Anne Arundel Schools vs Howard Schools

[Anonymous]

A lot of people rave about Columbia’s schools and say that Howard County schools are better than Anne Arundel County schools, but looking online, the story seems a lot more complicated than that. Both counties seem to have their fair share of higher and lower performing schools. The schools feeding to Severna Park, Broadneck, Arundel, South River, and Crofton HS in Anne Arundel County perform a lot better than schools feeding to Hammond, Wilde Lake, Long Reach, Oakland Mills in HoCo. The 5 Anne Arundel school pyramids seem right on par with Mt Hebron, Howard, Atholton, and Reservoir in terms of performance, so what is all the hype over Howard County about?

[Anonymous]

Assuming that this is a good-faith post (and you aren't trolling), the difference can be explained through socio-economic status.

I'm not saying that AACPS are worse than Howard, just that you have to look at SES to understand what goes into the rankings and performance of the schools. Also, when it comes to high school performance, AACPS high schools have programs like IB that accept students from non-feeder schools, which tends to improve the performance of schools with higher concentrations of poverty. Other than ROTC, which isn't based on academics, HCPSS has no special programs - you go to the high school for which you are zoned.

[Anonymous]

The hype for Hoco schools are for Centennial , river hill and Marriotts ridge high schools. None that you listed OP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The hype for Hoco schools are for Centennial , river hill and Marriotts ridge high schools. None that you listed OP!

You mean the schools with the lowest percentages of students receiving FARMS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Assuming that this is a good-faith post (and you aren't trolling), the difference can be explained through socio-economic status.

I'm not saying that AACPS are worse than Howard, just that you have to look at SES to understand what goes into the rankings and performance of the schools. Also, when it comes to high school performance, AACPS high schools have programs like IB that accept students from non-feeder schools, which tends to improve the performance of schools with higher concentrations of poverty. Other than ROTC, which isn't based on academics, HCPSS has no special programs - you go to the high school for which you are zoned.

Out of the 5 AACPS high schools mentioned in the OP, just one of them holds a magnet program (South River), but SRHS isn’t a high poverty school at all. Also, AACPS magnet programs don’t draw from high-achieving students like other counties do. Their magnets are all lottery based. All you need is a 2.5 GPA, and you have the same chance as a 4.0 GPA kid to get into the program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Assuming that this is a good-faith post (and you aren't trolling), the difference can be explained through socio-economic status.

I'm not saying that AACPS are worse than Howard, just that you have to look at SES to understand what goes into the rankings and performance of the schools. Also, when it comes to high school performance, AACPS high schools have programs like IB that accept students from non-feeder schools, which tends to improve the performance of schools with higher concentrations of poverty. Other than ROTC, which isn't based on academics, HCPSS has no special programs - you go to the high school for which you are zoned.

Out of the 5 AACPS high schools mentioned in the OP, just one of them holds a magnet program (South River), but SRHS isn’t a high poverty school at all. Also, AACPS magnet programs don’t draw from high-achieving students like other counties do. Their magnets are all lottery based. All you need is a 2.5 GPA, and you have the same chance as a 4.0 GPA kid to get into the program.

Correction, Broadneck holds a performing arts magnet as well, but again, “school with high poverty rates being brought up by magnets“ isn’t something that applies to Broadneck as it’s not a high-poverty school and it was high performing even before the PVA program was introduced as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The hype for Hoco schools are for Centennial , river hill and Marriotts ridge high schools. None that you listed OP!

Centennial and River Hill yes. Nobody cares about Marriotts Ridge though, it’s all the way out in the middle of nowhere and housing there is incredibly cheap. Anyone in Columbia or Ellicott City who isn’t poor could afford to live out there easily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Assuming that this is a good-faith post (and you aren't trolling), the difference can be explained through socio-economic status.

I'm not saying that AACPS are worse than Howard, just that you have to look at SES to understand what goes into the rankings and performance of the schools. Also, when it comes to high school performance, AACPS high schools have programs like IB that accept students from non-feeder schools, which tends to improve the performance of schools with higher concentrations of poverty. Other than ROTC, which isn't based on academics, HCPSS has no special programs - you go to the high school for which you are zoned.

