Anonymous
Post 05/22/2013 07:46     Subject: Re:Marshall "3rd for Best School"
Anonymous wrote:Oh, for God's sake. People in this area are so ridiculous.

Yes, Marshall is a very good school. Third in the state is very good (assuming you buy into US News rankings) and #16 in the state is also very good. In general, Fairfax County has excellent schools. It would be very difficult to go wrong. Differences in rankings through US News or through Great Schools are about DEMOGRAPHICS. Who cares if a school like Oakton or Langley has slightly higher scores? The scores are slightly higher because they have slightly fewer poor kids. It doesn't mean the teaching is better, which is what we should really care about. The problem, of course, is that quality of teaching is incredibly difficult to measure. So instead we just prattle on endlessly about test scores like there's some meaningful difference between the education kids get at Langley vs. Woodson or McLean vs. Marshall. Give me a freaking break.


OP here. I am not as familiar with all the schools in Fairfax County as you seem to be, so maybe I am placing too much emphasis on rankings to help us decide. From the responses, it seems likely that the high "3rd for best school" ranking for Marshall was based on "bad data" and that school officials knew this and publicized it anyway. As someone with a research background, that troubles me, as it raises questions about academic integrity and the values the school seeks to promote among its students. At this point we plan to look elsewhere and will be crossing Pimmit Hills and Marshall off our list of options.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2013 23:39     Subject: Re:Marshall "3rd for Best School"
Anonymous wrote:Oh, for God's sake. People in this area are so ridiculous.

Yes, Marshall is a very good school. Third in the state is very good (assuming you buy into US News rankings) and #16 in the state is also very good. In general, Fairfax County has excellent schools. It would be very difficult to go wrong. Differences in rankings through US News or through Great Schools are about DEMOGRAPHICS. Who cares if a school like Oakton or Langley has slightly higher scores? The scores are slightly higher because they have slightly fewer poor kids. It doesn't mean the teaching is better, which is what we should really care about. The problem, of course, is that quality of teaching is incredibly difficult to measure. So instead we just prattle on endlessly about test scores like there's some meaningful difference between the education kids get at Langley vs. Woodson or McLean vs. Marshall. Give me a freaking break.


Agree but WL is not on par with any of those FCPS you listed.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2013 21:47     Subject: Re:Marshall "3rd for Best School"
Oh, for God's sake. People in this area are so ridiculous.

Yes, Marshall is a very good school. Third in the state is very good (assuming you buy into US News rankings) and #16 in the state is also very good. In general, Fairfax County has excellent schools. It would be very difficult to go wrong. Differences in rankings through US News or through Great Schools are about DEMOGRAPHICS. Who cares if a school like Oakton or Langley has slightly higher scores? The scores are slightly higher because they have slightly fewer poor kids. It doesn't mean the teaching is better, which is what we should really care about. The problem, of course, is that quality of teaching is incredibly difficult to measure. So instead we just prattle on endlessly about test scores like there's some meaningful difference between the education kids get at Langley vs. Woodson or McLean vs. Marshall. Give me a freaking break.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2013 20:33     Subject: Re:Marshall "3rd for Best School"
Anonymous wrote:GreatSchools ratings simply reflect average scores on basic state competency exams. RM has a selective IB program within a larger school with a general education program, so it could have both the region's best IB program and lower average standardized test scores than another IB school.


I guess their ib program has problems according to the tests
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2013 19:23     Subject: Re:Marshall "3rd for Best School"
Anonymous wrote:GreatSchools ratings simply reflect average scores on basic state competency exams. RM has a selective IB program within a larger school with a general education program, so it could have both the region's best IB program and lower average standardized test scores than another IB school.


I believe Richard Montgomery is opening up the IB Middle Years Program to all incoming students next year, but it will still be the IB magnet for out-of-boundary students. The IB program at W-L is selective--students submit an application and must meet certain academic requirements to enter the IB Middle Years Program (9-10) and the IB Program (11-12). Scores on IB exams place W-L among the best of the local IB schools: Marshall, Robinson, B-CC, etc.

For students not interested in the IB Program, W-L also offers the standard AP curriculum as outlined in the Arlington HS Program of Studies. W-L's AP scores rank "in the middle" for Northern Virginia high schools, which are all above average for the state and nationally. Individual IB and AP classes are generally open to all students.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2013 15:27     Subject: Re:Marshall "3rd for Best School"
GreatSchools ratings simply reflect average scores on basic state competency exams. RM has a selective IB program within a larger school with a general education program, so it could have both the region's best IB program and lower average standardized test scores than another IB school.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2013 15:17     Subject: Marshall "3rd for Best School"
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think marshall is probably the #1 IB school in the area but I am not sure how much that matters


#1 IB schools in the area are probably Richard Montgomery in Montgomery County and George Mason in Falls Church City, followed by W-L in Arlington and Marshall and Robinson in Fairfax.


