Minneapolis Southwest High School, 3414 West 47th St., Mpls,MN 55410, (612)668-3030, http://southwest.mpls.k12.mn.us
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Dataclysm - what you don't know can hurt you - someday
"Throughout, we'll see that the Internet can be a vibrant, brutal, loving, forgiving, deceitful, sensual, angry place. And of course it is: it's made of human beings." Rudder
"Some 87% of Americans use the Internet, 87% of them have used Google." Rudder
"Today, an eighteen-year-old tacks a picture on his wall, and that wall will never come down." Rudder
Once it is out there, it stays out there...forever. The power of the Internet and the use of years and years of information about all of us.
A must read book for anyone posting on a blog or Facebook or keeping pictures of the family or getting directions to Grandma's.
Southwest Providing 21st Century Education Opportunities
Construction completion date is fall of 2016. The planning is finishing and papers are getting ready to go to bid.
Southwest High School is getting a remake to move into the 21st century. A building designed to meet the needs of students planing to move into a successful adult life. The new building is geared to meet the technology and academic needs of students. College and Career ready is the goal for all students and each academic area is equipped to provide exciting educational experiences.
Construction is projected to begin in the spring of 2015. Completion date is the beginning of school in the fall of 2016.
Southwest Black Box First Production - 39 Steps Oct. 7-10, Curtain at 7 pm
The
39 Steps, Oct. 7-10, 7 pm, the first student
directed Black Box show of the school year.
Directed by Ming Montgomery and
Nathaniel Larson.
Tickets at the door, Adults $10, Students $5
Monday, September 29, 2014
Reading A Book Can Be Good For You
Science Has Great News for People Who Read Actual Books
It's no secret that reading is good for you. Just six minutes of reading is enough to reduce stress by 68%, and numerous studies have shown that reading keeps your brain functioning effectively as you age. One study even found that elderly individuals who read regularly are 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer's than their peers. But not all forms of reading are created equal.
The debate between paper books and e-readers has been vicious since the first Kindle came out in 2007. Most arguments have been about the sentimental versus the practical, between people who prefer how paper pages feel in their hands and people who argue for the practicality of e-readers. But now science has weighed in, and the studies are on the side of paper books.
Reading in print helps with comprehension.
A 2014 study found that readers of a short mystery story on a Kindle were significantly worse at remembering the order of events than those who read the same story in paperback. Lead researcher Anne Mangen of Norway's Stavanger University concluded that "the haptic and tactile feedback of a Kindle does not provide the same support for mental reconstruction of a story as a print pocket book does."
Our brains were not designed for reading, but have adapted and created new circuits to understand letters and texts. The brain reads by constructing a mental representation of the text based on the placement of the page in the book and the word on the page.
The tactile experience of a book aids this process, from the thickness of the pages in your hands as you progress through the story to the placement of a word on the page. Mangen hypothesizes that the difference for Kindle readers "might have something to do with the fact that the fixity of a text on paper, and this very gradual unfolding of paper as you progress through a story is some kind of sensory offload, supporting the visual sense of progress when you're reading."
While e-readers try to recreate the sensation of turning pages and pagination, the screen is limited to one ephemeral virtual page. Surveys about the use of e-readers suggest that this affects a reader's serendipity and sense of control. The inability to flip back to previous pages or control the text physically, either through making written notes or bending pages, limits one's sensory experience and thus reduces long-term memory of the text.
Reading long, literary sentences sans links and distractions is actually a serious skill that you lose if you don't use it. Before the Internet, the brain read in a linear fashion, taking advantage of sensory details to remember where key information was in the book by layout.
As we increasingly read on screens, our reading habits have adapted to skim text rather than really absorb the meaning. A 2006 study found that people read on screens in an "F" pattern, reading the entire top line but then only scanning through the text along the left side of the page. This sort of nonlinear reading reduces comprehension and actually makes it more difficult to focus the next time you sit down with a longer piece of text.
Tufts University neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf worries that "the superficial way we read during the day is affecting us when we have to read with more in-depth processing." Individuals are increasingly finding it difficult to sit down and immerse themselves in a novel. As a result, some researchers and literature-lovers have started a "slow reading" movement, as a way to counteract their difficulty making it through a book.
