New Great Schools ratings out and kind of surprising....

[Anonymous]

Marshall = West Springfield = 9 = more kids passing their SOLs than kids at Langley, McLean, etc., etc (interesting).

Langley = McLean = Lake Braddock = Chantilly = Madison = Oakton = Robinson ==> all "8"s based on their SOL passrates.

In the middle range are South County (7). Fairfax = Centreville, (6).... and Westfield = Hayfield = Herndon = Edison = South Lakes = 5

Annandale = Falls Church = 4


Lee = West Potomac = Mt. Vernon =3.... and poor little Stuart = 2.

On the whole, Fairfax County (as a district) rates a 6 -- so slightly above the mean point for all districts in Va. Not exactly the shining star district that we like to think. FCPS has some high flyer schools and some bottom dweller schools. It's definitely NOT all exceptional.


I know some people like to say "well the SAT scores at ____ are better than they are at ____" -- and there is some validity to the argument that high SAT scores reflect greater intelligence... but there is also a direct and linear correlation b/t HHI and SAT scores. Google the charts on that.

Just find it very interesting that the presumed "best" schools aren't getting their kids to pass the SOLs at a rate greater than other schools that are not so grandly regarded in FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Do you know the correct use of an equals sign?

[Anonymous]

Standard SOL? Or modified somehow? Or maybe all students didn't take it

[Anonymous]

SOL scores are not as important IMO as SAT or PSAT scores. Why don't we know the PSAT scores??

Kids don't care about SOLs because they don't really matter for anything except a verified credit (and all you have to do is pass . . . nobody cares what the score is outside of "Great Schools").

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Marshall = West Springfield = 9 = more kids passing their SOLs than kids at Langley, McLean, etc., etc (interesting).

Langley = McLean = Lake Braddock = Chantilly = Madison = Oakton = Robinson ==> all "8"s based on their SOL passrates.

In the middle range are South County (7). Fairfax = Centreville, (6).... and Westfield = Hayfield = Herndon = Edison = South Lakes = 5

Annandale = Falls Church = 4


Lee = West Potomac = Mt. Vernon =3.... and poor little Stuart = 2.

On the whole, Fairfax County (as a district) rates a 6 -- so slightly above the mean point for all districts in Va. Not exactly the shining star district that we like to think. FCPS has some high flyer schools and some bottom dweller schools. It's definitely NOT all exceptional.


I know some people like to say "well the SAT scores at ____ are better than they are at ____" -- and there is some validity to the argument that high SAT scores reflect greater intelligence... but there is also a direct and linear correlation b/t HHI and SAT scores. Google the charts on that.

Just find it very interesting that the presumed "best" schools aren't getting their kids to pass the SOLs at a rate greater than other schools that are not so grandly regarded in FCPS.

Where's Woodson, dingbat?

[Anonymous]

OP, how do you know these are new scores? Do they update yearly? Curious.

[Anonymous]

No one -- and I mean no one -- considers Great Schools to be a credible arbiter of school quality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one -- and I mean no one -- considers Great Schools to be a credible arbiter of school quality.

LOL. What will all of the school boosters use now for slamming other schools.

[Anonymous]

I'm convinced that greatschools does more harm than good at this point. Too many people use it as a shorthand way to assess school quality without looking at anything other than the number or knowing how that number is given. It's a measure of student's average performance on SOLs compared to average performance at other schools in the state - nothing more, nothing less. To say a school is good or bad based only at that data point is stupid.

[Anonymous]

I searched all VA schools and the only high school rated 10 was TJ. In Virginia, a 9 is essentially the highest greatschools rating a public high school can get, and an 8 is the second highest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm convinced that greatschools does more harm than good at this point. Too many people use it as a shorthand way to assess school quality without looking at anything other than the number or knowing how that number is given. It's a measure of student's average performance on SOLs compared to average performance at other schools in the state - nothing more, nothing less. To say a school is good or bad based only at that data point is stupid.

Being able to pass the SOLs --- which is the basis for the curriculum in the state -- is a measure of how well the curriculum is being taught and being learned by the students. It does have value. It may not be the ONLY piece of info that tells whether the teachers are teaching and/or the students are learning. But it is an objective measurement that can be compared across schools in a state.

These ratings were updated in the last week to reflect the SOLs taken LAST spring. Before this, the ratings were based on the passrates for the 2014 tests.

To the PP who likes to insult me and demand info at the same time --- go find the info on Woodson yourself, @ss. Apparently Woodson people are not capable of finding their own info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one -- and I mean no one -- considers Great Schools to be a credible arbiter of school quality.

Guess you're the fool then -- unless you know EVERYONE -- which you obviously don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm convinced that greatschools does more harm than good at this point. Too many people use it as a shorthand way to assess school quality without looking at anything other than the number or knowing how that number is given. It's a measure of student's average performance on SOLs compared to average performance at other schools in the state - nothing more, nothing less. To say a school is good or bad based only at that data point is stupid.

Not only that, but many people try to compare across state lines, which is absolutely incorrect. A "5" in one state might be an "8" in another.

[Anonymous]

It's a measure of student's average performance on SOLs compared to average performance at other schools in the state - nothing more, nothing less. To say a school is good or bad based only at that data point is stupid.

+1000 Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm convinced that greatschools does more harm than good at this point. Too many people use it as a shorthand way to assess school quality without looking at anything other than the number or knowing how that number is given. It's a measure of student's average performance on SOLs compared to average performance at other schools in the state - nothing more, nothing less. To say a school is good or bad based only at that data point is stupid.

Given the amount of time that is spent in preparation for SOL's, I would say the data point is highly relevant. PSAT/SAT scores, which are prepped for out of school, are less relevant.