(no subject)

[bursar42]

Well, it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Yes, there is a thunderstorm outside, but it's the last day of classes (or was a few hours ago), so it's a beautiful day. Trust me on this one.

Never fear, though. I won't let much time go by without posting a comment on the high school ranking systems used by Newsweek. For those who don't know, they're even more arbitrary and pointless than the parallel system used for US colleges. It works out to, essentially, the average number of AP tests taken per senior. This is, of course, a ridiculous measurement of school performance. Notice, for example, the pointed lack of any mention of average grades on the APs. Note, also, the disqualification of any school which tests for admission. Finally, notice the scores.

My school, which, in fact, is quite good, ranked #5 with an average of 4.something-or-other APs/senior. What they don't tell you about is a key policy found in these top-ranking public schools. Open enrollment. (This is the part where you gasp and recoil in horror, please.) There may be an argument for an egalitarian distribution of resources. (Yes. Socialism lives on in suburbia.) That said, it's obvious that certain persons in the advanced courses have a tendency to slow those classes down. This is not because they are in search of deeper knowledge, but rather because they should not be in that class yet they cling to their C+/B- (Which is a poor grade in this particular school. Inflation is something to behold.) averages instead of dropping the class.

Now, this particular school, since APs are open enrollment, has also abolished honors courses. So we have Regular/Mainstreamed Special Ed and AP (Two types of class. Not two tracks.) All of this has led to a movement for closed AP classes among some of the student body.

The administration (meaning the local board of ed, not the federal cabinet) consistantly refuses to reconsider open enrollment. With the publication of Newsweek, we understand why. The caliber of the students taking the tests does not matter. They could leave in the middle after resigning themselves to scoring a 1 (as many calculus students did this year). All that matters is that they took the test. The more APs taken, the higher the district's ranking. The higher the district's ranking, the higher the property values (and rates of incumbency on the school board).

Thoughts, folks?

Comments

[contradictacat.livejournal.com]

uuuuugh...I know people like that...I have people like that in my class. Then again, my school also has closed enrollment, like you've got to fill out an application for AP classes (That's why I couldn't take AP Calc at my school this year...grrrr). There are things to be said for both sides, but I do know what you mean, and I do send you lots of happy thoughts. :)

[jennekirby.livejournal.com]

iiiiiiick.

i hate ranking systems.