Secrets of the City

Link? What were the other 20?

As a product of MN’s public school system, I’m having a hard time finding a link in this post. I suppose I could look it up on The Google . . .

link

Link added.

Thanks, miller. I guess I didn’t learn how to be patient.

Looks like some strange criteria that relies on a Wobegon “everyone’s above average” measure. This hurts schools like St Paul Central where they consistently have among the most national merit scholars in the state and strong AP programs including and IB program. It just so happens that not everyone is in those programs so the percentage of post-secondary test taking students is lower than Edina (who had the same number of national merit scholars this year).

How pissed would Talented and Gifted High School be if they didn’t make the top 100. “But we’re talented and gifted! It says so right there on the sign!”

Those rankings are so insanely flawed. I don’t know about now but last year they used the percentage of students taking AP exams. The top school in the country was a school that apparently wasn’t so hot but sat a lot of its students for the AP. Also, the main rankings pulled out magnet schools like Stuyvesant in NYC. I haven’t RTFA buti have a feeling that they didn’t tweak their methodology that much. Especially considering their college methodology changes rarely shift anything.

It’s misleading for Newsweek to label the article “The complete list of the 1,300 top U.S. high schools” when the methodology is simply as follows:

1. How does the Challenge Index work?
We take the total number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Cambridge tests given at a school in May, and divide by the number of seniors graduating in May or June.

why don’t they label the article: “”Top US High Schools in Terms of Percentage of AP Tests Administered Per Student”? Well, I’m glad you asked, 2 dogs. It’s because that there title won’t sell their little magazine.

I dunno, Grote. I think that headline has a sort of lilting rhythm that makes it irresistible.

It’s just the sort of thing that looks right at home on the broad cover of my favorite read, “Bimonthly Gazette of Articles Aggregating Summarized Information Concerning National and International Events of Note.’

I believe my brother just finished writing a book on this subject. Maybe he’ll chime in. Nateek, are you sleeeeping?

*GASP* you mean to tell me that public schools are better in richer areas?

SAY IT AIN’T SO! I though public schooling was supposed to be the great socioeconomic equalizer that allowed children from any background an equal opportunity to become the next filthy rich embezzling CEO that treats their employees like shit! But alas! The rich have a much better chance at continuing to be rich! My american dream, it is shattered!

Not exactly on topic with my book, but certainly a subject that eats up most of my attention.

First of all wayno, you’re actually right. Public education generally does not move children very well from SES strata to another. But whether or not that’s the school’s fault/business/strength is another question. Your sarcasm, while noxious, is relatively well placed.

As for the rankings themselves, bixby is spot on. These really do take into consideration little else but AP tests. That’s why schools clamor to infuse AP classes into their curriculum, whether they make sense or not. There’s a whole lot of “keepin’ up with the Joneses” in this regard with suburban districts in an all-out IB/AP arms battle. These rankings are a load of crap.

By the way, this has little to do with my book, but was the topic of my masters.

So if anyone wants a really compelling PowerPoint, just say the word and I’ll grab my laser pointer and rock that shizzo out.

only if your pair your bluedork to the PA system for the presentation.

The methodology for this study is flawed. It only takes into account AP/IB tests taken as a proportion of students. So, you’re assuming that’s a measure for a good school.

I graduated from South High School – the school with the most PSEO students at the U of Mn. Because PSEO is not the equivalent to AP/IB, it would not be counted…and because I was going to college, I had no need for AP tests. So, of course South isn’t on the list….all of their students are going to the U.