Does everyone get all or mostly As at APS in HS?

[Anonymous]

My DS is in HS in Arlington. She's had all As and a B+ each of her high school years. Going into 12th grade next year. This is the case for most people we know. If all HS students in Arlington even in the highest level classes are getting those grades, do they even matter for college admissions?

[Anonymous]

If you try even in the slightest, yes. See how many kids graduate with over a 4.0. It's in the hundreds for each school. You're either #1 with 250# of your friends or you're #251.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS is in HS in Arlington. She's had all As and a B+ each of her high school years. Going into 12th grade next year. This is the case for most people we know. If all HS students in Arlington even in the highest level classes are getting those grades, do they even matter for college admissions?

Yes, because APS is filled with high-achieving students.

It's not like grades are supposed to be a bell curve. Or were you under some impression that was the goal?

[Anonymous]

The higher level classes AP and IB are very challenging with a heavy workload. So getting all A’s is not exactly easy. In fact some parents complain the APS middle schools don’t sufficiently prepare students for the rigours of APS high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS is in HS in Arlington. She's had all As and a B+ each of her high school years. Going into 12th grade next year. This is the case for most people we know. If all HS students in Arlington even in the highest level classes are getting those grades, do they even matter for college admissions?

Yes, because APS is filled with high-achieving students.

It's not like grades are supposed to be a bell curve. Or were you under some impression that was the goal?

There is ample documentation about grade inflation in public schools generally and specifically here in the DMV. I find it extremely troubling and don’t think it appropriately prepares kids for college — especially high achieving ones — and, more importantly, life. To believe that you aren’t “good” either as a person or in a subject if you don’t get an A because you’ve always gotten As is not a healthy way to approach academics or your life. It also directly harms the kids who arent able to distinguish themselves due to the mass numbers of As given. I think if you lookup the harms of mass grade inflation in the dmv today, most educational academics do not view it as a “good thing” as you have described it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you try even in the slightest, yes. See how many kids graduate with over a 4.0. It's in the hundreds for each school. You're either #1 with 250# of your friends or you're #251.

1. It’s not true that just trying a little gives you all As. It does require hard work in many classes.
2. You can have many Bs and still have a 4.0+ due to weighted grading.
3. Yes, grade inflation is real. But no, not nearly “everyone” is getting straight As in HS, even in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Maybe it just "seems" like a common thing for high school students in APS. We've observed that the AP classes haven't been as hard as talked about or promised. Maybe things have loosened up after Covid. Feels like it's hard to distinguish yourself as a student out of APS high schools unless you've got some amazing extracurricular activity or sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Maybe it just "seems" like a common thing for high school students in APS. We've observed that the AP classes haven't been as hard as talked about or promised. Maybe things have loosened up after Covid. Feels like it's hard to distinguish yourself as a student out of APS high schools unless you've got some amazing extracurricular activity or sport.

I keep hearing that IB is still very rigorous for those magnet students in the diploma track.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Maybe it just "seems" like a common thing for high school students in APS. We've observed that the AP classes haven't been as hard as talked about or promised. Maybe things have loosened up after Covid. Feels like it's hard to distinguish yourself as a student out of APS high schools unless you've got some amazing extracurricular activity or sport.

I mean, yes, it’s hard to distinguish yourself in northern VA period. Way too many high achieving kids, and colleges like geographic diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Maybe it just "seems" like a common thing for high school students in APS. We've observed that the AP classes haven't been as hard as talked about or promised. Maybe things have loosened up after Covid. Feels like it's hard to distinguish yourself as a student out of APS high schools unless you've got some amazing extracurricular activity or sport.

I mean, yes, it’s hard to distinguish yourself in northern VA period. Way too many high achieving kids, and colleges like geographic diversity.

And the grade inflation doesn’t help, because there isn’t a way for the top kids to actually demonstrate they are in any way academically stronger. It’s not true that everyone is equally good at school because everyone in Nova is smart. That’s a copout.

[Anonymous]

Well if your daughter is in AP classes and comparing grades with just friends - who I assume are also in AP classes - then you’re looking at a data set of students who all strive for As.

As an APS HS sped teacher, I can say that no, not everybody gets A’s. 15 students across my 5 classes failed for the year, and that includes 1 senior who will not be able to graduate and a junior who had a baby earlier this year.

If you’re looking for an actual answer, I’d suggest you look outside of your bubble and ask the parents of struggling students if “everybody gets As.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Maybe it just "seems" like a common thing for high school students in APS. We've observed that the AP classes haven't been as hard as talked about or promised. Maybe things have loosened up after Covid. Feels like it's hard to distinguish yourself as a student out of APS high schools unless you've got some amazing extracurricular activity or sport.

I mean, yes, it’s hard to distinguish yourself in northern VA period. Way too many high achieving kids, and colleges like geographic diversity.

And the grade inflation doesn’t help, because there isn’t a way for the top kids to actually demonstrate they are in any way academically stronger. It’s not true that everyone is equally good at school because everyone in Nova is smart. That’s a copout.

AP curriculum is standardized, so I’m not clear on how APS high schools are somehow gaming the system.

[Anonymous]

Lots of high achieving kids & lots of private tutoring

[Anonymous]

My kids both graduated from APS HS in the past few years and neither had all As. Both took a good number of AP/IB classes but also have ADHD. Their grades were a mix of B, B+,A. Both had >4.0 weighted GPAs. They worked hard for their grades and are doing well in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well if your daughter is in AP classes and comparing grades with just friends - who I assume are also in AP classes - then you’re looking at a data set of students who all strive for As.

As an APS HS sped teacher, I can say that no, not everybody gets A’s. 15 students across my 5 classes failed for the year, and that includes 1 senior who will not be able to graduate and a junior who had a baby earlier this year.

If you’re looking for an actual answer, I’d suggest you look outside of your bubble and ask the parents of struggling students if “everybody gets As.”

Yep, APS is and continues to be focused on the outside the bubble kids. Which is fine and a conscious choice of this community. It doesn’t help my kids, however, who are high achieving. And we as parents will do best for our own kids, that’s the deal. So I pulled them for private school. And I’m not the only one.