Newsweek's Top 2000 HS 2013 (Dallas, Plano, Richardson: how much, top school, vs)

[pappy97]

Originally Posted by synchronicity

.

Among DFW area non-Magnet Publics - Plano West #63, HPHS #86.

What about Westlake Academy #52 (in Westlake)? Westlake is DFW area, correct? And according to the chart, although it is a charter school, it is listed as "open enrollment."

[PISDstudent]

Originally Posted by pappy97

I was just going to post about that, very interesting. Anyone know why (whether it be just comparing the numbers or otherwise)?

Plano West was able to raise its average AP score this year while also slightly increasing AP enrollment...still has a lower SAT than Highland Park, but its AP numbers are a bit better I think.

I'm also going to note here that although TAG gives out a lot of AP tests, many comprehensive high schools are beating their average score on those AP exams.

[PISDstudent]

Originally Posted by synchronicity

2 Frisco schools in the 600's...Allen in the 700's.

Richardson HS #868 but Pearce down at #1230 is a surprise. Can't say I agree with that or a bunch of the other numbers, but hey, rankings are rankings. Take them all with a grain of salt.

This was surprising...there's no way Frisco's Wakeland is better than Pearce. Oh well...no ranking is perect.

[synchronicity]

Originally Posted by pappy97

What about Westlake Academy #52 (in Westlake)? Westlake is DFW area, correct? And according to the chart, although it is a charter school, it is listed as "open enrollment."

Westlake is kinda weird...IIRC, you've gotta live IN Westlake to get in (someone can correct me on this or confirm). It's a really small school for obvious reasons. High metrics but obviously extremely favorable demographics.

[synchronicity]

Originally Posted by PISDstudent

This was surprising...there's no way Frisco's Wakeland is better than Pearce. Oh well...no ranking is perect.

The Grapevine vs. Heritage thing throws me. Heritage was a little ahead of Grapevine last year IIRC. Now I can't find Heritage on there at all. Am I missing something?

The two schools usually have similar metrics but Heritage has a rep of being slightly better than Grapevine, although that may be due to nothing more than location (the infamous Mustang Drive apartments are almost next door to Grapevine HS).

Agree with you on Pearce. I'm guessing it has something to do with the last year's AP test results? Still seems strange.

[PISDstudent]

Originally Posted by synchronicity

The Grapevine vs. Heritage thing throws me. Heritage was a little ahead of Grapevine last year IIRC. Now I can't find Heritage on there at all. Am I missing something?

.

Sometimes schools don't manage to get their stats off to the magazine before the rankings are run; I'm pretty sure that's what happened to Heritage...as opposed to it having bad numbers.

The Pearce thing is probably because of their listed College Bound %...if that's the actual number (instead of an error by the magazine).

On another note, I am rather pleased that West beat Highland Park this year (and that we got our average AP score to a 4!); although it's just one list, it goes to show that what I say about the school isn't just puffery.

[Johnhw2]

I agree one list is just one list, but still have not seen a list yet which did not think pretty highly of PISD SHS results. Does this mean your kid will have a better life by going to a PISD SH? I dont think it does, it improves the potential for a better prepared college bound student. Congrats to PISD and West as well as other DFW area schools, who seem to out rank Houston schools with the shear number on this list.

[Keepingitsimple]

PISD always scores better against districts of equal or higher afflluence. It's not a news any more, just a fact.

[PISDstudent]

Originally Posted by Keepingitsimple

PISD always scores better against districts of equal or higher afflluence. It's not a news any more, just a fact.

Okay, that might be taking it a bit too far...

And John, there is one list by the Washington Post that DISD boosters like tot alk about; it ranks schools by dividing AP tests taken by the senior class size. The PISD senior highs do rather badly in that list, since they can't count the tests taken by 9th/10th graders. If they could though, and I ran the numbers, they would do pretty much as well on that list as they do on here.

[BstYet2Be]

.
For ease of use, here are the 40 high schools listed for the Dallas area:

Newsweek's Top 2000 - America's Best High Schools - Dallas Metro

#4 Dallas School of Science/Engineering Magnet
#5 Dallas School for the Talented & Gifted Magnet HS
#41 Irving Uplift North Hills Preparatory School
#51 Arlington Uplift Summit International Preparatory
#52 Westlake Academy

#63 Plano West Sr HS
#86 Highland Park HS
#117 Plano Sr HS
#168 Southlake Carroll Sr HS
#220 Lucas LoveJoy High School

#221 Dallas Booker T. Washington HS for the Performing & Visual Arts
#225 Dallas Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet
#265 Coppell HS
#328 Dallas School of Business & Mgmt
#330 Flower Mound HS

#394 Plano East Sr HS
#486 Grapevine HS
#493 Dallas Uplift Williams Preparatory School
#501 Dallas Rosie C. Sorrells School of Education & Social Services
#619 Frisco Centennial HS

#661 Dallas School of Health Professions
#663 Frisco Dr. Justin Wakeland HS
#685 Dallas Harmony Science Academy
#726 Allen HS
#732 Dallas Uplift Peak Preparatory School

#859 Dallas Uplift Hampton Preparatory School
#868 Richardson HS
#890 Dallas Trindidad "Trini" Garza Early College HS
#966 Frisco Liberty HS
#1009 Flower Mound Edward S. Marcus HS

#1044 McKinney North HS
#1230 Richardson JJ Pearce HS
#1422 Carrollton Newman Smith HS
#1447 Richardson L.V. Berkner HS
#1699 Irving Jack E. Singley Academy

#1762 Dallas Lake Highlands HS
#1767 Dallas Skyline HS & Career & Dev Center
#1775 Irving MacArthur HS
#1859 Dallas Hillcrest HS
#1880 Dallas Warren Travis White

Source: America's Best High Schools - Newsweek and The Daily Beast

This year our ranking highlights the best 2,000 public high schools in the nation—those that have proven to be the most effective in turning out college-ready grads. The list is based on six components: graduation rate (25 percent), college acceptance rate (25 percent), AP/IB/AICE tests taken per student (25 percent), average SAT/ACT scores (10 percent), average AP/IB/AICE scores (10 percent), and percent of students enrolled in at least one AP/IB/AICE course (5 percent).Click here for full methodology.

For comparison's sake, here is the link to 2012's info: DFW Metro High Schools - Ranked by Newsweek - America's Best High Schools 2012
.