Thomas Jefferson High School drops to 5th in latest US News ranking

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What really happened? How much of this is FCPS' own doing?

https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/thomas-jefferson-high-school-drops-to-5th-in-latest-us-news-ranking/article_b4ce2886-4692-11ee-a98b-4b0dbcb840c2.html

Once the admissions process was corrupted by all the prep centers making average kids appear gifted it was just a matter of time.

Stop using "prep centers" as the scapegoat.
If prep centers are the real problem, the solution will be simple.
We could just provide free prep services for any URMs who are interested.
Then, the TJ student population will resemble the US population.

I'm just curious - because I delight in giving people enough rope to hang themselves - what do YOU think the real problem is?

The problem is we can't simply spend $20k on Cuire classes to guarantee our children entry like the good old days. You have to actually be talented now. It's so crazy and unfair!

Either you are paid by Curie or a fool to repeatedly mention their name on these forums and unaware of free publicity it provides them

Go to prep class still need to study and practice. Why do prep if we can just change the admission process to get it?
Why pay back the student loan if other taxpayers pay for it?
Why work if the welfare check is coming?
Why buy if we can steal?

What point were you trying to make with this incoherent word salad?

Some people just want the prestige of being students of TJ. They do not really want to study hard and learn advanced STEM education. They don't even want to prepare for the admission exams.

And how do you know how hard they work?

Seriously - how do you know what those kids do when they’re at home?

If they can get in by merit, they don't need this new admission process that favors them unethically.

DP, but the old system favored those who could pay for prep classes and game the system. Not by merit.
Now I see why you protest.

There are many admitted students who did not have prep classes under the old system.
The new system just unfairly hurt this group of students.

I don't have any issue with banning all the prep centers.

A merit-based system should be used.

Waiiiiiit a minute.

How does the new process unfairly hurt kids who were admitted by the old system without prep? They got into the school, didn’t they? It’s not like they were retroactively kicked out of the school after the admissions process changed.

Explain it to me like I’m five.

Because they got into the school under the old system without prep. Now the reputation of the school is falling (and everyone is following this nationwide). So they, as TJ students, won't get the national awards and/or college placements they might have under the old system where TJ was no. 1 and everyone knew it. It's like watching the rearrangement of deck chairs on the Titanic.

Oh no just the opposite. It's those kids admitted from test buying under the old system that have dragged down TJ. The new crop of admittees are head and shoulders above the older generation.

True, the new process should make this clear in a couple of years, but the pro-prep posters will say anything to get back their easily gameable selection process. It was easier to predict outcomes when you could simply buy test answers.

I am all for reform and fairness, but if it was so easily gameable why didn’t you and others fame it just the same?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow close to 38% (165 students from class of 2024) qualified as National Merit semifinalists. Around 63% of the FCPS semifinalist are from TJ.

Hey! Not fair.
Every HS should have the same number of students. NMSC has done poorly on equal outcomes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What really happened? How much of this is FCPS' own doing?

https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/thomas-jefferson-high-school-drops-to-5th-in-latest-us-news-ranking/article_b4ce2886-4692-11ee-a98b-4b0dbcb840c2.html

Once the admissions process was corrupted by all the prep centers making average kids appear gifted it was just a matter of time.

Stop using "prep centers" as the scapegoat.
If prep centers are the real problem, the solution will be simple.
We could just provide free prep services for any URMs who are interested.
Then, the TJ student population will resemble the US population.

I'm just curious - because I delight in giving people enough rope to hang themselves - what do YOU think the real problem is?

The problem is we can't simply spend $20k on Cuire classes to guarantee our children entry like the good old days. You have to actually be talented now. It's so crazy and unfair!

Either you are paid by Curie or a fool to repeatedly mention their name on these forums and unaware of free publicity it provides them

Go to prep class still need to study and practice. Why do prep if we can just change the admission process to get it?
Why pay back the student loan if other taxpayers pay for it?
Why work if the welfare check is coming?
Why buy if we can steal?

What point were you trying to make with this incoherent word salad?

Some people just want the prestige of being students of TJ. They do not really want to study hard and learn advanced STEM education. They don't even want to prepare for the admission exams.

And how do you know how hard they work?

Seriously - how do you know what those kids do when they’re at home?

If they can get in by merit, they don't need this new admission process that favors them unethically.

DP, but the old system favored those who could pay for prep classes and game the system. Not by merit.
Now I see why you protest.

There are many admitted students who did not have prep classes under the old system.
The new system just unfairly hurt this group of students.

