West Plano schools: does average kid get lost in middle/high school? (Jasper: houses, neighborhoods)

[PISDstudent]

Originally Posted by EDS_

Don't put too much weight into my comments. We lived in Plano for years and know a good number of recent PW grads but my feelings have been formed from various anecdotal comments with zero input from my kids who never attended Plano schools.

My son's girlfriend is PW grad. She's flatly brilliant there is no other way to make the point. She has said that PW is great for overachievers and the few kids who are simply exceptionally smart and also with kids who have real learning issues. She says kids in the middle are left in the dust so to speak. One of her good friends left PW in the bottom half of her class thinking she was fairly dumb - she's done really well in college.

You'll get more useful input from BigG and others.

Pretty much. I am by all means a Plano West supporter, but the regular, non-ap program is nothing special. Jasper and Robinson might offer a decent non-honor/ap, but I would avoid the Shepton High School (where I went) feeders if you're not going to be doing AP/Honors.

Here's the thing...it's not as if the regular classes are huge and don't get any attention from the teacher. In fact, I know Shepton has a policy of keeping Non-ap classes small, to provide attention for struggling students. The problem is that the culture and enviroment that drives Plano West's success is absent in those regular classrooms. At the same time, most kids who aren't going to take AP classes are also not going to take advantage of the clubs/groups, making it easier to get lost in the crowd. Big G said it best: the B kid at the back of the room is often self-selecting to not get any attention at school.

I feel that PISD's Academy High School is a great option for many avergae students, but admission to that is not garaunteed.

As others have mentioned, if you do Band/JROTC, you probably wont get lost and will have a good experience. But that is definitely a committment.

[DitsyD]

I think that Plano does give those "middle" kids a quality education. Those are the kids that might have trouble scoring beyond academically acceptable on the state mandated tests, so Plano will give those students extra help so that perhaps they can score higher on TEKS or STAAR.

Just my $.02.

[mom2gurls]

thank you so much for posing this question. I have been thinking of this for a couple of weeks now. We too, are also considering PW as our first choice. However the people who have lived there (friends of mine) has said the exact same thing....unless your child is maxed out in the AP crowd, joined a couple of extra activities, chances are they are going to be lost in a sea of 1000+ students.

Quite frankly, not everyone that goes to PW is going to go to an ivy league...perhaps you may get more "weight" on a private school name on your application. I also live in the NE where the education is stellar..no ands if or buts. The high school we would go to is also 4000+ kids....but while its competitive, its not tiger mom central. And the kids do go to a 4 year college right after..some ivy league.

Since when did those who dont take AP classes turn out to be strugglers? Since when did "only" having a B/B+ average become not good enough.

I also dont pay too much attention to the stats...its nice to say how many merit scholars came out this year..but if you child isnt one of them....as far as I am concerned, there are no bragging rights. I dont think one should go to PW just to "go"..but to acheive...what happens to the kids who dont get picked to get be Nation merit scholar but did everything (maxed AP classes, joined band, swim, clubs, did the after school tutoring)....how is the self esteem of that child fair?


It seems like there is no more research on my part to do. I certainly want my kids to be around like minded children who was success and achieve in life..but if they are not in the cream of the crop in every single class, I dont want the teachers to not pay attention to them or think they are "strugglers". Nor do I want the teachers to be so focused on "numbers" that they sacrifice my childs education for a statistic.

Please more comments.....and forgive if I have offended....but this was a very eye opening topic for me.

[DitsyD]

More of my opinion on PWSH.

While it may seem crazy, Plano's large senior highs make it easy for any student to find a place to fit and have friends. The schools are large enough that there is probably a class or club that matches the student's interest. Here is a link to the PWSH Curricular Clubs:
Plano West -Co-Curr Clubs
It is easier to find like-minded friends when you have more students to pick from.

Plano has always recognized that not all students are above average and will not be attending top tier universities. The senior high concept came about so that the district could provide more vocational classes for those not on the college path. I am a PSHS graduate and I have two children in the PISD now. I feel that even with all of the state educational budget cuts, that Plano does its best to give all students the best education that they can.

