New Great Schools ratings out and kind of surprising....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Volleyball! Golly gee!

You sound like a real prize. I'm sure this will get snark galore, but Langley's Scholastic Bowl team has also won the 6A State Championships since 2013. That's a huge accomplishment.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
You are killing me. Really. Tears. Of hilarity.
Thanks for that.

Look, I'm sure Langley, McLean, Marshal ... Whatever. I'll leave out Oakton, because they pull it out sometimes...
Those are some great schools where academic excellence abounds. I bet the kids playing football and soccer there are having a ball. That's important.
They aren't the schools you think of when you are talking big athletics departments in ffx county.
They just aren't.

Westfield
Lake Braddock
Robinson
West Springfield

There are some others - I'm sure someone will chime in with maybe south county?

We're talking programs that spur parents to pupil place.

And don't get me wrong- it's not like we're Texas, but as far as Fairfax county is concerned this is how it shakes down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Volleyball! Golly gee!

You sound like a real prize. I'm sure this will get snark galore, but Langley's Scholastic Bowl team has also won the 6A State Championships since 2013. That's a huge accomplishment.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
You are killing me. Really. Tears. Of hilarity.
Thanks for that.

Look, I'm sure Langley, McLean, Marshal ... Whatever. I'll leave out Oakton, because they pull it out sometimes...
Those are some great schools where academic excellence abounds. I bet the kids playing football and soccer there are having a ball. That's important.
They aren't the schools you think of when you are talking big athletics departments in ffx county.
They just aren't.

Westfield
Lake Braddock
Robinson
West Springfield

There are some others - I'm sure someone will chime in with maybe south county?

We're talking programs that spur parents to pupil place.

And don't get me wrong- it's not like we're Texas, but as far as Fairfax county is concerned this is how it shakes down.

You've totally lost track of the thread. Are you really suggesting large numbers of kids won't attend TJ because they want to play football at Lake Braddock instead? That's a much bigger laugh than anything else mentioned on this thread to date.

And, even if we all agreed you should hijack the thread, you'd still get called out for mentioning West Springfield along with the likes of Westfield and Robinson in terms of athletic prowess. Uh, no. Girls basketball was probably the only consistently good sport at WS, and Langley blew them off the court this year.

[Anonymous]

Yes. DCUM... We never have tangential discussions here...


And no. That is not the point I'm making. I'm
Merely pointing out the draw of some areas of the county toward different abilities and interests. It's completely salient to this conversation. It's very possible families target specific schools for different reasons. Families that would never even consider or want their kids to take the TJ test... and yes I know several kids who declined spots at TJ because they wanted a more competitive and rigorous athletic program. I don't think the numbers of students admitted from certain schools necessarily reflects what's happening academically in some schools.
However, if football was important to an 8th grade boy - he's probably going to want to stay at Westfield.
Langley, McLean, Marshall - those schools aren't going to have the same draw.
Not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe I specifically qualified my statement with "as far as SOL scores go..."

Try a little reading comprehension practice.... maybe that'll help?

Right. That must be why you started speculating about AP participation rates at Chantilly, too.

Again.... reading comprehension matters.... new paragraph about Chantilly -- therefore the qualifier isn't related to that idea.

Sigh.... it's hard for some to keep up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You can argue that one of these schools is "better" than another based on the stats you choose. But the reality is a kid with educated parents from a relatively affluent home should have a great outcome at any of these schools.

+1000 This is the most important metric.

Exactly. Parents who spend any energy worrying about which great school slightly outperforms another great school are just feeding their insecurities. Grow up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. DCUM... We never have tangential discussions here...


And no. That is not the point I'm making. I'm
Merely pointing out the draw of some areas of the county toward different abilities and interests. It's completely salient to this conversation. It's very possible families target specific schools for different reasons. Families that would never even consider or want their kids to take the TJ test... and yes I know several kids who declined spots at TJ because they wanted a more competitive and rigorous athletic program. I don't think the numbers of students admitted from certain schools necessarily reflects what's happening academically in some schools.
However, if football was important to an 8th grade boy - he's probably going to want to stay at Westfield.
Langley, McLean, Marshall - those schools aren't going to have the same draw.
Not a big deal.

OK, Westfield has a good football team. Basketball, too. Point taken. With 2800 kids you'd expect nothing less.