Problems with your list

WL has a very low score of 5 so I wouldn't put that up on the list you posted as the best IBs
http://www.greatschools.org/virginia/arlington/133-Washington-Lee-High-School/

Richard Montgomery and Robinson are scored at 8s
http://www.greatschools.org/maryland/rockville/943-Richard-Montgomery-High-School/
http://www.greatschools.org/virginia/fairfax/564-Robinson-Secondary/

Marshall and George Mason are 9s
http://www.greatschools.org/virginia/falls-church/543-Marshall-High-School/
http://www.greatschools.org/virginia/falls-church/650-George-Mason-High-School/

I see george mason, marshall as 9s (not 10s so they are very equal)

This list would be more like

George Mason / Marshall, Robinson / Richard Montgomery and then WL (which isn't even remotely as good as the previous listed schools)

Anonymous
Post 05/21/2013 15:11     Subject: Marshall "3rd for Best School"
Anonymous wrote:I think marshall is probably the #1 IB school in the area but I am not sure how much that matters


#1 IB schools in the area are probably Richard Montgomery in Montgomery County and George Mason in Falls Church City, followed by W-L in Arlington and Marshall and Robinson in Fairfax.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2013 15:07     Subject: Marshall "3rd for Best School"
I think marshall is probably the #1 IB school in the area but I am not sure how much that matters
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2013 15:04     Subject: Marshall "3rd for Best School"
Anonymous wrote:Marshall is awesome - one of the best in the county - who can deny that? It's just a fact. Whether it's number 3 is debateable, but that's splitting hairs, like comparing BMW to Mercedes.

But as for the biggest return on your investment, you will definitely make the most $$$ on your home if it's in Pimmit.


Why? The word is out. Everyone knows where the new Silver Line stations will be located. Everyone knows that there are plans to redevelop Tysons. People can easily find out how Marshall HS matches up against other schools in the county, whether it's having the seventh highest SAT scores (behind TJ, Langley, McLean, Woodson, Oakton and Madison) or being ranked #12 in the county by US News.

It seems like the market ought to have absorbed that information already and that it should be reflected in current prices. As some of the PH posters love to point out, the prices have gone up quite a bit already. Why shouldn't people be worried that redevelopment will now turn to other areas that are near the new Metro stations or are closer to DC?
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2013 14:13     Subject: Marshall "3rd for Best School"
Marshall is awesome - one of the best in the county - who can deny that? It's just a fact. Whether it's number 3 is debateable, but that's splitting hairs, like comparing BMW to Mercedes.

But as for the biggest return on your investment, you will definitely make the most $$$ on your home if it's in Pimmit.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2013 14:02     Subject: Marshall "3rd for Best School"
Marshall is a very good school, no question. Was it the top three in the state? I do not know how one would measure that. US News had thier criteria, but it was based on bad data.

Frankly, I have a problem with the methods, as I am more concerned with the quality of the teaching, which is not measured. I would not have a problem sending DD to Marshall's IB program. I would not have a problem sending her to South Lakes IB either. However, because of school boundaries, she will be going to neither.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2013 12:27     Subject: Re:Marshall "3rd for Best School"
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The "3 best" ranking was based on data that said 99% of the Marshall students participated in the IB program, which is inaccurate. That certainly seems to suggest that the "3rd best" ranking is faulty as incorrectly bolstered by bad data. But that didn't keep the school from touting the ranking. It's still a good school. But not many believe that it was ever "3rd best."


ignore this troll , there hasn't been a retraction . They tend to shuffle the rankings each year because alot of the nearby schools have high rankings close to each other.


The rankings changed because US News had more accurate data on IB participation at Marshall this year. It was never 99%, so the #3 ranking was kind of a joke, whether or not formally retracted by US News. But for whatever reason a lot of people associated with the school didn't want to acknowledge the obvious.


Take your troll dribble to another topic

Poor lady. Just because you type "troll" after every post you disagree with, it doesn't make it true. Marshall let bad data stand and then tried to capitalize on the obvious mistake. Just admit it and move on. The rest of us have.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2013 12:06     Subject: Marshall "3rd for Best School"
We are happy with Marshall, thank you.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2013 11:28     Subject: Re:Marshall "3rd for Best School"
Charming, PP.

Again, I guess it depends on how much credence you give outside rankings vs. how much faith you have in your kid. But then that does require a level of free-thinking and letting go that many in these parts seem incapable of. I agree with others that Marshall has its issues, but so does every other high school in the area.