How Do We Judge/Determine "Good" High Schools? 1 Factor that Is Overlooked...

[keysersoze]

Everyone talks about this HS is good or that HS is good - especially if your in NYC attending public schools and trying to make it yourself or a parent looking for a school to send his kids to, I would recommend that you ask the school officials of how the kids who graduate from that school do when they go on to college.


Many High Schools throw numbers at you like 85% of our students go on to college. What they don't mention is that most of those 85% go on to 2 year community colleges - which no offense to those in community college is not as competitive as 4 year colleges since your trying to get an BA or BS degree in the 4 year college as opposed to an associates.

The other issue is that even those who end up in colleges - 4 year or 2 year - I'd be curious to see if they complete the degree or not.


I've personally know friends who ended up at good colleges and universities (i.e. St. Johns) only to fuck up in their 1st or 2nd year and then never continue on to getting their degree.


I personally suggest to parents to look at High Schools that have accomplished alumni and the one way to measure that is through seeing how of the kids from that school went on to get graduate degrees (Masters, MBA, MD, etc.). Why?

Simple reason being that it shows you how well prepared those students were from HS to be able to handle college and then still continue onto graduate school

I know getting statical data on such information is hard but you could pick up a trend just by seeing former HS alumni involved in the school who are accomplished.


Perhaps this may help some of you with kids about to enter HS soon or maybe later on.

 

[Acur]

You posted some good info. I know friends from Michigan and other places. Good Education cost money. I know some friends who went to highschool and their parents paid $20 k. That was an elite private school. All the captians of industry kids, professionals sports etc etc kids went there. My friends who went here have attended Yale, Morehouse, NYU, Fisk, Howard and have done well. I attended a great private school growing up. I finsihed at a great public school and did well.

I've also had friends who did have nearly as much as I did. We are still friends. My parents and their parents all stayed up to the various schools. They made sure the teachers know who they were and who are the students they cared about. They have also went along and recieved their college degree and various post grad degrees.


What matters is that You as a parent must be visible. You must show the teachers and everyone involved at your school that You care about kids education.

 

[Megazell]

Education starts and ends at the home.

Good education does not only cost money it cost time.

The time you invest in your children is actually more important than the money you invest into these schools.

Acur hit on some topics to keep in mind but the paramount issue is to make sure you (mom and/or dad, guardian) are active in the child's education.

Expose them to a new experiences every week and test their knowledge at all times.

I came from an "OK" public school but my families' involvement in my education and my hard work allowed me to go to a great 4 year school on scholarships.

Though my current profession/business is a total 180 degrees from what I went to school for, it was my education at home that has carried me to be a successful person.

 

[QueEx]

 

[SPECTRE1]

The numbers don't mean anything, some schools can use financial barriers (high real estate prices, tuition costs) to keep students from poor socio-economic backgrounds that will be more likely not to finish and score poorly on standardized tests out.

Public Schools have to teach everybody and the reason any metric will look poor. Dump the worse of the worse on private schools and see how things pan out...

 

[rNubb]

A ruler is a ruler. A text book is a text book. A desk is a desk. All school have the basic materials. All schools have teachers.

Education is a personal experience. It requires desire, commitment and participation.

Not all school have students that are ready, willing and able to learn.

Any family that will spend $20k for their child's education is a family that will probably produce an equally educated child in a public school setting.

That family is engaged in their child's education. Their investment demonstrates that they will work to put their child in a position to be educated.

Many children come for a legacy of lower academic achievement. School doesn't work for them whether public or private. Hungry, sleepy and stressed-out children are not going to show up at the national spelling bee or at the National Science Fair.

Also.

Community college vs 4 universities is not a real comparison either

The first 60 hours or 4 semester at a 4 yr university is spent on Art Appreciation, humanities, English 101, Psycology and the likes. The same courses are offered at every community college.

Biology is biology regardless of the school. That same is true for Chemistry or Physics or Calculus.

Whether you are taking Intro to Sociology at Harvard, Michigan State or at a local community college there is no significant difference in the curriculum - just the cost.

4 yr university offer Majors (60 credit hours studies) that lead to a BA or BS. Of course, those studies are more indept than a Associate major that may only require (30 hours). But general education courses are all the same whether at 4yr or 2 yr schools.