I don't have any issue with banning all the prep centers.

A merit-based system should be used.

Waiiiiiit a minute.

How does the new process unfairly hurt kids who were admitted by the old system without prep? They got into the school, didn’t they? It’s not like they were retroactively kicked out of the school after the admissions process changed.

Explain it to me like I’m five.

Because they got into the school under the old system without prep. Now the reputation of the school is falling (and everyone is following this nationwide). So they, as TJ students, won't get the national awards and/or college placements they might have under the old system where TJ was no. 1 and everyone knew it. It's like watching the rearrangement of deck chairs on the Titanic.

That's so unusual. Almost nobody got in under the old system without prep.

How do you know?

Because one prep center took out a full-page ad in the paper and listed the names of just their clients which made up over 30% of TJ's entering class. It's not hard to imagine the other 15 prep centers share of admissions.

Really, I hope you realize those are ads. And, that's your proof for "Almost nobody got in under the old system without prep."???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What really happened? How much of this is FCPS' own doing?

https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/thomas-jefferson-high-school-drops-to-5th-in-latest-us-news-ranking/article_b4ce2886-4692-11ee-a98b-4b0dbcb840c2.html

Once the admissions process was corrupted by all the prep centers making average kids appear gifted it was just a matter of time.

Stop using "prep centers" as the scapegoat.
If prep centers are the real problem, the solution will be simple.
We could just provide free prep services for any URMs who are interested.
Then, the TJ student population will resemble the US population.

I'm just curious - because I delight in giving people enough rope to hang themselves - what do YOU think the real problem is?

The problem is we can't simply spend $20k on Cuire classes to guarantee our children entry like the good old days. You have to actually be talented now. It's so crazy and unfair!

Either you are paid by Curie or a fool to repeatedly mention their name on these forums and unaware of free publicity it provides them

Go to prep class still need to study and practice. Why do prep if we can just change the admission process to get it?
Why pay back the student loan if other taxpayers pay for it?
Why work if the welfare check is coming?
Why buy if we can steal?

What point were you trying to make with this incoherent word salad?

Some people just want the prestige of being students of TJ. They do not really want to study hard and learn advanced STEM education. They don't even want to prepare for the admission exams.

And how do you know how hard they work?

Seriously - how do you know what those kids do when they’re at home?

If they can get in by merit, they don't need this new admission process that favors them unethically.

DP, but the old system favored those who could pay for prep classes and game the system. Not by merit.
Now I see why you protest.

There are many admitted students who did not have prep classes under the old system.
The new system just unfairly hurt this group of students.

I don't have any issue with banning all the prep centers.

A merit-based system should be used.

Waiiiiiit a minute.

How does the new process unfairly hurt kids who were admitted by the old system without prep? They got into the school, didn’t they? It’s not like they were retroactively kicked out of the school after the admissions process changed.

Explain it to me like I’m five.

Because they got into the school under the old system without prep. Now the reputation of the school is falling (and everyone is following this nationwide). So they, as TJ students, won't get the national awards and/or college placements they might have under the old system where TJ was no. 1 and everyone knew it. It's like watching the rearrangement of deck chairs on the Titanic.

That's so unusual. Almost nobody got in under the old system without prep.

How do you know?

Because one prep center took out a full-page ad in the paper and listed the names of just their clients which made up over 30% of TJ's entering class. It's not hard to imagine the other 15 prep centers share of admissions.

Really, I hope you realize those are ads. And, that's your proof for "Almost nobody got in under the old system without prep."???

I know it's impressive that one center accounted for over 30% of those admitted that year. Because there are dozens of these centers, I'm guessing almost nobody got in without prep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The results seemed, at best, random, and at worst upside down with the weaker kids more likely to get in. The results didn't follow along racial lines -- brilliant accomplished math-focused kid from Ethiopia was waitlisted and the white kid who was the last one to get concepts in math did.

At my daughter's best friend's middle school, a kid who was off the charts in math acceleration and had already published some scientific paper from a summer internship (seriously) did not get in. My daughter's friend did not and is now taking AP precalculus and AP statistics as a freshman in her base high school. Much weaker kids did get in. The results seemed truly random.

Hopefully the real lesson here is that resume padding isn't fooling anyone. Authorship on a scientific publication doesn't not imply a meaningful contribution and without knowing the quality of the publication or more about the student's contribution, it's meaningless info. Speaking as a scientist.

Agree with another poster--parents likely just don't know what is going on, despite wanting to believe they have the scoop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow close to 38% (165 students from class of 2024) qualified as National Merit semifinalists. Around 63% of the FCPS semifinalist are from TJ.

