America's Top High Schools

[okeydokey]

http://www.newsweek.com/feature/2010/americas-best-high-schools.html?GT1=43002

I was surprised that FL has several in the top 100. How did your state do?

 

[abdmom]

Having read the FAQs, I would have to say that this is the worst study I've ever seen published. It's totally biased. The ranking method is poor. It's a joke.

 

[jodifla]

http://www.newsweek.com/feature/2010/americas-best-high-schools.html?GT1=43002

I was surprised that FL has several in the top 100. How did your state do?

Doesn't surprise me. There are a lot of great high schools in Florida.

 

[allison443]

I read the FAQ to see how they made this list. The sole criteria for the list is the number of AP tests taken divided by the number of graduates.

The list purposely excludes top "magnet" schools like Stuyvesant in NYC.

So I guess for that limited purpose, it's useful.
But of course there are kids who go to those schools and take no APs, and some kids go to schools not on the list and take five or six APs in a year.


If you look at the last column it gives the percentage of seniors who passed an AP or IB test. Some of these schools had 100% but some had 35%. So only a third of the senior class passed an AP test. I guess that's great if your kid is in that 35%-it's not clear if the other kids took AP tests and didn't pass, or if that 35% took a large number of tests which brought the ratio up. I would say that other aspects of the school might be more important for that other 65% than the number of AP tests which led to this ranking.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I agree that the title that Newsweek uses is intentionally misleading. Reading through their FAQs,

6. Why don't I see on the NEWSWEEK list famous public high schools like Stuyvesant in New York City or Thomas Jefferson in Fairfax County, Va., or the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, Ill., or Whitney High in Cerritos, Calif.?

We do not include any magnet or charter high school that draws such a high concentration of top students that its average SAT or ACT score significantly exceeds 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 1,975 or an average ACT score below 29 to be included on the list.

The top high schools in the country are the magnet schools.

 

[NY Disney fan]

I don't trust that article either. I'm not from New Jersey but NJ has almost nothing on that list. I think there is only 1 school listed in the top 150.

 

[golfgal]

Having read the FAQs, I would have to say that this is the worst study I've ever seen published. It's totally biased. The ranking method is poor. It's a joke.

I agree. No where does it even have a requirement that the tests are PASSED. The "top" schools require ALL of their students to take an AP test so they can make this list. It means nothing. How about we look at real data on how well kids do on AP/ACT/SAT, percentage of kids that actually graduate and the percentage of kids that go on to college.

 

[golfgal]

I should add-I didn't look at this year's list but in past years the "top" high school in MN was based on 22 kids in an IB program at a high school that has a graduation rate of 48%--that is one stellar school .

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

All these schools are college prep private schools or magnets schools. How about good ol' normal public schools?

 

[allison443]

All these schools are college prep private schools or magnets schools. How about good ol' normal public schools?

Actually private schools were excluded from this survey. There are no private schools on the list.

Just speaking for the ones on the list that I am familiar with, some are charter or magnet schools, but others are just regular town high schools where everyone who lives in the town can enroll.

 

[mamacatnv]

NewsWeek needs to move on - this survey is useless

 

[NY Disney fan]

Is the school "Talented & Gifted" in Dallas a joke? Who would name a high school that. Put a little pride in naming the school. Geez.

 

[ead79]

I agree that using AP exam participation percentages isn't really a great indicator of a school's performance.

I looked my up high school, and it was the top one in the state (colloquially true), and number 79 on the list. My high school didn't require everyone to take the AP exam when I was there, so if that's still true, then it speaks well of the school. If they now require everyone to, it's less impressive for sure.

I really think it's hard to come up with a true measure of high school achievement. This is especially true of public schools since there can be a great disparity in the ability levels of the students.

 

[Liberty Belle]

My son's school is ranked 650th.

It's actually a pretty good school.

 

[castleview]

Connecticut always ranks first in education, yet none of its high schools are listed. My guess is a lot of students in these high schools are taking AP tests when they're not ready for it. AP courses at my high school were invitation only.

 

[phorsenuf]

Huh. An Arkansas school beat out a Minnesota school.

 

[castleview]

Is the school "Talented & Gifted" in Dallas a joke? Who would name a high school that. Put a little pride in naming the school. Geez.

Can they release the IQs of all their students? I know Dallas is a big city, but having an entire high school of truly gifted kids is rare.

 

[phorsenuf]

Can they release the IQs of all their students? I know Dallas is a big city, but having an entire high school of truly gifted kids is rare.

Do you not read the DIS?

 

[castleview]

Do you not read the DIS?

 

[golfgal]

Connecticut always ranks first in education, yet none of its high schools are listed. My guess is a lot of students in these high schools are taking AP tests when they're not ready for it. AP courses at my high school were invitation only.

That is exactly what is happening which is why this ranking is pointless.