Rankings for other Fairfax County Public Schools are: Woodson High School, 108; Langley High School, 116; Lake Braddock Secondary School, 118; Centreville High School, 131; Madison High School, 132; Oakton High School, 153; Herndon High School, 160; West Springfield High School, 201; Fairfax High School, 205; South Lakes High School, 213; Robinson Secondary School, 220; Chantilly High School, 247; West Potomac High School, 311; Marshall High School, 347; Westfield High School, 363; Falls Church High School, 366; South County Secondary School, 473; Stuart High School, 522, Hayfield Secondary School, 730; Lee High School, 926; Annandale High School, 1031; Edison High School, 1119; Mt. Vernon High School, 1529.

HOW CAN THE FOLKS AT Annandale High School,Edison High and Mount Vernon High school be happy with the rank they have?

Ranks are for people like jay matthews. Mount vernon edison and annandale are terrific schools with great people in the building who care about kids. Ranks don't mean anything and if you think they do your an idiot

cb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ranks are for people like jay matthews. Mount
> vernon edison and annandale are terrific schools
> with great people in the building who care about
> kids. Ranks don't mean anything and if you think
> they do your an idiot


THAT LOSSSER TALK

So there are 1528 other high schools in the country that are better than Mt. Vernon?

so out of the 27,468 public high schools in america, they only rank in the top 5.56% of all schools in the country.

Man, they suck.

You left out McLean. Didn't it make the list?

yet Annandale has the most famous people. That dude from Star Wars, the Foo Fighters, etc

sadf Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> yet Annandale has the most famous people. That
> dude from Star Wars, the Foo Fighters, etc

Dave Grohl was in Star Wars?

I'M A FIVE-STAR MAN!!

I hear links, sources, and/or references are helpful. I have no idea what study this was from and it's missing McLean High School (and TJ obviously).

snowdenscold Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hear links, sources, and/or references are
> helpful. I have no idea what study this was from
> and it's missing McLean High School (and TJ
> obviously).

http://commweb.fcps.edu/newsreleases/newsrelease.cfm?newsid=1728

Friday, May 20, 2011

All Fairfax County High Schools Make Washington Post’s List of Top High Schools in U.S.

All eligible Fairfax County high schools* have been designated among the most demanding public schools in the country and are featured in the 2011 Washington Post list of more than 1,900 top U.S. high schools, found at http://apps.washingtonpost.com/highschoolchallenge/schools/2011/list/national/. These schools represent the top seven percent of high schools nationwide.

McLean High School had the highest ranking of FCPS high schools on the list of schools, which is based on a formula devised by Washington Post education reporter Jay Mathews. McLean was ranked 105th on the 2011 list.

Rankings for other Fairfax County Public Schools are: Woodson High School, 108; Langley High School, 116; Lake Braddock Secondary School, 118; Centreville High School, 131; Madison High School, 132; Oakton High School, 153; Herndon High School, 160; West Springfield High School, 201; Fairfax High School, 205; South Lakes High School, 213; Robinson Secondary School, 220; Chantilly High School, 247; West Potomac High School, 311; Marshall High School, 347; Westfield High School, 363; Falls Church High School, 366; South County Secondary School, 473; Stuart High School, 522, Hayfield Secondary School, 730; Lee High School, 926; Annandale High School, 1031; Edison High School, 1119; Mt. Vernon High School, 1529.



The Challenge Index measures public high schools’ ability to challenge their students. A school’s ranking is determined by dividing the number of Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or Cambridge tests given by a school to all its students by the number of seniors who graduated in May or June. The index is designed to identify schools that challenge average students.



###

*Note: Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, which serves students across the region, was not included in the list because of its selective admissions process. It is recognized in a separate group titled “Public Elites.” For more information, contact the FCPS Department of Communications and Community Outreach at 571-423-1200.

Way to go Mt. Vernon...

-----------------------------------------------

"...your suffering will be legendary even in Hell!"

Why is Westfield so "low"?

Affected by body count.

-----------------------------------------------

"...your suffering will be legendary even in Hell!"

Scroll down to the first entry and you'll see that McLean scored highest in FCPS: 105. TJ has never been included because it's a magnet. Somewhere along the line, Mathews did say that TJ is first in the country with 100% participation in AP tests. Duh...

What the FCPS release doesn't note is that the Fairfax schools are behind all the Arlington ones and many of the Montgomery ones. Having TJ as a "brain drain" drags down the rankings of the other Fairfax schools.