Having said that, do you have any real evidence to show more kids turn down TJ for Westfield than for Langley, McLean or Marshall? Or do you just plan to continue to make fun of the sports where the latter have done well in athletics?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You can argue that one of these schools is "better" than another based on the stats you choose. But the reality is a kid with educated parents from a relatively affluent home should have a great outcome at any of these schools.

+1000 This is the most important metric.

Exactly. Parents who spend any energy worrying about which great school slightly outperforms another great school are just feeding their insecurities. Grow up.

Did you say that the OP?

[Anonymous]

Added latest graduation rates:

Great Schools

TJ 10
Marshall 9
West Springfield 9
Chantilly 8
Lake Braddock 8
Langley 8
McLean 8
Madison 8
Oakton 8
Robinson 8
Woodson 8

SAT Scores for Class of 2015

TJ 2216
McLean 1852
Langley 1851
Woodson 1810
Oakton 1792
Madison 1787
Marshall 1742
Chantilly 1728
Robinson 1728
West Springfield 1704
Lake Braddock 1692

US News Ratings - State of Virginia

TJ 1
Langley 2
Woodson 3
McLean 4
Oakton 6
Madison 7
West Springfileld 11
Robinson 13
Lake Braddock 14
Marshall 15
Chantilly 19

National Merit Semifinalists - Class of 2016

TJ 163
McLean 16
Madison 12
Oakton 7
Langley 6
Lake Braddock 5
Woodson 5
Chantilly 2
Marshall 2
Robinson 1
West Springfield 1

Washington Post - 2015 Challenge Index "E&E" Ratings (College Readiness)

TJ N/R
McLean 78.80%
Madison 72.80
Oakton 72.00
Langley 70.10
Marshall 67.50
Woodson 67.50
Robinson 62.70
Lake Braddock 57.60
West Springfield 57.50
Chantilly 53.40

2015 Virginia Board of Education "Virginia Index of Performance" Awards

Educational Excellence - Chantilly, Langley, Madison, McLean, Oakton, Robinson, TJ, West Springfield, Woodson
Distinguished Achievement - Lake Braddock
Not Recognized - Marshall

2014-15 Dropout Rates

TJ 0.05%
Robinson 0.18
Lake Braddock 0.30
Langley 0.30
West Springfield 0.31
McLean 0.39
Oakton 0.40
Woodson 0.42
Chantilly 0.71
Madison 0.73
Marshall 1.05

Most Recent Graduation Rates


TJ 99%
Robinson 99%
West Springfield 99%
Lake Braddock 98%
Langley 98%
McLean 98%
Oakton 98%
Woodson 98%
Chantilly 97%
Madison 97%
Marshall 94%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. DCUM... We never have tangential discussions here...


And no. That is not the point I'm making. I'm
Merely pointing out the draw of some areas of the county toward different abilities and interests. It's completely salient to this conversation. It's very possible families target specific schools for different reasons. Families that would never even consider or want their kids to take the TJ test... and yes I know several kids who declined spots at TJ because they wanted a more competitive and rigorous athletic program. I don't think the numbers of students admitted from certain schools necessarily reflects what's happening academically in some schools.
However, if football was important to an 8th grade boy - he's probably going to want to stay at Westfield.
Langley, McLean, Marshall - those schools aren't going to have the same draw.
Not a big deal.

OK, Westfield has a good football team. Basketball, too. Point taken. With 2800 kids you'd expect nothing less.

Having said that, do you have any real evidence to show more kids turn down TJ for Westfield than for Langley, McLean or Marshall? Or do you just plan to continue to make fun of the sports where the latter have done well in athletics?

Yes. I plan to continue to make fun of McLean and Langley. Happy Easter!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one -- and I mean no one -- considers Great Schools to be a credible arbiter of school quality.