Hey! Not fair.
Every HS should have the same number of students. NMSC has done poorly on equal outcomes.

Lol. Not fair at all. NMSC should replace PSAT with a personal essay!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The results seemed, at best, random, and at worst upside down with the weaker kids more likely to get in. The results didn't follow along racial lines -- brilliant accomplished math-focused kid from Ethiopia was waitlisted and the white kid who was the last one to get concepts in math did.

At my daughter's best friend's middle school, a kid who was off the charts in math acceleration and had already published some scientific paper from a summer internship (seriously) did not get in. My daughter's friend did not and is now taking AP precalculus and AP statistics as a freshman in her base high school. Much weaker kids did get in. The results seemed truly random.

Well my daughter's best friend who was the lead author on groundbreaking research published in an IEEE journal did get in but they turned TJ down in favor of starting college at MIT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow close to 38% (165 students from class of 2024) qualified as National Merit semifinalists. Around 63% of the FCPS semifinalist are from TJ.

Hey! Not fair.
Every HS should have the same number of students. NMSC has done poorly on equal outcomes.

Lol. Not fair at all. NMSC should replace PSAT with a personal essay!

Ridiculous. NMSC should replace PSAT with a personal essay plus experience factors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What really happened? How much of this is FCPS' own doing?

https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/thomas-jefferson-high-school-drops-to-5th-in-latest-us-news-ranking/article_b4ce2886-4692-11ee-a98b-4b0dbcb840c2.html

Once the admissions process was corrupted by all the prep centers making average kids appear gifted it was just a matter of time.

Stop using "prep centers" as the scapegoat.
If prep centers are the real problem, the solution will be simple.
We could just provide free prep services for any URMs who are interested.
Then, the TJ student population will resemble the US population.

I'm just curious - because I delight in giving people enough rope to hang themselves - what do YOU think the real problem is?

The problem is we can't simply spend $20k on Cuire classes to guarantee our children entry like the good old days. You have to actually be talented now. It's so crazy and unfair!

Either you are paid by Curie or a fool to repeatedly mention their name on these forums and unaware of free publicity it provides them

Go to prep class still need to study and practice. Why do prep if we can just change the admission process to get it?
Why pay back the student loan if other taxpayers pay for it?
Why work if the welfare check is coming?
Why buy if we can steal?

What point were you trying to make with this incoherent word salad?

Some people just want the prestige of being students of TJ. They do not really want to study hard and learn advanced STEM education. They don't even want to prepare for the admission exams.

And how do you know how hard they work?

Seriously - how do you know what those kids do when they’re at home?

If they can get in by merit, they don't need this new admission process that favors them unethically.

DP, but the old system favored those who could pay for prep classes and game the system. Not by merit.
Now I see why you protest.

There are many admitted students who did not have prep classes under the old system.
The new system just unfairly hurt this group of students.

I don't have any issue with banning all the prep centers.

A merit-based system should be used.

Waiiiiiit a minute.

How does the new process unfairly hurt kids who were admitted by the old system without prep? They got into the school, didn’t they? It’s not like they were retroactively kicked out of the school after the admissions process changed.

Explain it to me like I’m five.

Because they got into the school under the old system without prep. Now the reputation of the school is falling (and everyone is following this nationwide). So they, as TJ students, won't get the national awards and/or college placements they might have under the old system where TJ was no. 1 and everyone knew it. It's like watching the rearrangement of deck chairs on the Titanic.

That's so unusual. Almost nobody got in under the old system without prep.

How do you know?

Because one prep center took out a full-page ad in the paper and listed the names of just their clients which made up over 30% of TJ's entering class. It's not hard to imagine the other 15 prep centers share of admissions.

what prep center? you mean an AAP center? why would an AAP center advertise in a newspaper?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The results seemed, at best, random, and at worst upside down with the weaker kids more likely to get in. The results didn't follow along racial lines -- brilliant accomplished math-focused kid from Ethiopia was waitlisted and the white kid who was the last one to get concepts in math did.

At my daughter's best friend's middle school, a kid who was off the charts in math acceleration and had already published some scientific paper from a summer internship (seriously) did not get in. My daughter's friend did not and is now taking AP precalculus and AP statistics as a freshman in her base high school. Much weaker kids did get in. The results seemed truly random.

Well my daughter's best friend who was the lead author on groundbreaking research published in an IEEE journal did get in but they turned TJ down in favor of starting college at MIT.

