Sure, but you can't compare application highschools schools like Walls to FFX county schools with AAP because the AAP programs are not reported separately from the larger school that accepts all in boundary students, nor ranked separately for US News. |
I hate to bring up another school that is endlessly debated on DCUM, but I'd like to take issue with this--by some standards, JR might be the best school in DC (e.g. it offers the most AP courses), but USN&WR ranks it well below DCI. I don't have an opinion as to whether USN&WR's rankings make sense, but DCI's rank does mean more than "better than some really terrible DC schools." |
I appreciate these rankings for grounding me. I had a good high school experience: challenging coursework, many AP offerings, a large cohort of high-achieving peers, lots of ECs available. And my high school ranks well below all of the schools discussed in this thread. Helped me realize my kid doesn't need the BEST school. Just a good one. |
Great work by these schools! |
Walls shot up nationally too |
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Absolutely. Figuring out which schools pass the "good enough" threshold is so much better than trying to figure out "the best." Optimizing will make you crazy. But thinking about "good enough" reveals many options. |
Everyone here keeps bringing up that schools offer a lot of AP courses. Doesn’t it matter more how students score on those APs to determine the efficacy of a school? AP classes in name don’t automatically mean rigor. You could teach Algebra in ap calculus and no one would know by the course name. |
Yes, and the rankings reflect the AP test scores received. |
My takeaway from this list is that the only reason the DCUM crowd likes Latin is because it has a lot of white kids. Not because it’s actually a better school. |
Are you the same poster that keeps poking this bear and are feeling sad no one will take the bait? If you don't like Latin, don't go. Some families have kids that need a smaller class size and less chrome book time than their alternatives. But, you can keep looking down your nose while they get what they need. |
Most families who go to Latin aren't actually on DCUM. |
+1. Families go to Latin to avoid the "DCUM crowd." |
I think there is a lot of truth there. My "cohort" at my title 1 DCPS is all gaga about Latin and sort of just assume that it's a good school, because all the other white families also try to get in. I think there might be some very good branding (because people think about Boston Latin, which is a truly impressive school.) so many middle schools -- like the ones ranked higher -- simply have better academics, but the reputational power and demographics sway people. |
People go to Latin because they are zoned for schools where 70-80% of kids test below grade level and they can't afford your $2M home or $5k rent in upper NW where you look down your nose on them for going to Latin.
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