All the top Asians go to Jefferson in Fairfax. Fairfax has Rt.1 and a ton of ESOL students. Way too many free and reduced anchors dragging Fairfax down. Free and reduced = shit schools, look at DC and PG county.

Erica Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TJ has never
> been included because it's a magnet. Somewhere
> along the line, Mathews did say that TJ is first
> in the country with 100% participation in AP
> tests. Duh...

True, but it's not as if Jay consistently applies this criteria. A number of the top schools on his worthless list are competitive entry magnet schools.

For example, here's his first school -

School of Science and Engineering Magnet

http://www.semagnetschool.org/

Entrance Requirements -

All students who attend DISD schools are eligible to apply to and attend the school free of charge. All students fill out applications and are ranked by several criteria and the top performing students are chosen to be invited to attend the school.

Requirements:
To be placed in the initial selection pool, each student must have a GPA of 80 in the core subjects of English, math, science and social studies.
To be placed in the second selection pool, each student must pass standardized tests (i.e. ITBS, Stanford 9) with a score of at least 160 points total for math and reading combined. (No score lower than 65th percentile).

To be placed in the final selection pool, each student must:

A. Pass an on-site English essay exam, timed for a maximum of two hours and held under SEM supervision. (40% of total).
B. Pass an on-site math exam consisting of problems, untimed and held under SEM supervision. (40% of the total).
C. Pass an on-site personal interview with SEM personnel. (20% of total).

You must work for the FCPS.

why mt. vernon so bad?

Is Mt Vernon near route one?

jhl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> why mt. vernon so bad?

Perhaps because its students don't know what verbs are and don't use them?

West Springfield. Go for the sports, stay for the food fights

Or maybe full English sentences aren't required for short messages on anonymous internet boards you ASS ?

Ut videam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jhl Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > why mt. vernon so bad?
>
> Perhaps because its students don't know what verbs
> are and don't use them?

what is DISD? SEM? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
DISD - Dallas Independent School System
SEM - Science and Engineering Magnet

> You must work for the FCPS.

No. Just can't stand Jay's stupid list, not primarily for its inconsistent application of criteria for eligibility.

My primary reason is what the list encourages in the competition for bragging rights as "Best" or "Most Challenging" schools -

At the low end, HSes that can't graduate 70% of their kids relabel regular courses as "AP" and stuff them with unprepared kids who end up failing the exams.

At the high end (e.g. FCPS), HSes drop their middle tier "Honors" courses - giving their high achieving kids no option but to either be bored out of their minds in regular courses or take all AP classes as juniors and seniors.

The best money I ever spent.

Just goes to prove garbage in, garbage out. I'm guessing that a serious evaluation of FCPS high schools would have TJHSST first with Langley, McLean competing for second and Woodson, Madison & Oakton in the top 6. I'm not knocking Lake Braddock or Centreville, but a system that would have LB comparable with Langley and Centreville beating Madison and Oakton is suspect. Likewise it is difficult to accept a system that ranks Hayfield ahead of Lee, Annandale and Edison when all three of those schools beat Hayfield on SATs.

Ok, we're moving to the area in a month or so and looking at homes in McLean, Vienna, Oakton and Fairfax. We're not sure about Fairfax H.S. Oakton H.S., or Marshall H.S. Seems like everyone wants their kids to go to McLean, Langley, Woodson, or Madison. Anyone have advice for future home owners in NOVA? Are Oakton, Marshall and Fairfax High Schools acceptable????

schoolsrimportant Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ok, we're moving to the area in a month or so and
> looking at homes in McLean, Vienna, Oakton and
> Fairfax. We're not sure about Fairfax H.S. Oakton
> H.S., or Marshall H.S. Seems like everyone wants
> their kids to go to McLean, Langley, Woodson, or
> Madison. Anyone have advice for future home
> owners in NOVA? Are Oakton, Marshall and Fairfax
> High Schools acceptable????


Fairfax High schools is a great school. It might not be state champs in football,but its a great school. It doesn't have much gangs and the teachers are nice. I am freshman at Fairfax and I like it. the only thing I hate is waking up early

Yah, Oakton is so ghetto. LOL!

-----------------------------------------------

"...your suffering will be legendary even in Hell!"

@ Pinhead - it's hard on the streets of Hunter Mill LoLz
Attachments:

here is a ghetto home in Oakton



-----------------------------------------------

"...your suffering will be legendary even in Hell!"

