What is the best public high school in Fairfax County?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am in the Woodson district and recently came across this when researching for my public-or-private decision:

http://www.americaachieves.org/docs/OECD/Middle-Class-Or-Middle-Of-Pack.pdf

This went a long way to convincing me I should be okay with public school:

Remarkably, three non-selective high schools in Fairfax, Virginia are outperforming the averages of virtually every other country in the world and are right up there with Shanghai-China. While two of these high schools serve a more affluent student population, one of Fairfax’s world-class performers—Woodson High School—is much more solidly middle class and has a nearly identical socio-economic rating to Sample High School A. In reading, Woodson’s students outperform students in every country and region in the world except Shanghai-China.

I am assuming that the other two schools are McLean and Langley.

McLean didn't participate in the OECD pilot program; most likely Langley and Oakton.

http://www.fcps.edu/pla/ost/_pisa/pisa_index.shtml

Woodson could only be considered "middle class" by FCPS standards. During the relevant period, it served almost exclusively neighborhoods composed of detached, single-family housing. It's going to become more diverse in a few years due to the boundary changes adopted to relieve the overcrowding at Fairfax HS.

ohhhhhh SLAM

It's only a "SLAM" if you have a problem with diversity.

[Anonymous]

In fact, Langley is closer ranked to Lake Braddock (197), and West Springfield (207) than it is to TJ.

So, the appropriate list would be TJ, followed by Langley and Madison, followed by several other amazing high schools which include Langley, Woodson, Lake Braddock and West Springfield.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In fact, Langley is closer ranked to Lake Braddock (197), and West Springfield (207) than it is to TJ.

So, the appropriate list would be TJ, followed by Langley and Madison, followed by several other amazing high schools which include Langley, Woodson, Lake Braddock and West Springfield.

Should say McLean is ranked closer to Lake Braddock (197), and West Springfield (207) than it is to TJ.

So, the appropriate list would be TJ, followed by McLean, and Madison, followed by several other amazing high schools which include Langley, Woodson, Lake Braddock and West Springfield.

Sorry for the typing mistake McLean

[Anonymous]

It depends on what you look at. If you just go by SAT scores, for the past five years, it's been TJ, then Langley, then McLean, and then (with the order varying from year to year) Madison, Marshall, Oakton and Woodson.

Or you can ignore rankings altogether.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all of your comments and suggestions. We just put a contract on a nice house in McLean that is in the Langley district. We were torn between 2 houses. One house the would have been in the Mclean district but we just liked the Langley house better. I think our kids would have been fine at either school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends on what you look at. If you just go by SAT scores, for the past five years, it's been TJ, then Langley, then McLean, and then (with the order varying from year to year) Madison, Marshall, Oakton and Woodson.

Or you can ignore rankings altogether.

But even with SAT scores, TJ and Langley are off by themselves. McLean is clustered in the middle of the pack with all the other top schools, not separated with TJ and Langley.

TJ 728
Langley 614

Then

Woodson 596
Madison 592
McLean 590
Oakton 588
Marshal 576
Lake Braddock 570

To separate McLean above Woodson and Madison, and with TJ and Langley is just inaccurate.

It is a wonderful, top performing high school, clustered in the middle of several other wonderful, top performing high schools, but it is not in the top 3 of fcps high schools no matter which statistics you are using.

http://www.fcps.edu/cco/pr/satact/2012/table4.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends on what you look at. If you just go by SAT scores, for the past five years, it's been TJ, then Langley, then McLean, and then (with the order varying from year to year) Madison, Marshall, Oakton and Woodson.

Or you can ignore rankings altogether.

But even with SAT scores, TJ and Langley are off by themselves. McLean is clustered in the middle of the pack with all the other top schools, not separated with TJ and Langley.

TJ 728
Langley 614

Then

Woodson 596
Madison 592
McLean 590
Oakton 588
Marshal 576
Lake Braddock 570

To separate McLean above Woodson and Madison, and with TJ and Langley is just inaccurate.

It is a wonderful, top performing high school, clustered in the middle of several other wonderful, top performing high schools, but it is not in the top 3 of fcps high schools no matter which statistics you are using.

http://www.fcps.edu/cco/pr/satact/2012/table4.pdf

Um, uually people look at more than just the Reading score, when the SAT has three components (Reading, Math/Writing). Here's what you get when you do that:

TJ 2186
Langley 1812
McLean 1755
Woodson 1754
Oakton 1753
Madison 1730
Marshall 1702

Clearly, the scores at McLean were virtually identical to Woodson and Oakton last year. But TJ, followed by Langley and then McLean have had the best combined SAT scores in the county every year since 2003. That could change this year. There has been more fluctuation over the years once you got past TJ and Langley.

BTW, I'm not the poster who suggested one should think in terms of (1) TJ, (2) Langley, (3) McLean and (4) everything else. I think that's rubbish.

[Anonymous]

Wouldn't it be easier to simply list the FCPS high schools to avoid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends on what you look at. If you just go by SAT scores, for the past five years, it's been TJ, then Langley, then McLean, and then (with the order varying from year to year) Madison, Marshall, Oakton and Woodson.

