Would I like Frisco? (Dallas, Austin: magnet schools, colleges, costs)

[Big G]

I was waiting for that one.

Well, that, and I'm waiting for someone to point out that SMU isn't in Dallas.

[Dallas native]

Originally Posted by Big G

Well, that, and I'm waiting for someone to point out that SMU isn't in Dallas.

They don't need to since you just did that. It is in Dallas County.

[Big G]

Originally Posted by Dallas native

They don't need to since you just did that. It is in Dallas County.

So's Wilmer. Want to claim that one?

[Dallas native]

Originally Posted by Big G

So's Wilmer. Want to claim that one?

Sure, Wilmer is in Dallas County. And how does that support your contention that there are more brainiacs at UTD than at any educational institution in Dallas?

[Lakewooder]

Actually a couple of SMU buildings on SMU Boulevard are in Dallas - and the new expansion to the old Mrs. Baird's plant will be entirely in Dallas.

dorms : SMU Daily Mustang

SMU plans to develop former bakery site | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Breaking News for Dallas-Fort Worth | Dallas Morning News

[SloopJohnZ]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

And eight DISD high schools are on the Newsweek Top High Schools in America list from number 1 to 436:

1. Talented and Gifted
4. Science/Engineering
114. Booker T. Washington
154. Judge Barefoot Sanders
222. School of Business and Management
303. W.T. White
333. Hillcrest
436. Woodrow Wilson


Frisco's best finish was:

738. Wakeland
966. Centennial
1216. Frisco High

- the other Frisco high schools didn't place.

This isn't a dig at you, Lakewooder, but I see you reference that newsweek article often. What I don't understand is, what criteria does Newsweek use to put out a list with Hillcrest, an accademically unacceptable school, as one of the best public high schools in the U.S.? Out of all three, not a single one of those schools scored higher than a 5 out of 10 on Great School's ranking system. Can someone explain this to me?

DISD deserves a lot more recognition than they get for how much they have improved their schools. But they are far from being "there" when it comes to the high school level, and it would be difficult for me in good faith to send a child of mine to any of them. You're not going to convince me for a second that accademically unacceptable Hillcrest is a better school than Frisco's offerings.

[TXNGL]

Originally Posted by SloopJohnZ

This isn't a dig at you, Lakewooder, but I see you reference that newsweek article often. What I don't understand is, what criteria does Newsweek use to put out a list with Hillcrest, an accademically unacceptable school, as one of the best public high schools in the U.S.? Out of all three, not a single one of those schools scored higher than a 5 out of 10 on Great School's ranking system. Can someone explain this to me?

DISD deserves a lot more recognition than they get for how much they have improved their schools. But they are far from being "there" when it comes to the high school level, and it would be difficult for me in good faith to send a child of mine to any of them. You're not going to convince me for a second that accademically unacceptable Hillcrest is a better school than Frisco's offerings.

I believe, though I'm not positive, that they recieved that rating due to the drop out rate.

[Big G]

Originally Posted by TXNGL

I believe, though I'm not positive, that they recieved that rating due to the drop out rate.

Right you are. The ranking formula is (AP/IB Tests Taken)/(# of Graduating Seniors).

When you have a school system like DISD with ridiculously high dropout rates, the denominator of that equation goes down, and the rankings of the DISD schools go up!

So yes, they do achieve those ratings due to the dropout rate. Funny how that works.

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FWIW, Hillcrest is one of the better DISD schools.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by Big G

Right you are. The ranking formula is (AP/IB Tests Taken)/(# of Graduating Seniors).

When you have a school system like DISD with ridiculously high dropout rates, the denominator of that equation goes down, and the rankings of the DISD schools go up!

So yes, they do achieve those ratings due to the dropout rate. Funny how that works.

---

FWIW, Hillcrest is one of the better DISD schools.

Dr. Hinojosa's (DISD super) son graduated last year from Hillcrest and now attends Harvard. How many McKinney, Southlake, Allen, Frisco, etc gradsfrom the class of 2010 matriculated at Harvard? I know people who graduated from Hillcrest who went onto Rice, Plan II Honors at UT, etc. It's like Woodrow or White- core subset of "neighborhood" kids and a dedicated group of Honors/AP teachers.

Don't knock the DISD AP program. This year, a foundation has funded an enormous amount of money to pay each kid $100 for a passing (3+) score. That is a huge incentive for even more kids to attempt AP. Imagine- in a district where 50%+ qualify for free lunch (basically poverty level or a smidge above).....students can earn up to $800, $1000, $1500, $2500 towards college if they pile on the AP courses- plus, at state schools like UT, A&M, Tech- they'll also earn college credit.

The DISD drop-out rate has actually been falling and the number of college-bound students is up. Programs like Education is Freedom have funded full-time college counselors on many DISD HS campuses- helping with SAT & ACT prep and registration, essay editing, applications, etc. Remeber, most suburban kids have parents to help with these "simple" things, giving them an edge. A lot of the DISD kids are the first in their families to consider college and they are flourishing under the extra attention.

Programs like Boys & Girls Club have volunteers who take the kids on college campus tours around the DFW area, help edit essays & applications, and generally spend a few hours each week doing what most of you do with your own college-bound kids.

I wish the suburban posters weren't so ignorant and would actually look up the current stats and facts re: DISD. At least I've done my homework on the suburban schools- can quote SAT scores, AP offerings, where the recent grads matriculated, number of kids per class, etc.

[TXNGL]

Originally Posted by Big G

Right you are. The ranking formula is (AP/IB Tests Taken)/(# of Graduating Seniors).

When you have a school system like DISD with ridiculously high dropout rates, the denominator of that equation goes down, and the rankings of the DISD schools go up!

So yes, they do achieve those ratings due to the dropout rate. Funny how that works.

---

FWIW, Hillcrest is one of the better DISD schools.

I was referring to the academically unexceptable ranking, not Newsweek ranking. That was due to the dropout rate, not test scores.