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Even sadder is that anyone would give much merit to this list. They put way too much focus on number of AP/IB tests taken per student. While many of the better schools offer these courses as an option, it is not necessarily a good measure of student performance. Many top high schools also offer dual enrollment college courses to juniors and seniors, and many top students choose these courses over AP courses, particularly students that do not want to have one test decide whether or not credit is awarded for the college level course.
Even sadder is that anyone would give much merit to this list. They put way too much focus on number of AP/IB tests taken per student.
So true. I knew a guy at my work. His son went to Mauldin. They allowed him to sign up for 5 simultaneous AP classes in one year. He was about to go insane with the work required and was up into the wee hours of the morning many nights trying to do all the work. The dad was helping him do some of it and staying up with him. He asked to drop a couple of them but the school would not allow him to leave the classes. His only way out was to transfer to another high school. I forgot what happened, but maybe the focus on AP classes = excellence is wrong. I know Mauldin is a decent school, but third in Greenville County and one of our top state schools? Seems too high to me.
Similarly, the WH ranking seems too high based on their other academic measures (average SAT, etc.).
No one or two metrics is going to be the best single measure of a school. For so long, colleges have touted their average SAT as one of their yardsticks for how smart their student body is. Why don't high schools use this more? Any idiot can take an AP class (and flunk it or flub it).
Who cares? Seriously? A child is only going to do as good as his parental involvement will afford, regardless of the school. Ivy Leaguers have come outta South Side and Berea High Schools and drop out felons have come outta Riverside. These lists are so absurd.
At least read what their methodology is before you cry about it.
Quote:
This year our ranking highlights the best 2,000 public high schools in the nation—those that have proven to be the most effective in turning out college-ready grads. The list is based on six components: graduation rate (25 percent), college acceptance rate (25 percent), AP/IB/AICE tests taken per student (25 percent), average SAT/ACT scores (10 percent), average AP/IB/AICE scores (10 percent), and percent of students enrolled in at least one AP/IB/AICE course (5 percent).
It's a metric to see how prepared they will be for college, what else they supposed to measure? Bible study hours?
Who cares? Seriously? A child is only going to do as good as his parental involvement will afford, regardless of the school. Ivy Leaguers have come outta South Side and Berea High Schools and drop out felons have come outta Riverside. These lists are so absurd.
No matter how great of a parent I am, I still can't teach my child physics, or chemistry, or calculus.
I can't build a science lab in the garage, or an auditorium with a stage in my living room.
I can't provide my kid with an orchestra, or a football team, or a woodshop.
I can't get a phd in all the subjects my child should learn, much less spend years and years getting better at teaching those subjects to my child.
As a parent, I can't create a safe atmosphere of learning, curiosity, and achievement in my kid's school.
The teachers do that. The school does that. It's absurd to think I could take the place of all the things a school does. Absurd.
The public high school I went to ranks in the top 100 on this list. There is no way, as a parent, that I could give my child the education I received there, with the school choices we have here in Greenville.
At least read what their methodology is before you cry about it.
It's a metric to see how prepared they will be for college, what else they supposed to measure? Bible study hours?
I did look at the methodology. A full 40 percent is allocated toward AP/IB enrollment and testing. That seems absurdly high, particularly when they give no allocation for dual enrollment or other advanced programs outside of the AP/IB.
No matter how great of a parent I am, I still can't teach my child physics, or chemistry, or calculus.
I can't build a science lab in the garage, or an auditorium with a stage in my living room.
I can't provide my kid with an orchestra, or a football team, or a woodshop.
I can't get a phd in all the subjects my child should learn, much less spend years and years getting better at teaching those subjects to my child.
As a parent, I can't create a safe atmosphere of learning, curiosity, and achievement in my kid's school.
The teachers do that. The school does that. It's absurd to think I could take the place of all the things a school does. Absurd.
The public high school I went to ranks in the top 100 on this list. There is no way, as a parent, that I could give my child the education I received there, with the school choices we have here in Greenville.
Actually you can do most of those things. My wife is not a college graduate, but has successfully home schooled my middle school daughter for the past two years. She is getting straight A's and is now at this moment in PASS testing. She has been accepted to Brashier Middle College (Gvl Tech) for ninth grade.
As for orchestra and sports, etc.. there are opportunites available in Greenville for home schooled students for almost all of those activites.
Never say never...
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