Slow-reading advocates recommend at least 30 to 45 minutes of daily reading away from the distractions of modern technology. By doing so, the brain can reengage with linear reading. The benefits of making slow reading a regular habit are numerous, reducing stress and improving your ability to concentrate.
Regular reading also increases empathy, especially when reading a print book. One study discovered that individuals who read an upsetting short story on an iPad were less empathetic and experienced less transportation and immersion than those who read on paper.
Reading an old-fashioned novel is also linked to improving sleep. When many of us spend our days
in front of screens, it can be hard to signal to our body that it's time to sleep. By reading a paper book about an hour before bed, your brain enters a new zone, distinct from that enacted by reading on an e-reader.
Three-quarters of Americans 18 and older report reading at least one book in the past year, a number which has fallen, and e-books currently make up between 15 to 20% of all book sales. In this increasingly Twitter- and TV-centric world, it's the regular readers, the ones who take a break from technology to pick up a paper book, who have a serious advantage on the rest of us.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Parents and Homework
Advice
for Parents on Homework
“Homework has a branding problem,” says author Bruce
Feiler in this New York Times
article. “Or, to be a little less pointy-headed about it, everybody hates
homework.” But this hasn’t always been so. “Parents have been having these
battles since before electric lighting,” he says. In the 19th
century, homework was popular because people viewed the brain as a muscle that
needed to be strengthened by nightly exertion. At the beginning of the 20th
century, there was a backlash against repetitive drills, and by the 1940s,
homework was out of favor. Then Sputnik got people panicked about the U.S. falling
behind the Soviets and lots of homework was part of the solution. There was
another dip in the 1960s, and then A Nation
at Risk caused yet another surge in the 1980s. Today we’re hearing from
both sides: Chinese kids are doing six hours of homework before breakfast! No,
play is more important than make-work and Google wants employees who are
creative.
In Feiler’s own household, the homework wars come down to
squabbles over several questions, and he went looking for answers from experts:
• Do children need
to work at their own desks or is the kitchen table okay? Eva Pomerantz, a
specialist on parent involvement at the University of Illinois, likes the
kitchen table because a parent is usually around, increasing the chance of
connections, but is busy preparing meals, which makes it less likely they’ll do
the homework themselves. But it depends on your house, she says: “If you have a
crazy, noisy kitchen, that’s probably not the place for your kids to be doing
homework unless they have amazing concentration.”
• Is it okay for
children to do homework sprawled on their beds? “It’s not about the kid
being on their bed while they do their homework,” says Erika Patall, a
University of Texas expert on motivation and achievement. “It’s about the
extent to which they’re really engaged and attentive to their work.” Young
people vary in their preference for bright or dim lighting and sitting up or
lying down. If the kid is falling asleep, looking out the window, or on the
phone, then bed homework is a problem.
• How about
listening to music or doing FaceTime with friends? Patall says the research
on multitasking is pretty clear: “People tend to be very bad multitaskers, even
people who say, ‘I’m a great multitasker.’” Doing other things extends the time
homework takes and erodes the quality of work.
• Should parents go
over homework to check for errors? “If you’re concerned that imperfect
homework makes you look bad, that’s problematic,” says Pomerantz. But regularly
looking over homework may help students put in more effort and catch their own
mistakes.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Southwest Family Infomation
Good afternoon,
this is Principal Bill Smith of Southwest High School. The safety and
well being of all our students are our first priority.
I’m calling
to share that there was an incident between two of our students that occurred
in the commons area at the end of the first lunch period. The police were
notified to assist with the situation. The vast majority of students were
cooperative and proceeded to class, continuing their school day.
Once the
situation was settled, another student experienced a medical emergency and
required an ambulance. We delayed the beginning of the second lunch by two
minutes in order to respond to the situation.
I want you
to be informed and assured that our students are in class and learning. We will
continue to monitor the situation and we will maintain a safe and healthy
learning environment for all our students.
Thank
you. If there are questions, please call me at 612-668-3036 or use my
email.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Senior Addy Alms Earns COMPAS Art Award
Southwest Art Student Addy Alms was selected to receive the COMPAS prize for young artists in grades 10-12 throughout Minnesota.
Addy received a COMPAS rosette ribbon and will get a cash award for a sewed piece she did of three faces. It was very unique.
Congratulations Addy!