Keep telling yourself that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Added latest graduation rates:

Great Schools

TJ 10
Marshall 9
West Springfield 9
Chantilly 8
Lake Braddock 8
Langley 8
McLean 8
Madison 8
Oakton 8
Robinson 8
Woodson 8

SAT Scores for Class of 2015

TJ 2216
McLean 1852
Langley 1851
Woodson 1810
Oakton 1792
Madison 1787
Marshall 1742
Chantilly 1728
Robinson 1728
West Springfield 1704
Lake Braddock 1692

US News Ratings - State of Virginia

TJ 1
Langley 2
Woodson 3
McLean 4
Oakton 6
Madison 7
West Springfileld 11
Robinson 13
Lake Braddock 14
Marshall 15
Chantilly 19

National Merit Semifinalists - Class of 2016

TJ 163
McLean 16
Madison 12
Oakton 7
Langley 6
Lake Braddock 5
Woodson 5
Chantilly 2
Marshall 2
Robinson 1
West Springfield 1

Washington Post - 2015 Challenge Index "E&E" Ratings (College Readiness)

TJ N/R
McLean 78.80%
Madison 72.80
Oakton 72.00
Langley 70.10
Marshall 67.50
Woodson 67.50
Robinson 62.70
Lake Braddock 57.60
West Springfield 57.50
Chantilly 53.40

2015 Virginia Board of Education "Virginia Index of Performance" Awards

Educational Excellence - Chantilly, Langley, Madison, McLean, Oakton, Robinson, TJ, West Springfield, Woodson
Distinguished Achievement - Lake Braddock
Not Recognized - Marshall

2014-15 Dropout Rates

TJ 0.05%
Robinson 0.18
Lake Braddock 0.30
Langley 0.30
West Springfield 0.31
McLean 0.39
Oakton 0.40
Woodson 0.42
Chantilly 0.71
Madison 0.73
Marshall 1.05

Most Recent Graduation Rates


TJ 99%
Robinson 99%
West Springfield 99%
Lake Braddock 98%
Langley 98%
McLean 98%
Oakton 98%
Woodson 98%
Chantilly 97%
Madison 97%
Marshall 94%

Thanks for compiling this. It seems like Great Schools scores are just one data point among many. I'm glad our HS doesn't make too big a deal out of SOLs.

[Anonymous]

Wonder why Centreville HS is always kind of low. It's a 6 now. My husband wants to move, but I LOVE my neighborhood and our ES is wonderful (Colin Powell). Centreville HS feeds from Liberty MS which is an 8 and has rave reviews from everyone I speak to. It also feeds from Rocky Run MS which is a 9 and another amazing school. Any theories?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wonder why Centreville HS is always kind of low. It's a 6 now. My husband wants to move, but I LOVE my neighborhood and our ES is wonderful (Colin Powell). Centreville HS feeds from Liberty MS which is an 8 and has rave reviews from everyone I speak to. It also feeds from Rocky Run MS which is a 9 and another amazing school. Any theories?

The demographics of Liberty and Centreville match up pretty closely. Centreville also picks up some AAP kids from Rocky Run who don't end up at TJ.

Could be that there's just more emphasis on the SOLs at Liberty than at Centreville. Some schools really, really care about SOLs as a way to boost school ratings. Others don't care so much. Centreville may fall in the latter category. Also, if there are a lot of kids taking some of the math SOLs in middle school, it can drive down the average scores at the HS level. I certainly wouldn't move if you like your current school and neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Volleyball! Golly gee!

You sound like a real prize. I'm sure this will get snark galore, but Langley's Scholastic Bowl team has also won the 6A State Championships since 2013. That's a huge accomplishment.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
You are killing me. Really. Tears. Of hilarity.
Thanks for that.

Look, I'm sure Langley, McLean, Marshal ... Whatever. I'll leave out Oakton, because they pull it out sometimes...
Those are some great schools where academic excellence abounds. I bet the kids playing football and soccer there are having a ball. That's important.
They aren't the schools you think of when you are talking big athletics departments in ffx county.
They just aren't.

Westfield
Lake Braddock
Robinson
West Springfield

There are some others - I'm sure someone will chime in with maybe south county?

We're talking programs that spur parents to pupil place.

And don't get me wrong- it's not like we're Texas, but as far as Fairfax county is concerned this is how it shakes down.

Oh, wait. You're talking about sports, not academics? Bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Ha! Tears of hilarity is right! 'Cuz the rest of us were talking about academics. You know, the important things? You're actually asserting that parents pupil place their kids due to.... wait for it... the sports programs??? It's pretty obvious you are from Texas. Or maybe Alabama, Georgia...

[Anonymous]

school "quality" is directly correlated to income of the people in the area

keep thinking you are doing yourself a favor by striving to live in a better pyramid

big fish in small pond laughing all the way to the bank in college admissions and bank account lolz

love ya dcum :-p