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Old 02-19-2009, 12:38 PM
 
669 posts, read 1,609,810 times
Reputation: 62

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Quote:
Originally Posted by eastdallasson View Post
clearly you're not listening to me but thank you for explaining the magnet school concept. regardless of whether or not they are comprehensive high schools it is still impressive that DISD had the two top schools in the nation based on some ranking system. everyone agrees with you that DISD has major issues, what exactly is it you're trying to argue because i can't pin it down. first you seem to claim that the magnet schools aren't so impressive because the tests mean nothing to you. then they aren't impressive because they're made up of some of the best students in the district? but now its just that the district as a whole has problems? duh
Based on some ranking system - that is by no means meaningful to any real educator/administator.

I"m aruging that the ranking is not just flawed, but a joke. Bc it uses magnet and private schools. If any other district put the best students in small schools and pushed the AP exams, they would do just as good.

The dropout rate is far more eye-catching and meaningful.
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Old 02-19-2009, 01:06 PM
 
190 posts, read 429,508 times
Reputation: 77
they do. they have magnet schools all over the place. do some research

Did you know (probably not) that the district plans to have specialized magnet programs in most comprehensive high schools (as they do at skyline and lincoln) in the near future?

And for you to say that AP scores and tests passed mean nothing to any real educator/administrator then I suggest you take that up with the colleges that accept them for credit.

The dropout rate is stunning but its a problem that the district is trying to cope with, not necessarily one it created on its own. The DISD of the 90s was horrible, but the district has also made some huge strides, even if the DMN and its suburban detractors won't take notice.
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Old 02-19-2009, 01:38 PM
 
Location: WESTIEST Plano, East Texas, Upstate NY
636 posts, read 1,913,140 times
Reputation: 281
Quote:
Originally Posted by nativeDallasite View Post
Most of them in white, middle-class areas of town, and most of them elementary schools with small catchment areas. I remain unimpressed.
I don't understand; please elaborate. From what I've read on this forum, every square inch of Dallas is a perfectly diverse mix of just the right percentage of all ethnic backgrounds. There can't POSSIBLY be parts of Dallas that are primarilly white. Can there?

Is it possible I got my information from a flawed source? I mean, he did have a very bitter and insecure attitude, but his post count was phenomenal, and he acted like he knew everything...
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Old 02-19-2009, 03:16 PM
 
669 posts, read 1,609,810 times
Reputation: 62
Quote:
Originally Posted by eastdallasson View Post
they do. they have magnet schools all over the place. do some research

Did you know (probably not) that the district plans to have specialized magnet programs in most comprehensive high schools (as they do at skyline and lincoln) in the near future?

And for you to say that AP scores and tests passed mean nothing to any real educator/administrator then I suggest you take that up with the colleges that accept them for credit.

The dropout rate is stunning but its a problem that the district is trying to cope with, not necessarily one it created on its own. The DISD of the 90s was horrible, but the district has also made some huge strides, even if the DMN and its suburban detractors won't take notice.
I meant to say that AP do show how well a school performs, however using criteria w/ special magnet schools and using income doens't necessarily mean they are THE BEST, only the best for that joke of a calculated system.

The high school dropout rate is better across the nation compared to the 90's so DISD is just on the upward trend like everyone else. Nonetheless, falling 7th worst only in front of places like Detriot, LA, Oakland is pretty sad.
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Old 02-19-2009, 03:21 PM
 
16,087 posts, read 41,083,112 times
Reputation: 6376
Quote:
Originally Posted by eastdallasson View Post
they do. they have magnet schools all over the place. do some research

Did you know (probably not) that the district plans to have specialized magnet programs in most comprehensive high schools (as they do at skyline and lincoln) in the near future?

True DISD has mandated that each high school redesign itself - I think there are only four or five which have done so, and I don't think those will be implemented until the fall. Woodrow (with J.L. Long Middle School sharing curriculum) chose to redesign itself as a college preparatory school offering IB with tracks in Business/Entrepreneurship, Fine Arts and Math/Science. That was approved a couple of weeks ago and it will begin in the fall of 2010.
From what I understand it is possible to earn 24 hours of college credit in the program and several colleges will give you full freight.
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Old 02-25-2009, 08:24 PM
 
58 posts, read 306,886 times
Reputation: 69
Quote:
Originally Posted by tycobb2522 View Post
there can't possibly be parts of dallas that are primarilly white.
*chokes*
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Old 02-25-2009, 11:04 PM
 
Location: Dallas, TX
2,346 posts, read 6,911,197 times
Reputation: 2324
Default Re:

You all are missing the reason why these DISD magnet schools get ranked and other magnet schools (like TAMS) don't.

From the Newsweek web site:

Quote:
Q: Why don't I see famous public high schools like Stuyvesant in New York City or Thomas Jefferson in Fairfax County, Va., on the NEWSWEEK list?
A: We do not include magnet or charter high schools that draw high concentrations of top students whose average SAT or ACT scores significantly exceed the highest average for any normal enrollment school in the country. This year that meant such schools had to have an average SAT score below 1300 on the reading and math sections, or an average ACT score below 29, to be included on the list. The schools you name are terrific places with some of the highest average test scores in the country, but it would be deceptive for us to put them on this list. The Challenge Index is designed to honor schools that have done the best job in persuading average students to take college level courses and tests.
So really, their presence on this list is yet another sign of failure for DISD. In the entire district, they can't put together a magnet school good enough to avoid being classified as a school of "average students".
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Old 02-26-2009, 01:25 AM
 
190 posts, read 429,508 times
Reputation: 77
now you're just being callous. SEM ranked in the top twenty in a study done by US News and World report that included TJ and Stuyvesant. As a matter of fact, it was still above Stuyvesant.

Thought I might include this, as well. I'm sure you'll all happily quote the part about DISD still being behind suburban and rural school districts since that seems to bring some self-satisfaction to a few posters around here

Study ranks Dallas ISD No. 2 among big cities for academic gains | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/022509dneduurbanschools.f1d859.html - broken link)

like i said- the 90s were rough, but give em a chance. Ross Ave knows just as well as anybody else its a hard road.
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Old 02-26-2009, 07:01 AM
 
37,315 posts, read 59,690,076 times
Reputation: 25340
you'll all happily quote the part about DISD still being behind suburban and rural school districts since that seems to bring some self-satisfaction to a few posters around here

no one likes to see money or talent go to waste or be taken advantage of by a select few that enrich themselves at the expense of those they are suppose to serve...
Dallas has long history of mismanagement--the teacher/budget fiasco at the first of the year just goes to prove that it is still going on in some measure...
I know something like that would not happen in my suburban (smaller) district because the board OKs EVERY teacher hiring and sees how that impacts the budget...long term and short...
I am sure teachers in Dallas and admins would love to have a better managed district--the problem is they are not the ones in control...
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Old 02-26-2009, 10:51 AM
 
16,087 posts, read 41,083,112 times
Reputation: 6376
Here is more info on the high school redesign program:

http://www.dallasisd.org/news/redesign_FAQ.pdf (broken link)
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