Southwest Student Art on Display
Southwest Student Art is important and displayed throughout the building. Some of the pieces are permanently mounted and are treasures for many years.
Some are display areas for specific themes or artist. Pictured is the large display area in the commons. The displays gradually changes throughout the year.
When you are in the building notice the art work. These are the works of to be in the future famous artists.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Most Accomplished Scientists Are LIkely to be Craftspeople
Illustration by John Rombola![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_twyOpLi7qZaRRLaZ911a8uQyGFvQehgGA9jWdT4vGeiMLo_O9hRYPaxrlY3__g-dzC_sLqaYLhvCKAFrNbD4nG-VuzxzUiJQhmrGQqDjqVKqQahSUVtpQBDbGX2SwBrebIy7gRcFwA067aUjBode-RRfmlwXKO=s0-d)
American Craft Magazine October/November 2014
http://craftcouncil.org/magazine/article/busy-hands-busy-brains
"high-achieving individuals were far more likely to have extensive art and craft skills than the average American is." Rex LaMore, researcher
"So if your interest is creating businesses in your local community, gaining new products and services, then this relationship of science, arts, and crafts seems to be important. Now, the research didn’t give us any new information about whether we should pursue a specific art or craft; we weren’t able to get that kind of fine detail. But it did suggest that the combination of science and art and craft does lead to that more inventive and creative person, the kind that – from an economic development perspective – communities are seeking to attract or create."
American Craft Magazine October/November 2014
Busy Hands, Busy Brains
|September 14, 2014
Research shows that the most accomplished scientists are likely to be craftspeople.
http://craftcouncil.org/magazine/article/busy-hands-busy-brains
"high-achieving individuals were far more likely to have extensive art and craft skills than the average American is." Rex LaMore, researcher
"So if your interest is creating businesses in your local community, gaining new products and services, then this relationship of science, arts, and crafts seems to be important. Now, the research didn’t give us any new information about whether we should pursue a specific art or craft; we weren’t able to get that kind of fine detail. But it did suggest that the combination of science and art and craft does lead to that more inventive and creative person, the kind that – from an economic development perspective – communities are seeking to attract or create."
Please Welcome New Math Teacher
Southwest High School
Math Students and Parents:
With pleasure I introduce Annette Gorgoglione as our new math
teacher. Ms.
Gorgoglione comes to us with excellent credentials and teaching experience by
way of New Hampshire.
Mitch Galinson, the previous math teacher, accepted a
position in a program at South High School.
It is a good opportunity for him and his future students. We wish him well.
Please welcome Ms. Gorgoglione and as possible, please
introduce yourself to her. We are confident
Ms. Gorgoglione will provide an outstanding math program and class for all students.
Bill Smith, Principal
Friday, September 19, 2014
And Then There Was A Dance
Homecooming Dance 2014. Regardless of any set of words and phrases the conclusions, stories, tales of horror and frustration will continue. Somewhere in the middle of the emotions, excuses, tall tales and excitement there are events and truths.
For the past two years the efforts to present a responsible and respectful event for students resulted in reduced ticket sales, alternate non-school events, expensive losses for Student Council and numerous explanations. The bottom line was that fewer students attended dances. That is not a good or bad statement,
Ticket sales were for two weeks at lunch. A normal process. There were several days of after school sales. The first few days the sales were slow as is normal. The usual for students is to wait and see who is coming, who will get asked, or what are the other options. And then someone created a huge marketing move and decided that the world was attending and there would never be sufficient tickets or space.
History suggests that fewer than half of our students attend dances. There are many reasons for that. This appears to be true in our surrounding high schools as well. Some schools restrict attendance to certain grades or some other criteria. Large public spaces are expensive and the cost of tickets continued to rise. Yes, we received those emails expressing concern about that as well.
The ticket price was greatly reduced and a more reasonably priced smaller venue was selected. And for whatever reason, the tickets became popular this past week and the run started. It was not the stampede we have seen at the opening of a Target Center Concert. There have not been reports of blood and broken bones. As a result of our student leaders attempting to be responsible, we now have an outcry of pain and suffering.
