Is Clements High School a good school? (Houston, Austin: neighborhoods, best school)

[va_residents]

I live in Fairfax county in northern VA. I am going to move to Sugarland, Houston next spring. Everyone says Clements High school is a good school. But I found out in 2007 Clements High school SAT score is 1159. 1159 is not even half of the full score 2400. Average public schools in Fairfax county have SAT score around 1500 and the top tier public schools have 1800. Are we comparing the same score?
Can someone explain it to me?

[XodoX]

I think that's on a 1600 scale ( 2 sections ). I think that's a very good score for a school average. That's the average for UT Austin.

[va_residents]

I sent an email to Clements High school and got response that 2400 is the full score. This makes 1159 only 48%. This is insane.

[Houston321]

You are crazy, 1159 as an average is excellent. Unless your child is a genious, he/she won't come close to being in the top 10% at Clements, which is what you will need.

In 2005 Fairfax Co. Va: "Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students achieved an average combined score of 1114 system wide for the SAT". That is from their website. Sorry I don't have time to research more facts.

Did you even take the SAT's? I am assuming not. Your numbers are way off, and your facts are lousy.

[Houston321]

Fairfax County SAT Scores - Northern Virginia High Schools

Here are the 2003-2006 Scores for Fairfax, VA

[DanielWayne]

I always had the impression Clements was one of the better high schools in the area if not the state. As noted above, there will be ultra-competition to graduate in the top 10% of this school. I don't know how the SAT works now, as I took it in 87, but the interpretation you have must be off base. From Wikipedia:

In 2007 Clements High School had more PSAT National Merit Semi-Finalists than any school within a hundred and fifty mile radius. The majority of the students take the SAT administered by the College Board and the majority attend college out of state.
Clements High School has been recognized by Texas Monthly magazine in its list of the top 10 high schools in the state of Texas. In Newsweek magazine's 2008 ranking of United States high schools, Clements is ranked 366th [1].Clements is highly competitive with schools such as Debakey High School for Health Professions. Clements also has been named the 5th best school in Houston by the Houston Press for 2005–2006. The school has also been rated the 3rd best high school in 2007 tied with High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in the Houston region by the nonprofit organization Children at Risk [2].

Oh yeah Debakey (heart surgeon pioneer) and the Performing and Visual Arts high schools are private and as about as good as it gets in Houston.

[RVD26]

It sounds like you're comparing apples to oranges here.
That 1159 average must be out of 1600, no way its out of 2400.
A good number of the students there are ultra competitive Asian kids with ultra competitive parents.
I've actually heard some parents complain that the school is TOO competitive for their kids.

[XodoX]

Originally Posted by va_residents

I sent an email to Clements High school and got response that 2400 is the full score. This makes 1159 only 48%. This is insane.

No, I'm pretty sure it's 1600.

[crbcrbrgv]

The best public high school in the SW Houston area is Alief Kerr. Kerr has a better environment, more diverse student population and a superior curriculum that encourages the kids to work at their own pace as opposed to putting everyone at break neck pace just because mom and dad want it that way. If you are judging a high school's worthiness by SAT scores alone, you are likely also the type that buys a 7 series BMW the day after your neighbor pulls up in a 5. That's not to say Clements is not a wonderfully fantastic school. It is. There are plenty of schools that are just as good and some are even better than Clements.

[Houston321]

Maybe it's just me, but since when is "more diverse" better?

I'm just sayin!!!!