for "4.0" students and it literally had over 350 kids being honored. I called it the "everyone's a winner!" ceremony.

Sooooo, it is likely your friends daughter literally COULD get better grades. Not that it is easy, and once you mess something up it is likely that they cannot be fixed via re-work or extra credit. The kids at Westwood, or at my daughters school, who are top 10 not only took preAP and AP classes as much as possible, but thrived in the competitive environment and with the heavy workload.

I watched this system really beat my little Freshman down last year. Between her coursework and being in marching band (a full time job) it was really rough, and there was not a lot of sleep involved. She's doing better so far this year, her school added a 40 minute "flex time" period where they can go to teachers for help or just work on their homework.

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by Meaux

Realize that GPA here in Texas is horribly inflated. Per my understanding (this might be a little off but the concept is right):

4.0 elective classes
5.0 core classes like English/Languages, Math, Science
6.0 preAP and AP classes (so, if you pass and get a C you are earning a 4.0...)

And at my daughters school, the teachers running the 6.0 classes really really make them strict and heavy workload I think to make up for the extra points on the GPA. At the end of Freshman year, we went to the ceremony for "4.0" students and it literally had over 350 kids being honored. I called it the "everyone's a winner!" ceremony.

Sooooo, it is likely your friends daughter literally COULD get better grades. Not that it is easy, and once you mess something up it is likely that they cannot be fixed via re-work or extra credit. The kids at Westwood, or at my daughters school, who are top 10 not only took preAP and AP classes as much as possible, but thrived in the competitive environment and with the heavy workload.

I watched this system really beat my little Freshman down last year. Between her coursework and being in marching band (a full time job) it was really rough, and there was not a lot of sleep involved. She's doing better so far this year, her school added a 40 minute "flex time" period where they can go to teachers for help or just work on their homework.

She has never received anything less than an A. But the attitude that "she literally COULD get better grades," is part of the reason she breaks down and cries after spending six hours every night on homework and studying, getting straight As, and still being ranked where she is. My friend would love to pull her out and send her to private school, but that's just not in the financial cards for them.

[centralaustinite]

how rankings are done varies widely, many colleges will actually recompute the GPA as well so there is more comparability across students and states and districts.

In AISD AP classes do NOT carry 6.0 grade points, just 5 and there are upper-level non-AP courses that have a one point bonus too. GPA for rank only includes classes that everyone takes, the core courses plus 2 years of foreign lg, no electives count in rank GPA at all -- obviously all classes count for regular GPA.

Westwood has distinct disadvantages for many kids.

[Mimmyu]

GPA calculations are a matter of district policy. Most use the 4/5/6 (regular/AP/IB) scale, but it's not a guarantee. Transcripts will typically display both weighted and unweighted GPA's.