I know of no perfect system for dealing with the whims and wishes of otherwise brilliant teenagers. We do not hire Ticket Master to deal with tickets and resale. We offer a reasonable fun opportunity, try to keep prices low, write down the ticket number and student ID and name and then go over rules and expectations. Over the years we have wonderful parent volunteers who support and assist with dances and events.
I can assure you that we do not sit around and plot how to make life miserable for kids andfamilies. We regret misunderstandings and misinformation. This is all "extra" and is supposedto be a fun student activity. For the vast majority of the students and families that is fulfilled. For those students and families who have expressed numerous reasons for not having a ticket, we are sorry.
Are there lessons to be learned? The answer is always a yes. We need to make sure it is extremely obvious from the first announcement of the dance that there are limits. We need to make sure that the sales process is clear and known by students. Students and families need to make decisions earlier in the process. Students can't wait until the last minute to decide to do something.
I encourage any student or family member who has a great idea or is willing to volunteer to step forward. We do not claim to be dance promoters and producers. We do not control the venues or have endless pockets of money. Our goal is to promote learning and a quality education. We promote and support student leadership. We and our students and our families are not perfect and make mistakes and continue to learn and try to improve. This does not resolve every single issue raised in various emails. I am hopeful that those who are vocal volunteer to make the next dance a success in their eyes. We welcome your support.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Sept. 23 Voter Registration at Southwest
Voter Registration Drive
TO: Bill Smith – Principal, Southwest High School
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. to Hold Voter Registration Drive
WHAT: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. will host a voter registration drive at local high schools throughout the Twin Cities. Southwest High School has been selected to participate in this voter registration drive.
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is a private, not-for-profit organization established in 1913, whose purpose is to provide assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world. Our goal is to provide an opportunity for eligible high school students to register to vote. We are proud to promote civic engagement to help people register to vote and it is one way to further empower the people we serve.
Please note: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is a non-partisan organization
WHEN: Tuesday September 23, 2014 during the designated lunch hour. Two to four volunteers will arrive 30 minutes prior to the start of the lunch period to set up.
WHERE: Designated area near the cafeteria. We request a table with chairs be set up in an area designated by school administrator.
Students must meet the following criteria to be considered “eligible” to register:
· Are a United States citizen.
· Will be at least 18 years old on Election Day.
· Have resided in Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding Election Day.
· Maintain residence at the address given on the registration form.
· Are not under court-ordered guardianship in which the court order revokes your right to vote.
· Have not been found by a court to be legally incompetent to vote.
· Have any felony conviction record discharged, expired or completed your sentence.
Thank you for allowing Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. to provide this opportunity for students at Southwest High School. Should you have any questions, please contact: Irma Johnson at 612-237-9294.
Trenna Ross (770-313-3031)
Chapter President
Minneapolis-St. Paul Alumnae Chapter
Monday, September 15, 2014
Area C Parent and Community Meeting Sept. 17
Area C Parent and
Community Meeting
Wednesday, September 17,
2014 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Field Community School
4645 4th Ave. South
Flyer in
English, Spanish and Somali
The agenda includes MPS Strategic Plan: Acceleration 2020,
Weighted Student Funding and Building Strong Partnerships with Area C Families
and Community Members. Follow the links below to learn more before you
come to take part in these discussions. Everyone is welcome at our
meetings!
Acceleration 2020
Our roadmap to success is called Acceleration 2020. This plan
moves our system in new directions, particularly by moving real power to each
school. Everything about this plan accelerates student achievement. We are
committed to the proposition that all children can learn more, achieve more and
be more. Our plan is constructive, sensible, positive and ground breaking.
Our plan requires greater expectations of everyone: our parents
and families, our MPS leaders and teachers, our students and graduates. Our
success depends on the active engagement of everyone affected and interested in
the present and future of MPS.
With this strategic plan, we
are taking action by accelerating a shift in funding, priorities and programs
systemwide to improve outcomes for students and families. Changes include:
- School autonomy
- Student-based
allocation system
- New academic focus areas
- 5-8-10 scorecard
On the meeting agenda there
will be a discussion and questions to learn more about change: Student-based
allocation system.