[mom2gurls]

....I meant to say more research....

[TX75007]

Originally Posted by mom2gurls

..what happens to the kids who dont get picked to get be Nation merit scholar but did everything (maxed AP classes, joined band, swim, clubs, did the after school tutoring)....how is the self esteem of that child fair?

When I was in HS, the kids in my class who did not become NMSF but who were in the "honors track" ..well, one is a senior executive at Disney, one heads a large division at a bank, one is a General, two are pediatricians, one heads a surgical department, another is a district manager across multiple states, another is a full professor at a tier 1 private college, two are attorneys, etc. This honors track was equally split by sex. The women have done just as well as the men. Some had some horrible tragedies occur along the way as well. They are doing very well.

[Considering Coming Back]

Originally Posted by mom2gurls

Since when did those who dont take AP classes turn out to be strugglers? Since when did "only" having a B/B+ average become not good enough.

I started high school in 1997 and these were the rules for me. Big urban high schools have long had the "school within a school" breakdown where you have high achievers who are sequestered so they can succeed and a sea of "strugglers". That game has spread to all but the most affluent campuses.

[PISDstudent]

Originally Posted by mom2gurls

It seems like there is no more research on my part to do. I certainly want my kids to be around like minded children who was success and achieve in life..but if they are not in the cream of the crop in every single class, I dont want the teachers to not pay attention to them or think they are "strugglers". Nor do I want the teachers to be so focused on "numbers" that they sacrifice my childs education for a statistic.

Please more comments.....and forgive if I have offended....but this was a very eye opening topic for me.

I think I might have done a bad job articulating how I felt. To make it clear: if you are in an AP class, you will get a strong education, and you will get a teacher that pays attention to you and tries to help you, whether or not you have a good grade in that class. As matter of fact, there's nothing stopping non-AP students from getting attention either. The only problem with taking the non-honors/AP route is that the other students just won't care that much about school.

I've never encountered a teacher whose concerned just about the numbers. That Plano West gets such great stats is entirely a product of the school's quality. As a matter of fact, teachers will do all they can to try to keep a student who may be struggling in the AP/honors class, even when it might mean a bad test score at the end of they year.

One last note, when I say student gets lost, I meant that, for whatever reason, they aren't doing well in AP/Honors classes, but still want to be around people who care. Socially speaking, very few people in the school don't find their own niche.

[mom2gurls]

Originally Posted by TX75007

When I was in HS, the kids in my class who did not become NMSF but who were in the "honors track" ..well, one is a senior executive at Disney, one heads a large division at a bank, one is a General, two are pediatricians, one heads a surgical department, another is a district manager across multiple states, another is a full professor at a tier 1 private college, two are attorneys, etc. This honors track was equally split by sex. The women have done just as well as the men. Some had some horrible tragedies occur along the way as well. They are doing very well.

That is my point exactly, the kids were honor roll (track children) and they STILL did very well for themselves. Sounds like a good support system, great teachers, good old fashioned "study hard" work ethic prevailed, along with good test scores. To me that can happen at any high rated school. The stats are just that..stats, bragging rights, or the hope that if nothing else, the competition with the other kids will force yours to "man up". I dont think the school can claim 100% responsibility on this one, they can just take credit for the stats.

I do feel that going to a school district like PISD it may give you an edge..but you have to do whats best for you.

Thanks for the input!

[europeanone]

To update and move this thread back to the top, our rental house search is leading us to Rice Middle School territory. There just aren't a whole lot of houses in the $2K-$3K price range in the Robinson Middle School zone. My kids are bright but they are not exactly lovers of music, choir and chess club. Robinson-feeder schools are still my first choice, but can anyone tell me if they will find it difficult to socialize at Rice? I push my kids but I am not going to send them to Kumon on the weekends if they are already getting As and high Bs in Math, for example. Also, as a neighborhood, is there a difference in the feel of the Rice vs. Robinson neighborhoods? Is one area clearly more Asian-populated than another? Do the houses appear different? Different selection of retail and restaurants? Thanks again in advance.