Out of the 5 AACPS high schools mentioned in the OP, just one of them holds a magnet program (South River), but SRHS isn’t a high poverty school at all. Also, AACPS magnet programs don’t draw from high-achieving students like other counties do. Their magnets are all lottery based. All you need is a 2.5 GPA, and you have the same chance as a 4.0 GPA kid to get into the program.

Correction, Broadneck holds a performing arts magnet as well, but again, “school with high poverty rates being brought up by magnets“ isn’t something that applies to Broadneck as it’s not a high-poverty school and it was high performing even before the PVA program was introduced as well.

Doesn't Annapolis HS also have both arts and IB? I find it hard to believe that IB programs don't attract higher performing students, given that I know families with high achieving students who are enrolled in IB programs at Annapolis and Old Mill to get away from their higher poverty home schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Assuming that this is a good-faith post (and you aren't trolling), the difference can be explained through socio-economic status.

I'm not saying that AACPS are worse than Howard, just that you have to look at SES to understand what goes into the rankings and performance of the schools. Also, when it comes to high school performance, AACPS high schools have programs like IB that accept students from non-feeder schools, which tends to improve the performance of schools with higher concentrations of poverty. Other than ROTC, which isn't based on academics, HCPSS has no special programs - you go to the high school for which you are zoned.

Out of the 5 AACPS high schools mentioned in the OP, just one of them holds a magnet program (South River), but SRHS isn’t a high poverty school at all. Also, AACPS magnet programs don’t draw from high-achieving students like other counties do. Their magnets are all lottery based. All you need is a 2.5 GPA, and you have the same chance as a 4.0 GPA kid to get into the program.

Correction, Broadneck holds a performing arts magnet as well, but again, “school with high poverty rates being brought up by magnets“ isn’t something that applies to Broadneck as it’s not a high-poverty school and it was high performing even before the PVA program was introduced as well.

Doesn't Annapolis HS also have both arts and IB? I find it hard to believe that IB programs don't attract higher performing students, given that I know families with high achieving students who are enrolled in IB programs at Annapolis and Old Mill to get away from their higher poverty home schools.

Why would they go to Annapolis to avoid their high poverty schools? That makes no sense considering that Annapolis is one of the highest poverty schools in the whole county. And no, AACPS is very serious about equitable access to magnet programs. The introduction of the PVA magnet at Broadneck a few years ago actually INCREASED the FARMS rate and % of non-white kids who go to Broadneck HS as it opened the door for kids from Meade, Glen Burnie, North County, etc to go to Broadneck if they get into the program. The programs may garner more interest from affluent families, but they’re not requiring kids to have high GPAs or compete for the positions like they do in MoCo. You have a 2.5 GPA , put your kid in the lottery, and hope they get in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The hype for Hoco schools are for Centennial , river hill and Marriotts ridge high schools. None that you listed OP!

Centennial and River Hill yes. Nobody cares about Marriotts Ridge though, it’s all the way out in the middle of nowhere and housing there is incredibly cheap. Anyone in Columbia or Ellicott City who isn’t poor could afford to live out there easily.

Actually many kids in Western Ellicott city go to Marriotts ridge high school. It’s amongst the wealthiest part of Howard county (1 million and above homes).

[Anonymous]

Not OP but also wonder why HoCo has such a great reputation when you compare to AA. I am on the fence myself with which one to move to. I am priced out of river hill and centennial so I am looking at the High Schools you named. When I look a pyramids in Hoco I get even more confused because the feeder school performance is all over the place and zoning is confusing.

I would like to hear from others who have experience to both or one of the counties

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Assuming that this is a good-faith post (and you aren't trolling), the difference can be explained through socio-economic status.

I'm not saying that AACPS are worse than Howard, just that you have to look at SES to understand what goes into the rankings and performance of the schools. Also, when it comes to high school performance, AACPS high schools have programs like IB that accept students from non-feeder schools, which tends to improve the performance of schools with higher concentrations of poverty. Other than ROTC, which isn't based on academics, HCPSS has no special programs - you go to the high school for which you are zoned.

Out of the 5 AACPS high schools mentioned in the OP, just one of them holds a magnet program (South River), but SRHS isn’t a high poverty school at all. Also, AACPS magnet programs don’t draw from high-achieving students like other counties do. Their magnets are all lottery based. All you need is a 2.5 GPA, and you have the same chance as a 4.0 GPA kid to get into the program.