- Budget
Basics: link
- Weighted
Student Funding (Student Based Allocations) : (WSF) MPS
aims to create a budgeting process that is equitable, transparent and
predictable, while also differentiating funding to schools based on
specific student needs and aligning funding with strategic priorities. link
- Rationale
for WSF: A large proportion of the funds in MPS are
allocated to schools on a per-pupil basis. link
- Implications
for WSF:
link
African-American Parents Advisory Coiuncil Meeting Sept. 25 at Davis Center
September 25, 2014
African-American Parents Advisory Council
The Office of Black Male Student Achievement is a new department created specifically to address the needs of the largest demographic within Minneapolis Public School (MPS). Join Michael Walker, Director of Black Male Student Achievement, as he asks for community support and feedback on equitable approaches to tackle the challenges that exist for the school district’s black male students.
As MPS continues to work toward our vision, "Every child college and career ready," we are commited to openly share our progress. Acceleration 2020 will accelerate the acheivement that can transform MPS.
Location: Davis Center
1250 West Broadway
Minneapolis, MN 55411
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Childcare will be provided.
Questions?
For more information, please contact Andria Daniel at andria.danielcurry@mpls.k12.mn.us or Call 612.290.9553.
September 25, 2014
Topic: Black Male Student Achievement Office & Acceleration 2020
T
African-American Parents Advisory Council
ffice of Student, Family & Community Engagement
osfce.mpls.k12.mn.us | 612.668.0198
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Southwest Class of 1965 Contact Information
Rose Scheidler/Schiltz
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Email Address:
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What Year did you Graduate?:
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1965
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Do you have a Facebook or other Class webpage social
media address?:
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Southwest College Application Workshops September 11 at 7:00 pm
Tonight the counselors and Achieve staff are
hosting a senior parent information presentation: "Completing the
Application". This will begin at
7:00 p.m in the Southwest auditorium.
September 25th 5-7:00 pm Community BBQ at MPS Culinary & Nutrition Services
MPS Culinary & Nutrition Services is pleased to announce
that our third annual FREE Farm to School Community
BBQ will be on Thursday, September 25th from 5:00 to 7:30pm!
The event will take place in the
parking lot of our Culinary Center, located at 812 Plymouth Avenue North.
Students, families, staff and community members will have the chance to
enjoy a locally-sourced meal, taste samples made by local chefs, learn about
community organizations and meet some of the farmers who grow food for our
school meals.
Learn more at http://bit.ly/F2SBBQ2014 and
help spread the word using this large or small flyer! If you’d like to volunteer at the
event, please contact Callie at school.gardens@mpls.k12.mn.us.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Southwest Academic Honors - National Merit Scholarship Semi-finalists
Southwest High School is both pleased and proud to
announce the academic accomplishments of our students.
We have 11 seniors (c/o 2015) who have qualified
to be named National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalists for the 2014-2015
year. This merit is recognized by the student performance on the National
Pre-SAT (PSAT) exam taken last October. Finalists will be announced in
early 2015.
The Semi-Finalists are: Seth Colbert-Pollack, Sebastian Coll,
Nathaniel Larson, Casey Lee-Foss, Peter Lefebvre, Avery Loya, Russell Pekala,
Yueqi Ren, Noah Rothman, Alice Schmitz, and Rebecca Tincher. These students are in the academic top
one-half of one percent of the seniors across the country.
Further recognition for excellent academic performance
goes to Russell Pekala (grade 12) for being named National Advanced Placement
Scholar (AP Scholar). This distinction is characterized by scoring a 4 or
higher on eight or more National AP Exams. Southwest has 83 other
students with various distinctions connected to the AP Scholar Program.
Please congratulate all of these students!
Two Lists - Southwest Ranks Well in Both - Great Academics and Great at Beating the Odds
Newsweek's High School Rankings for 2014: Two Lists Are Better Than One
By Zach Schonfeld / September 8, 2014 11:18 AM EDT
For more than a decade, Newsweek has published an annual
list of America’s Top High Schools, ranked primarily according to a ratio of
AP/IB exams to the number of students graduating. This year we’re doing things a
little differently.
With help from the research firm Westat, we present two separate
rankings: an absolute list and a relative list that we’re calling “America’s Top
High Schools for Low-Income Students.” The first list identifies top-performing
schools based on a metric of student achievement and college preparedness data
provided by the National Center for Education Statistics and from our survey of
schools. Virginia’s Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, a
long-established player in high school rankings, sits at the top of the pile.
