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[quote=Anonymous][quote]Just to add a point of information to this discussion, remember when you try to compare %'s of NMSFs between schools in DC, MD and VA, that the cutoffs are really very significantly different. DC has the highest cutoff in the country (along with International and I believe NJ and MA), this year 221 (2210 in terms more of us can understand to compare to SATs), VA's is only 217 and MD's is 219. So trying to compare the numbers of NMSFs at Blair magnet or TJ versus schools in DC is really difficult, since the cutoffs are different (and it can really make a huge difference at the top end, counselor in my kids Big3 school indicated if used VA cutoff that the school would have quadrupled the number of NMSFs which would have brought the % into the TJ range, and using Maryland cutoff would have increased by 2.5 fold).

[b]I keep seeing people being "surprised" that schools like GDS, Sidwell and the Cathedral Schools don't have more in terms of %'s compared to the public magnets, this is the main reason why (besides of course that those schools select in 8 grade based on SAT-like testing abilities, and the privates have kids coming in at age 4-5 with no idea how they will end up as standardized test takers). [/b]The schools that this situation really hurts are the DC publics, absolutely certain that for instance Wilson High School would have some significant number of NMSFs if they had a cutoff similar to VA or even MD. Being in a city where there are loads of kids that come into the city from MD and VA to attend highly academic privates and parochial schools really drives up the cutoff score artificially.

Then there is the whole issue of whether the cutoffs should differ by state, understand the reasoning behind it, but there are even larger differences than the local ones (i.e. Wyoming and West Virginia for instance have cutoffs of 200. I suspect a significant majority of kids at many local privates and just about every student at TJ or Blair would be a NMSF if those were the cutoffs here!). Many colleges give $2500 to NMSFs and then the NM foundation itself supports some number of $2500 scholarships to the NM finalists so this has real monetary consequences.[/quote]

So, the explanation why the public school students at Blair magnet program and TJHS simply whip the academic socks off students in D.C. private schools is due to a much higher standard or cutoff for the D.C. private schools?

Is this thesis also true for non-standadardized tests and accolades like AP scholarrs, Davidson Fellowships, USAMO, Olympiaids, Intel and Seimens?  What's the standard "talking point" rebuttal?

Of course, students in public school just take standardized tests?  These types of tests don't exist in private schools?  ERB, SSAT are not standardized tests.

Area D.C. private studnts do not participate in CTY or Duke TIPS programs and they do not participate in SAT and ACT standardized test taking for qualification.  These tests don't really qualify as standardized tests and don't count.
 
   
 
 
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