America's Top Public High Schools

[Burmeister #279]

Thanks Brendan. I don't remember ever bein on the newsweek list but we've always been blue ribbon in ohio. 'gratz to those who made it though =)

[Brad Voracek]

Not on the list.

Not surprising.

Our HS is not very good at all.

[katd30]

One of 2642's students goes to JH Rose High, is #688. Odd though, since Rose is known for having the lowest AP scores in our area and the highest dropout rate. So maybe Newsweek should not release this list until mid-July when AP scores do come out so it reflects the school's performance. However, I do realize that College Board and who ever distributes the IB and Cambridge tests may not release average scores per school to the general public.

Also, it only compares how many tests were taken, not how many students took AP tests. There is one girl at my high school who took a test every day of the 2 weeks of testing, and took 2 on several days. The list also does not reflect the number of dropouts versus graduating seniors. Or the fact that many sophomores, juniors, and even freshman take AP exams as well (I took 2 as a sophomore, as did half the sophomore and junior classes).

Newsweek also doesn't look at other types of classes. Many students at my freshman/sophomore year high school take Concurrent Enrollment classes at the local community college. And my junior/senior year high school has an articulation agreement with 2 state universities where we receive X numbers of hours for a class without taking an AP exam. Many of the students that take advantage of this agreement enter college as a 2nd semester sophomore or as a junior.

So... Sorry for the long post. My mind just kind of kept spiraling and I blabber a lot. But here is a good question, I think: What do the schools on the list receive? Maybe not from Newsweek, but in terms of funding and publicity?

[Katie_UPS]

Originally Posted by katd30

So... Sorry for the long post. My mind just kind of kept spiraling and I blabber a lot. But here is a good question, I think: What do the schools on the list receive? Maybe not from Newsweek, but in terms of funding and publicity?

Bragging rights, really. "Send your kid here! Newsweek ranked us the top in the state!"
Which in turn, helps the school. The more you can "brag", the more kids apply. As more kids apply, the competitveness goes up. Ideally, the smarter kids will get in, and the collaboritive intelligence goes up.

Although, don't get me wrong, letting kids who aren't as 'smart', but want to learn, into the system does just as much, if not more, good than just letting 'smart' kids in.

[DMetalKong]

Originally Posted by Jetweb

the majority of 179's students come from Suncoast, ranked #7 this year and was 3rd last year. every one of them would tell you that these rating mean nothing for the exact reasons mentioned by JB, they were actually angry that the district was making it seem like an accomplishment.

Besides the fact that APs do not even make up all of the advanced courses that can be offered by a high school.

[ehochstein]

My school unfortunatly is not ranked in there, but in our state we are ranked in the top ten for test scores >.>

[FIRSTgirl675]

Unfortunately my school is not on the list, but we are a small, science, engineering/technology, and math based school of 240 with low funding from the district because of budget cuts. We do have the top state testing scores in 4 counties. The closest school to Team 675's is located about 15 min south, and it is ranked 1070.

[Arty]

#34-Newport High School
Newport Robotics Group (NRG948) #948

[dtengineering]

I just want to make sure that everyone is taking this list about as seriously as when the National Enquirer runs a story on "Hollywoods Hottest 100 Stars".

They are both judged by equally scientific comparisons and are both equally as meaningful.

I am sure that there are some excellent high schools on the list, just as I am pretty sure that there might be some "hot" Hollywood Stars on the other list... that doesnt' mean the list is meaningful. The main purpose of the article... as much as the authors might protest... is to sell magazines.

There is no such thing as the "best" school for all students, just as no teacher is the "best" teacher for all students. The ultimate arbiter of a school's "goodness" is the student and their family.

So why correlate FRC teams to what is essentially little more than a random list?

Jason

[Jon Jack]

Our school doesn't offer IB or AP, so not on the list.

[BandChick]

Originally Posted by Wayne C.

North Brunswick (25) isn't on the list. I guess we are just ghetto

Hightstown (1089) isn't on there either. Guess we just have to stick together!

[Koko Ed]

Wilson Magnet is 148th.
They were as high as 24th a few years ago.

[JesseK]

AP classes, IMO, are great if one wants a harder class or wants to see what college classes are like. They're TERRIBLE for replacing a college course. Don't do an AP Calc, Chem, or Physics class in high school and expect that you'll know even half of everything you'd get out of a good college's Calc I, Physics I, or Chem I class. As an engineer or scientist, this really only sets you up for failure in the follow-up courses.

In the world of No Child Left Behind, test results are all we have to rate education these days . If only someone were able to get past the red tape and implement a Taxonomy on Education Objectives -style program in an entire school system. Then we'd have measurable results for a non-subjective article that aren't based upon funding or 'status'.

[henryBsick]

Team #125

Boston Latin High School
2009: 165
2008: 119
2007: 79
2006: 82

Brookline High School
2007: 1118
2006: 784
2005: 819

[Lil' Lavery]

I was shocked when I didn't see perennial #1 Thomas Jefferson High School at #1 on the list. I was even more shocked when I didn't see them at all. Then I found out they had joined the "elite list" of schools that are not considered because of their magnet/GT status (though others remain in the 1500, the criteria seem arbitrary). While TJHS doesn't have a FIRST team (not for a lack of effort, but the administration values student independence, so they don't like the mentor-based aspects of FIRST), several others on that list do. Maggie Walker Governor's School (422), North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (900), Bronx High School of Science (1155), Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (2022), Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics (1742), Stuyvesant High School (694), and Whitney High School (1135) all have teams (a majority of the "public elite").

Bergen County Academies has a BBIQ team and High Technology High has a MATE team, but no apparent FIRST teams at either. Union County Magnet High School used to have a team (1257), but it disbanded.

As for my alma mater (home of Team 116), Herndon High School placed 164th (19th in Virginia).