It will come as no surprise that this list is dominated by schools in
areas with high average income and low racial diversity. So we produced a second
list that takes into consideration how well schools serve students from
economically disadvantaged backgrounds—measured by the percentage of students
qualifying for free school lunches. There is almost no overlap in the top 10
schools on each list. Thomas Jefferson was in 14th place in the second list,
while the top school serving low-income students, Emma Lazarus High School in
New York, was 21st on the absolute list.
We hope that providing two lists instead of one sheds light on the
underlying factors often ignored or submerged in school rankings. Read on for
our profiles of the schools at the top of each list
Southwest Ranked 412 out of the over 35,000 in America
Southwest Ranked 412 out of the over 35,000 in America
Beating The Odds 2014 - Top Schools For Low-Income Students
This year, Newsweek sought to recognize schools that
beat the odds, performing better than statistically expected for their level of
poverty. For this list, we ranked schools on how well they prepare their
students for college, taking students’ socio-economic background into account. A
next to a school’s name means that low-income
students are scoring at or above average on state assessments. This is our way
of recognizing schools that narrow the acheivement gap.
Southwest Ranked 189 out of the over 35,000 in America
More High School Rankings and More Explanations and We Are Proud
US News Education rankings:
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/minnesota/rankings
Huffington Post rankings:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/high-school-rankings/
At all costs, avoid Scarsdale, N.Y. It didn’t even make the top 1,000. Though its average SAT score of 1935 would rank it 21st among the 100 best, the school does not offer A.P. courses, and Newsweek counts A.P. data as 40 percent of the rating.
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/minnesota/rankings
Huffington Post rankings:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/high-school-rankings/
From New York Times:
In Lists of Best High Schools, Numbers Don’t Tell the Whole Story
By MICHAEL WINERIP
This is the time of year when the lists of best high schools in the United States are published. For anxious consumers, the number of lists can be daunting, whether national in scope (U.S. News & World Report; The Washington Post; Newsweek and The Daily Beast) or local (Boston magazine; New Jersey Monthly; The Chicago Sun-Times).
No one in his right mind would take these lists lightly. Property values rise near best high schools. Parents will fight to the death for best high schools. Best teachers and best principals want to work in best high schools.
Newsweek’s editors recently published their list of the 1,000 best, which is worth examining to better grasp how the magazine has been able to quantify something as complex and nuanced as a high-quality education.
First, it is important to have a rating system that sounds scientific. Newsweek uses six variables: On-time graduation rate (weighted 25 percent); percent of graduates accepted to college (25 percent); A.P. and International Baccalaureate tests per student (25 percent); average SAT/ACT score (10 percent); Average A.P./International Baccalaureate score (10 percent); and A.P./International Baccalaureate courses per student (5 percent).
This results in a highly refined index score that can distinguish between the 435th best school in America, Westwood High in Massachusetts (.51), and the 436th best, New Berlin West in Wisconsin (.50).
What schools score highest on Newsweek’s index? Of the top 50, 37 have selective admissions or are magnet schools, meaning they screen students using a combination of entrance exam scores, grade-point average, state test results and assessments of their writing samples.
In short, to be the best, high schools should accept only the highest performing eighth graders, who — if the school doesn’t botch it — will become the highest performing 12th graders.
Put another way: Best in, best out, best school.
Eight of Newsweek’s top 50 are charter schools. For those who think an important role of public education is taking struggling students and raising their academic performance, this sounds promising. Charter schools are supposed to accept any child who applies. If the school is oversubscribed, there is to be a lottery.
What could be more democratic?
The two top charter schools on the Newsweek list are the Basis high schools in Scottsdale and Tucson, part of an Arizona-based charter chain.
According to the Basis Web site, the curriculum is heavily reliant on A.P. and college-level courses, and it includes Mandarin and Latin.
This means that only the strongest academic students need apply, and those who can’t cut it will leave.
What does the student body look like at a Basis high school? At Basis Scottsdale — the third best high school in America, according to Newsweek — 95 percent of the 701 students are Asian or white.
Asians make up 2.8 percent of the state population, but 41 percent of the Basis Scottsdale students.
There are 15 Hispanics (2 percent) in a state that is about one-third Hispanic.