Correction, Broadneck holds a performing arts magnet as well, but again, “school with high poverty rates being brought up by magnets“ isn’t something that applies to Broadneck as it’s not a high-poverty school and it was high performing even before the PVA program was introduced as well.

Doesn't Annapolis HS also have both arts and IB? I find it hard to believe that IB programs don't attract higher performing students, given that I know families with high achieving students who are enrolled in IB programs at Annapolis and Old Mill to get away from their higher poverty home schools.

Yes, Annapolisnhas one of the apex arts magnets as well as IB.
I think IB at Annapolis May have actually been one of the very first magnets.
Yes, IB attracts good students, but as people have already said - it’s not a gifted magnet like MoCo. It’s a lottery for any qualified kid.
Both Annapolis and Old Mill are some of the higher farms schools. That’s one of the reasons they got the magnet programs to begin with. No one is going to IB to get out of their home school - they’re going to do IB

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not OP but also wonder why HoCo has such a great reputation when you compare to AA. I am on the fence myself with which one to move to. I am priced out of river hill and centennial so I am looking at the High Schools you named. When I look a pyramids in Hoco I get even more confused because the feeder school performance is all over the place and zoning is confusing.

I would like to hear from others who have experience to both or one of the counties

We’re in AACPS in one of the feeders mentioned in the OP. My oldest is in middle school so we haven’t gotten to high school yet, but we’ve been really happy. I wish the classes were smaller, but the curriculum are teachers have exceeded my expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The hype for Hoco schools are for Centennial , river hill and Marriotts ridge high schools. None that you listed OP!

Centennial and River Hill yes. Nobody cares about Marriotts Ridge though, it’s all the way out in the middle of nowhere and housing there is incredibly cheap. Anyone in Columbia or Ellicott City who isn’t poor could afford to live out there easily.

Actually many kids in Western Ellicott city go to Marriotts ridge high school. It’s amongst the wealthiest part of Howard county (1 million and above homes).

Those are not the wealthiest areas of Howard County at all. There’s more kids who live in $1M+ homes who go to Atholton and Reservoir than to Marriotts Ridge. The average home price in the MR cluster is around $650k. Atholton and Reservoir have higher FARMS rates but also have far more wealth than Marriotts Ridge. Atholton and Reservoir are like BCC while Marriotts Ridge is like a Poolesville or Sherwood in terms of socio-economic status. Low FARMS rates doesn’t translate to wealthy, it means a lack of poor kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not OP but also wonder why HoCo has such a great reputation when you compare to AA. I am on the fence myself with which one to move to. I am priced out of river hill and centennial so I am looking at the High Schools you named. When I look a pyramids in Hoco I get even more confused because the feeder school performance is all over the place and zoning is confusing.

I would like to hear from others who have experience to both or one of the counties

That’s the thing. If you can’t afford River Hill in HoCo, you might as well be looking at the 5 AACo high school pyramids alongside the rest of the HoCo schools. That’s not saying HoCo schools besides River Hill and Centennial aren’t good, but the idea that all HoCo schools are better than AACo is inaccurate and something I’ve never understood. I know a family who lived in the Meade HS pyramid in Anne Arundel and moved into an elementary school in HoCo that was even lower-performing than their elementary in AACo (which had an even higher FARMS rate) because “Howard County has better schools.” It made no sense.

I think it’s some slogan HoCo pushes because they know that their county’s success is purely tied to the reputation of their schools, and if knowledge that other counties around them provide similarly good schools becomes more widespread, it will hinder the success of HoCo. I also noticed that narrative became a lot stronger when BRAC was bringing thousands of new families to Fort Meade, probably because HoCo was trying really hard to compete for those families and lure them away from Anne Arundel. What I will say though is that the bottom HoCo schools aren’t anywhere near as low-performing as the bottom AACo schools, and they’re still good schools.

Not only can you save on housing costs in Anne Arundel, but you can also save on commute times to DC if you live in-bounds for Arundel HS, Crofton HS, or South River HS. Those areas are far closer to DC than Ellicott City and especially Marriotts Ridge are. If commuting to DC isn’t a factor, then you can live near the water in Severna Park, Broadneck, and South River. For some families, HoCo will still be the better bet, especially if they’re looking for areas with stronger diversity or the increasingly urbanizing amenities of Columbia.