How is Springfield/West Springfield/Burke?

[Vectorhead]

I just looked at that link and I don't think it's a good one. There are lots of different ways of ranking schools. That ranking looks really, really off to me. As much as I love WSHS, it's hard to believe that it far outranks Woodson and McLean. I think this is probably a more accurate ranking: Search Virginia High Schools | US News
I will admit that I'm surprised not to see Lake Braddock on either of those lists. Things fluctuate from year to year but like I said, WSHS and LBSS are usually neck and neck.

That said, school rankings alone are not a great way of deciding on a school. They really aren't. Schools with fewer kids from non-English speaking homes will almost always rank higher. That means McLean and Langley always rank very high, while schools like WSHS rank lower. But the mere presence of kids who need ESOL services doesn't detract at all from my kids' educations. If a HUGE percentage of kids in a given school needed ESOL services then it could be argued that too much money was directed at those kids and maybe the non-ESOL kids would suffer. But a school like WSHS has a nice mix of English-speaking, ESOL, middle income, lower income, white, non-white... kids can learn a lot from being part of a diverse student body like that. I like that fact that my kids think that kids who speak two languages are to be admired, since they themselves only speak one language. I like the fact that they have classes with and eat lunch with and play on sports teams with kids from a huge variety of cultures, religions and lifestyles. But those things generally pull a school's ranking down. That's why I don't think school rankings are a great way to choose a school.

[compuguy]

Originally Posted by Vectorhead

I agree with the bit about Burke, but disagree with the advice to avoid West Springfield HS. Yes, it needs to be renovated, and it will be within the next several years. But it's an excellent school (runs neck and neck with Lake Braddock every year) and the renovations, while a pain in the neck, won't interfere with the quality of the education. One of the main differences between West Springfield and Lake Braddock is that Lake Braddock is a secondary school (grades 7-12), so it is huge -- over 4000 students, I believe. West Springfield is strictly a high school (grades 9-12) and has fewer than 2400 students. Some people don't like the idea of their kids, especially the younger ones, being in such a huge school. It wasn't important to us when we bought our house but it's something to be aware of.

I'm not saying it is not a good school. I'm trying to give all the relevant information about the school. True LBSS is a secondary school. On the plus side, having the middle school + high school in one building allows for a easier transition between middle and high school. I'm sure both schools have high academic ratings.