The Jay Matthews ranking is way overrated. There are many high schools in the US that do not submit their AP numbers to this. They just want no part of it because they don't believe it measures what really counts. What really counts is whether or not a school offers an appropriate education to each individual student. Whether it be AP, honors or standard or appropriate schooling based on an IEP. The Jay Matthews ranking measures success in a very narrow way.

yep! And I know who lives there LoLz

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1375771/Meet-mob-wives-Staten-Island.html

schoolsrimportant Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ok, we're moving to the area in a month or so and
> looking at homes in McLean, Vienna, Oakton and
> Fairfax. We're not sure about Fairfax H.S. Oakton
> H.S., or Marshall H.S. Seems like everyone wants
> their kids to go to McLean, Langley, Woodson, or
> Madison. Anyone have advice for future home
> owners in NOVA? Are Oakton, Marshall and Fairfax
> High Schools acceptable????

Yes, except to a stuck-up few.

I do not get how certain schools are listed as public... The top school has the word Magnet in its name...It really is not an open public school when entrance requirements are in place.

-----------------------------------------------

"...your suffering will be legendary even in Hell!"

@ Pinhead - has to do with the funding, bro

Public schools are publically funded

Private schools are privately funded

simple as that

and you can tell from my typo which one I attended

LoLz

Gordon Blvd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> @ Pinhead - has to do with the funding, bro
>
> Public schools are publically funded
>
> Private schools are privately funded
>
> simple as that

You missed Pinhead's point, Gordo. The dipshit from the Post excluded TJHSST from his list because it's a magnet school with an admissions test rather than open enrollment. But he included other magnet schools on his list. Criteria not applied across the board = useless criteria = useless rankings.

gotcha, Ut

for the Dallas school:

Requirements:
To be placed in the initial selection pool, each student must have a GPA of 80 in the core subjects of English, math, science and social studies.
To be placed in the second selection pool, each student must pass standardized tests (i.e. ITBS, Stanford 9) with a score of at least 160 points total for math and reading combined. (No score lower than 65th percentile).

To be placed in the final selection pool, each student must:

A. Pass an on-site English essay exam, timed for a maximum of two hours and held under SEM supervision. (40% of total).
B. Pass an on-site math exam consisting of problems, untimed and held under SEM supervision. (40% of the total).
C. Pass an on-site personal interview with SEM personnel. (20% of total).

yeah, the Post list kinda sucks then, doesnt it?

Jay Mathews' methodology is silly.

First of all, he includes magnet schools except those that actually do a good job -- i.e., attract enough strong students that their SAT average is above the highest SAT average of any community school. So countless schools on the list are actually magnet schools, but not the very successful magnet schools.

Second, he bases the entire rankings on how many students take how many AP tests, without regard for whether the students are prepared for the tests or pass them. A school could be in the top 10 of his rankings and have no one actually passing the AP tests.

His argument is that the number of students taking AP is a proxy for how challenging the school is. In fact, that is an incredibly weak proxy. It's simple to game the system by sticking a bunch of unprepared kids in an "AP" classroom and AP testing room. And that's what a lot of the schools on the list do.

everyone knows that Mountain View Alternative School is the shit...

The higher end schools also have higher end drugs, the kids wear high end designer clothing, drive high end cars and expect your child to be tempted by high end parties. If your child is okay with high end pressure then go for it. It's there.

My nephew transferred from Woodson to Washington Lee (which is ranked higher than any FCPS in the WP). He said it's a far less challenging school, and he made the honor roll at WL, something he never accomplished at Woodson. So it makes you wonder about these results. But the general rule of thumb should be, what a kid gets out of his education is what he/she puts into it.

In the ghetto area known as Centreville.

That way the kids can just walk to school.

i thought Oakton was the ghetto............

LoLz

Just to show how incredibly stupid Jay's Challenge List is -

Take his methodology, apply reductio ad absurdum, you get "The Catching Up Schools" where the entry criteria is:

... schools that meet the main High School Challenge standard — an average of one college-level test per graduating senior — but have an AP test passing rate of less than 10 percent.

http://apps.washingtonpost.com/highschoolchallenge/schools/2011/list/catching-up-schools/

The winner is DC's own Columbia Heights - Average of 5 APs per student.

Thanks Jo! I like your comment. Now, we just need to find the right house!

They went from a nice Fairfax colonial to a hovel in North Arlington for the same price.

