America's Top Public High Schools

[Jon Jack]

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

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by 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'.

I have to agree that tests are a pretty crappy way to measure education but to say that AP classes don't teach you what you need to know is outright wrong. (based solely on my experience so take it with a grain of salt) I took Calculus AB in high school, passed the test and took Calc 2 my first term at Kettering. Throughout the class I was bored because I had already learned 95% of the material. I did eventually struggle with Calc 3 but I believe that was more due to my being sick through roughly 20% of the class. About AP classes, they MAY teach you the material (this is up for debate) but they will NOT prepare you for college. Too many times I heard teachers tell me that AP classes are like college classes, now after 2 years in college I can safely tell you that none of my classes have been like any of the AP classes I took. Don't go into college thinking you are going to be fine because you got A's in your AP classes.

Originally Posted by 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.
Jason

WAIT! Those lists aren't serious I thought they were, isn't that what we vote on every couple Novembers?

[RMiller]

Originally Posted by 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.

I am sorry, but I have to agree with

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

... but to say that AP classes don't teach you what you need to know is outright wrong.

Again, this is from my experience.
I took AP Calc BC as a sophomore, then went on to take linear algebra as a correspondence course junior year, Calc 3 and Diffy Q as a senior at a local college. I took stats in college. I had no problem whatsoever.
I took AP Chem as a sophomore then analytical chem as a senior at a local college without any issue. I got a degree in chemical engineering and chemistry without too much difficulty (other than late nights because I would fall asleep too much in lecture )
I took AP Bio as a junior. In my second year at college I took the required biomolecular engineering class (for ChemE) and was bored to sleep (literally).
I took AP Physics B (non-calc based) as an online class junior year. In the honors calc-based physics I did struggle some, but in the non-honors class second semester, I was bored enough to rarely come to class.
I took AP Micro and Macro econ as an online class senior year. In my fourth year at college, I took intermediate microecon. I worked more often on Senior Labs than listened in class and breezed through.

So, AP Classes can definitely replace college classes. If you put the time into it in high school, it can be of value later.
Are there people who struggle with college classes, even if they took AP Classes? Absolutely.
There is no across the board answer. If you are the least bit unsure, it might be wise to retake the class (and risk an easy A).

Note: I do not advise sleeping, skipping, or working on other classes in college.

Side Note: I do agree with others that [(#AP (or IB) Tests Taken in a year)/(students graduating)] is not a very indicative measure of a school.

2¢

[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).

[ExarKun666]

La Canada is ranked 231. Our team number is 2429.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

[...] Whitney High School (1135) all have teams (a majority of the "public elite").

WHS doesn't run an FRC team anymore due to (lack of) funding and school support. Their VEX/FTC (not sure which they do these days) is still going strong, as is their FLL team, at least, last I checked they were.

[waialua359]

If we ranked teams based on AP scores, I'm pretty sure we'd be 32xx out of 32xx.
Or not make the list.
Or be dead last of the Hawaii FIRST teams.

[smurfgirl]

Originally Posted by waialua359

If we ranked teams based on AP scores, I'm pretty sure we'd be 32xx out of 32xx.
Or not make the list.
Or be dead last of the Hawaii FIRST teams.

Like I said in my previous post, AP scores are not everything. (This is one of the reasons that I think a lot of the "rankings" of schools locally and across the country are somewhat pointless; there are so many criteria that aren't analyzed that should be, and some that are taken into account that are can be false indicators, like AP scores.)

If what you say is true, then your team is a brilliant example of the point I am trying to prove. Standardized test scores are not always a good indication of someone's ability to understand a subject and apply themselves to a real-world task (like building a robot) or to communicate effectively to make meaningful contributions to the world (like community service).

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by smurfgirl

Like I said in my previous post, AP scores are not everything. (This is one of the reasons that I think a lot of the "rankings" of schools locally and across the country are somewhat pointless; there are so many criteria that aren't analyzed that should be, and some that are taken into account that are can be false indicators, like AP scores.)

If what you say is true, then your team is a brilliant example of the point I am trying to prove. Standardized test scores are not always a good indication of someone's ability to understand a subject and apply themselves to a real-world task (like building a robot) or to communicate effectively to make meaningful contributions to the world (like community service).

If you ever came to Hawaii and asked about a college-prep curriculum at our school, no one would even consider sending their kid to Waialua.
Part of our (robotics program) mission at our school, is trying to change that mentality. Private schools in Hawaii only accept the creme of the crop and you have your fair share of public schools that I refer to as the "public private schools." Almost all of them have FIRST teams now.
The pressure for us to deliver a high-level program to continue to attract high-level sponsorship from large businesses and foundations..................well, lets just say its beyond the roof.
My role on the team has slowly moved from construction team to lead administrator/coordinator/coach/documentation-leader in order to solely work on this aspect of our team.

[Phyrxes]

At our school we have some students that are so competitive with each other that the valedictorian/salutatorian is largely a function of who can get more A's in AP classes. I know we have kids taking 4 to 5 AP classes a year. as Juniors and Seniors and 2 to 3 as Sophomores. Anytime a significant portion of the population is taking that many AP classes (and tests) and usually scoring "okay" or better its skews a list like this.

[Anna B.]

If Burncoat High ever made that list... well... I don't have to worry about that because it's not happening any time soon.

[Ryan Curry]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

....and High Technology High has a MATE team, but no apparent FIRST teams..

HTHS is formerly Team #30 1997-2004. Hopefully some of our NJ BMS friends still remember us....

-Ryan Curry