Apparently, the progressive liberals don't know what is going on in STEM world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow close to 38% (165 students from class of 2024) qualified as National Merit semifinalists. Around 63% of the FCPS semifinalist are from TJ.

Hey! Not fair.
Every HS should have the same number of students. NMSC has done poorly on equal outcomes.

Lol. Not fair at all. NMSC should replace PSAT with a personal essay!

Ridiculous. NMSC should replace PSAT with a personal essay plus experience factors.

Nan, don't need to get rid of PSAT. That will not look good on paper. Just lower the required PSAT score to 850.
Everyone should also have a happy meal too.

[Anonymous]

"FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - The district says teachers can now give students zeroes for assignments that aren’t turned in. Previously, a 50% was the lowest grade that teachers could give a student who did not turn work in. A 50% is still the minimum grade teachers can give for submitted assignments." (from fox new 5)

These are insane policies. FCPS loves to promote laziness and dumb down our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - The district says teachers can now give students zeroes for assignments that aren’t turned in. Previously, a 50% was the lowest grade that teachers could give a student who did not turn work in. A 50% is still the minimum grade teachers can give for submitted assignments." (from fox new 5)

These are insane policies. FCPS loves to promote laziness and dumb down our kids.

Give it up to equitable grading policies! With both old and new policy, submitting a blank paper or a paper napkin counts as submitted assignment, and a 50% minimum is guaranteed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - The district says teachers can now give students zeroes for assignments that aren’t turned in. Previously, a 50% was the lowest grade that teachers could give a student who did not turn work in. A 50% is still the minimum grade teachers can give for submitted assignments." (from fox new 5)

These are insane policies. FCPS loves to promote laziness and dumb down our kids.

Give it up to equitable grading policies! With both old and new policy, submitting a blank paper or a paper napkin counts as submitted assignment, and a 50% minimum is guaranteed.

Yeah! Blank Paper Matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What really happened? How much of this is FCPS' own doing?

https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/thomas-jefferson-high-school-drops-to-5th-in-latest-us-news-ranking/article_b4ce2886-4692-11ee-a98b-4b0dbcb840c2.html

Once the admissions process was corrupted by all the prep centers making average kids appear gifted it was just a matter of time.

Stop using "prep centers" as the scapegoat.
If prep centers are the real problem, the solution will be simple.
We could just provide free prep services for any URMs who are interested.
Then, the TJ student population will resemble the US population.

I'm just curious - because I delight in giving people enough rope to hang themselves - what do YOU think the real problem is?

The problem is we can't simply spend $20k on Cuire classes to guarantee our children entry like the good old days. You have to actually be talented now. It's so crazy and unfair!

Either you are paid by Curie or a fool to repeatedly mention their name on these forums and unaware of free publicity it provides them

Go to prep class still need to study and practice. Why do prep if we can just change the admission process to get it?
Why pay back the student loan if other taxpayers pay for it?
Why work if the welfare check is coming?
Why buy if we can steal?

What point were you trying to make with this incoherent word salad?

Some people just want the prestige of being students of TJ. They do not really want to study hard and learn advanced STEM education. They don't even want to prepare for the admission exams.

And how do you know how hard they work?

Seriously - how do you know what those kids do when they’re at home?

If they can get in by merit, they don't need this new admission process that favors them unethically.

DP, but the old system favored those who could pay for prep classes and game the system. Not by merit.
Now I see why you protest.

There are many admitted students who did not have prep classes under the old system.
The new system just unfairly hurt this group of students.

I don't have any issue with banning all the prep centers.

A merit-based system should be used.

Waiiiiiit a minute.

How does the new process unfairly hurt kids who were admitted by the old system without prep? They got into the school, didn’t they? It’s not like they were retroactively kicked out of the school after the admissions process changed.

Explain it to me like I’m five.

Because they got into the school under the old system without prep. Now the reputation of the school is falling (and everyone is following this nationwide). So they, as TJ students, won't get the national awards and/or college placements they might have under the old system where TJ was no. 1 and everyone knew it. It's like watching the rearrangement of deck chairs on the Titanic.

That's so unusual. Almost nobody got in under the old system without prep.

How do you know?

Because one prep center took out a full-page ad in the paper and listed the names of just their clients which made up over 30% of TJ's entering class. It's not hard to imagine the other 15 prep centers share of admissions.

what prep center? you mean an AAP center? why would an AAP center advertise in a newspaper?

No, it was Curie that took out the full page with the names of their clients listed who made up 30% of the entering class that year. It's been in the news forever so assumed everyone knew this.