From Harford County Public Schools:
Two Harford County public high schools, Patterson Mill and C. Milton Wright, are part of an elite group of schools nationwide that are included in the “2012 America’s Top High Schools” list compiled by The Washington Post. The high school challenge, known as the “Challenge Index,” identifies schools that offer a rigorous instructional program based on high numbers of students taking either Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) tests.
The Challenge Index, which was devised by Post reporter Jay Matthews, divides the number of AP or IB tests taken by all students at a school by the number of graduating seniors. The resulting ratio score is used to rank schools in the survey.
For more information, visit:
http://apps.washingtonpost.com/local/highschoolchallenge/schools/2012/list/maryland-schools/
I don’t know that I would brag about this. They just listed the schools from the Baltimore/DC area and many of the school that ranked higher than Patterson Mill and even C Milton Wright are not very good schools. Some of the school on the list have an “Under 10%” pass rate on the AP exams. I’m sure these are both excellent high schools, but these ratings don’t show that.
The Challenge Index, created by Jay Matthews, does not at all measure quality. Matthews claims that it identifies schools that effectively prepare students for college. All it identifies is the ratio of kids that take AP/IB exams compared to the population of the school. It has nothing to do with the pass rate on the exam. AP and IB exams cost money to take, and some students decide not to take them because of the $$$. Some schools actually PAY the students to take AP exams: yes, that’s right, they pay for the exam and then give the kids money if they take them.
Some of this is driven
By not offering an alternative. For example, if my son wanted to
Take Psychology his only option was AP Psychology.
Tomback and Lawrence are really getting desperate now. This metric, designed by Matthews to get himself some press coverage, is a ridiculous endeavor if its used to identify “top high schools”. Tomback and Lawrence have been forcing high schools to pressure kids to take AP courses and to take the test. The ONLY reason for this is to pad the numbers so that they can score highly on Matthews’ “ranking”. It doesn’t measure success or student achievement in ANY way. Embarrassing.
This issue was brought up at last evenings school board meeting. The numbers of students taking AP courses to not tell the whole story. The elimination of standard and honors level classes which then forces students into AP if they are trying to boost their high school transcript for college applications leaves no options for those that simply want to take a class out of personal interest or fun without adding to an already loaded schedule of challenging classes.
You’re right. And by the way, my comments are not directed at the high schools; they are directed at Bill Lawrence and Tomback and at the principal of Patterson Mill. C. Milton Wright is an excellent school and we should all be proud of it. And I have great respect for the students, parents and many of the teachers at Patterson Mill. Wayne Thibeault is an embarrassment though.
My child is in Patterson Mill Middle School and is doing great, is very happy there, and in turn we are very happy. I’m a bit puzzled by all this negativity. We don’t get that “vibe” from him at all. Every day he comes home excited about what he’s learned, and looks forward to going back the next day. I’m not trying to challenge your opinion, because I really do respect your right to have it. But, what am I missing?
“Happiness” does not mean that a student is meeting educational standards. It could mean “fun and games in the classroom,” not necessarily rigor. PMHS has historically pressured students into signing up for AP classes to make the school LOOK good, but many of these students are not prepared to meet the real challenges of the course. The number of students who are enrolled in these classes and actually passing the AP exams is quite a different story. Once again the school has succeeded in duping the public and glossing over reality. Actual AP scores and SAT scores would be much better indicators of success, but are they ever published? In addition, all HCPS students have to take the PSAT in 10th grade. How about showing the public the averages on the math, reading, and writing portions of these tests? I can guarantee you that the schools would not receive any awards for this. The fact that the scores are not made public means that the schools have something to hide.
The ap scores are made public and were posted on here a month or so ago.
I’m sorry I did not see these AP scores. I would like to know how we’re doing without having to do a fair amount of digging. It would be nice to have standardized test scores easily accessible on the HCPS website. Again, if these scores are not made readily available, it seems to suggest that we have something to hide.