FCPS justs packs kids into AP classes to boost their rankings. Kinda sucks... in the olden days u'd take AP classes to escape morons.

we should just be proud that our schools are ranked that high. we are producing some great students, no need to bash our schools.

anon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> we should just be proud that our schools are
> ranked that high. we are producing some great
> students, no need to bash our schools.

We're not bashing the schools; well at least not this time. We are bashing the BS criteria that is being used to evaluate the schools.

Because we have pride to go and beat a bunch of fucking rich white kids in sports and IB tests at those high ranked schools...

31fan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jay Mathews' methodology is silly.
>
> First of all, he includes magnet schools except
> those that actually do a good job -- i.e., attract
> enough strong students that their SAT average is
> above the highest SAT average of any community
> school. So countless schools on the list are
> actually magnet schools, but not the very
> successful magnet schools.
>
> Second, he bases the entire rankings on how many
> students take how many AP tests, without regard
> for whether the students are prepared for the
> tests or pass them. A school could be in the top
> 10 of his rankings and have no one actually
> passing the AP tests.
>
> His argument is that the number of students taking
> AP is a proxy for how challenging the school is.
> In fact, that is an incredibly weak proxy. It's
> simple to game the system by sticking a bunch of
> unprepared kids in an "AP" classroom and AP
> testing room. And that's what a lot of the
> schools on the list do.

I stopped reading Jay Mathews long ago. Here's hoping others see the flaws in his reporting - but many won't, if he's reporting what they want to believe. I'm oh so close to just canceling my subscription to the Post. There are a few good columnists, but they are trending downhill fast. People need to read AND think and question. Here's a good analysis of one of Jay's columns:

redapplemom.wordpress.com

Correction: I think the Wash Post is trending downhill - not their few good columnists.


read AND think Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 31fan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Jay Mathews' methodology is silly.
> >
> > First of all, he includes magnet schools except
> > those that actually do a good job -- i.e.,
> attract
> > enough strong students that their SAT average
> is
> > above the highest SAT average of any community
> > school. So countless schools on the list are
> > actually magnet schools, but not the very
> > successful magnet schools.
> >
> > Second, he bases the entire rankings on how
> many
> > students take how many AP tests, without regard
> > for whether the students are prepared for the
> > tests or pass them. A school could be in the
> top
> > 10 of his rankings and have no one actually
> > passing the AP tests.
> >
> > His argument is that the number of students
> taking
> > AP is a proxy for how challenging the school is.
>
> > In fact, that is an incredibly weak proxy.
> It's
> > simple to game the system by sticking a bunch
> of
> > unprepared kids in an "AP" classroom and AP
> > testing room. And that's what a lot of the
> > schools on the list do.
>
> I stopped reading Jay Mathews long ago. Here's
> hoping others see the flaws in his reporting - but
> many won't, if he's reporting what they want to
> believe. I'm oh so close to just canceling my
> subscription to the Post. There are a few good
> columnists, but they are trending downhill fast.
> People need to read AND think and question.
> Here's a good analysis of one of Jay's columns:
>
> redapplemom.wordpress.com

THAT LOSSSER TALK


Must be a Mt. Vernon grad

Jo wrote:

"My nephew transferred from Woodson to Washington Lee (which is ranked higher than any FCPS in the WP). He said it's a far less challenging school, and he made the honor roll at WL, something he never accomplished at Woodson. So it makes you wonder about these results. But the general rule of thumb should be, what a kid gets out of his education is what he/she puts into it."


+1000

The lists are dumb. The whole ranking process is so screwed up as to be worthless. Parents should pay attention to their kids and not to rankings. You know when your kid is learning and when he/she is screwing around. A school is probably responsible for less than half of what a kid turns out to be. A kid's world is way more than the school. Everyone in this world wants to blame someone else for their failures. Kids are learning that way of life from their parents and from these rankings. "Oh, the school was poorly ranked so that's why my kid is an irresponsible thug."

It is all based on probably the average income of the students parents duh. All the top schools are rich white kids...

Yournextdoorneighbor Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It is all based on probably the average income of
> the students parents duh. All the top schools are
> rich white kids...

I guess that line from the Perfect Score is wrong then:

Desmond: Who created the test? Rich, white guys. Who scored highest on the test?
Roy: Asian chicks! Middle-class Asian girls who watch less than an hour of TV a day... they can't drive, but they kick the shit out of the SAT!

Achievement on the tests doesn't matter. I was about to be out of a job and developed the index. Now I am famous.