Or you can ignore rankings altogether.

But even with SAT scores, TJ and Langley are off by themselves. McLean is clustered in the middle of the pack with all the other top schools, not separated with TJ and Langley.

TJ 728
Langley 614

Then

Woodson 596
Madison 592
McLean 590
Oakton 588
Marshal 576
Lake Braddock 570

To separate McLean above Woodson and Madison, and with TJ and Langley is just inaccurate.

It is a wonderful, top performing high school, clustered in the middle of several other wonderful, top performing high schools, but it is not in the top 3 of fcps high schools no matter which statistics you are using.

http://www.fcps.edu/cco/pr/satact/2012/table4.pdf

Um, uually people look at more than just the Reading score, when the SAT has three components (Reading, Math/Writing). Here's what you get when you do that:

TJ 2186
Langley 1812
McLean 1755
Woodson 1754
Oakton 1753
Madison 1730
Marshall 1702

Clearly, the scores at McLean were virtually identical to Woodson and Oakton last year. But TJ, followed by Langley and then McLean have had the best combined SAT scores in the county every year since 2003. That could change this year. There has been more fluctuation over the years once you got past TJ and Langley.

BTW, I'm not the poster who suggested one should think in terms of (1) TJ, (2) Langley, (3) McLean and (4) everything else. I think that's rubbish.

How come SOL scores differ than SAT by a lot? Maybe SAT scores aren't a good way to compare because the more wealthy can afford prep classes and to take them over and over again?

Besides TJ and Langley there are no real winners all of the others they are all neck and neck. It would be safe to say the other perform well and are pretty equal.

We are very lucky to have such great schools in our area, most places only have 1 for the entire county.

These are the 2013 SOL Results, I also threw in Yorktown, Washington & Lee and Wakefield for good measure

TJ
English 100
Mathematics 100
History 100
Science 100
Graduation and Completion Index 100

Langley
English 99
Mathematics 97
History 99
Science 99
Graduation and Completion Index 99

McLean
English 98
Mathematics 94
History 97
Science 98
Graduation and Completion Index 97

Woodson
English 98
Mathematics 94
History 97
Science 98
Graduation and Completion Index 97

Oakton
English 99
Mathematics 93
History 97
Science 98
Graduation and Completion Index 97

Madison
English 99
Mathematics 94
History 97
Science 98
Graduation and Completion Index 98

Marshall
English 97
Mathematics 95
History 96
Science 98
Graduation and Completion Index 96

Yorktown
English 98
Mathematics 93
History 95
Science 96
Graduation and Completion Index 95

Washington and Lee
English 96
Mathematics 90
History 90
Science 91
Graduation and Completion Index 89

Wakefield
English 94
Mathematics 85
History 84
Science 90
Graduation and Completion Index 80

[Anonymous]

Here are some recent metrics/rankings for those who care with respect to the FCPS schools that seem get the most attention on DCUM (ignore if you wish; these are just numbers after all, and your kid is a person, not a number):

2012 SATs:

TJ 2186
Langley 1812
McLean 1755
Woodson 1754
Oakton 1753
Madison 1730
Marshall 1702

2012 National Merit Semi-Finalists:

TJ 146
Langley 13
McLean 11
Madison 9
Marshall 8
Oakton 7
Woodson 6

2013 Washington Post Challenge Index (DC Area):

TJ (unranked)
Woodson #11
McLean #12
Oakton #17
Madison #25
Langley #26
Marshall #56

2013 US News Rankings (State of Virginia)

TJ #1
Langley #2
Madison #3
McLean #4
Woodson #5
Oakton #6
Marshall #16

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn't it be easier to simply list the FCPS high schools to avoid?

No. It's mean spirited and you can find high-achieving kids at every school in the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here are some recent metrics/rankings for those who care with respect to the FCPS schools that seem get the most attention on DCUM (ignore if you wish; these are just numbers after all, and your kid is a person, not a number):

2012 SATs:

TJ 2186
Langley 1812
McLean 1755
Woodson 1754
Oakton 1753
Madison 1730
Marshall 1702

2012 National Merit Semi-Finalists:

TJ 146
Langley 13
McLean 11
Madison 9
Marshall 8
Oakton 7
Woodson 6

2013 Washington Post Challenge Index (DC Area):

TJ (unranked)
Woodson #11
McLean #12
Oakton #17
Madison #25
Langley #26
Marshall #56

2013 US News Rankings (State of Virginia)

TJ #1
Langley #2
Madison #3
McLean #4
Woodson #5
Oakton #6
Marshall #16

I would also adds in great schools and sol

[Anonymous]

11:51 covered the SOLs. In terms of GS rankings, of the Fairfax schools discussed, TJ is a 10, and all the others are 9s.

[Anonymous]

So, I guess this tells us that your child will just get a crappy education at any one of these schools! Any other questions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, I guess this tells us that your child will just get a crappy education at any one of these schools! Any other questions?

Yes - Did you send your kid to private because you didn't know what else to do with the money or because DD/DS had "issues"?