There are no Native Americans listed on the State Education Department’s Web site, though they make up 5 percent of Arizona’s population. The site lists 13 African-American students and no children of migrant workers. There are no children who qualify for subsidized lunches or who need special education classes.
Clearly, best schools would do best not to get bogged down serving students considered un-best.
The remaining five of the top 50 schools are in suburban districts where enrollment is open to all, as long as they are residents.
The one thing that these five schools have in common is that they are full of children from the nation’s wealthiest families.
Among the top 50 are high schools in Bronxville, N.Y. (No. 40), which has a median household income of $166,000, and Jericho, N.Y. (No. 41), which has a median income of $128,000, as compared with $54,000 for New York State; also, Falls Church, Va. (No. 45), with a $111,000 median income versus $59,000 for the state.
People who feel passionately about getting their children into best schools should stay away from the Midwest, which Newsweek has identified as an educational wasteland. From Montana south to Mississippi — 2,000 miles — there are 14 contiguous states without a single high school among the 100 best, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas.
Even Massachusetts has only one school in the top 100, which is surprising, since the state’s students have repeatedly led the nation on the federal reading and math tests.
On the other hand, this is what makes America great: Anybody can make up any formula to measure anything, which gives lots of places a chance to be best at something.
Want the best high schools for your child? Move to Texas or Florida. Texas has 15 of the 100 best, placing second over all nationwide, while Florida has 10, the fourth most. This is no doubt due in good part to the reform efforts of George W. and Jeb Bush, who — like Newsweek — have made standardized test results a true measure of academic excellence.
At all costs, avoid Scarsdale, N.Y. It didn’t even make the top 1,000. Though its average SAT score of 1935 would rank it 21st among the 100 best, the school does not offer A.P. courses, and Newsweek counts A.P. data as 40 percent of the rating.
Why no A.P.? Scarsdale officials find that A.P. courses encourage students to go a mile wide and an inch deep, so the high school has created its own advanced courses. Instead of spending all their time working out of A.P. textbooks, students visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston and the Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site in Hyde Park, N.Y., to do field research.
Two-thirds of Scarsdale seniors are accepted to colleges that the Barron’s Guide to the Most Competitive Colleges ranks as the “most competitive” in the country. Of course, Newsweek doesn’t own Barron’s, so it wouldn’t make any sense to use that as a criterion.
There is another problem with Scarsdale. The district did not submit data to Newsweek, and that is the only way to be considered. Of the nation’s 26,000 high schools, about 2,000 sent data, and of those, 1,000 were named to the list, meaning any school with a little gumption has a 50 percent chance of being a best.
Mark Miller, director of editorial operations for Newsweek and The Daily Beast, says that as long as people understand the limits of the criteria, “the list serves a valid purpose.”
“We made a choice to rank the schools by how well they prepared children for college,” he said. “If not for the school, they might not have the opportunity to get into college.”
Mr. Miller noted that May was a record month for traffic at The Daily Beast, with 95 million views, thanks in good part to the list.
Given that magazines and newspapers are bleeding to death, this is the only plausible justification I can think of: Lists are cash cows.
I am not against schools with selective admissions. They are a vital part of the public system. My own mother, who grew up in an East Boston tenement, passed the test to get into Girls Latin School and then went on to Radcliffe.
My concern is that the lists are stacked. Schools with the greatest challenges can appear to be the biggest failures. At a time when public education is so data-driven, that kind of thinking can cost dedicated teachers and principals their jobs.
Washington Post High School Rankings Southwest in Top Ten in the State
For complete National Listing: http://apps.washingtonpost.com/local/highschoolchallenge/
The index score is the number of college-level tests given at a school in the previous calendar year divided by the number of graduates that year. Also noted are the percentage of students who come from families that qualify for lunch subsidies (Subs. lunch) and the percentage of graduates who passed at least one college-level test during their high school career, called equity and excellence, (E&E). A (P) next to the school's name denotes a private school.
The index score is the number of college-level tests given at a school in the previous calendar year divided by the number of graduates that year. Also noted are the percentage of students who come from families that qualify for lunch subsidies (Subs. lunch) and the percentage of graduates who passed at least one college-level test during their high school career, called equity and excellence, (E&E). A (P) next to the school's name denotes a private school.
RANK | SCHOOL | CITY | E&E% | SUBS. LUNCH | INDEX |
1 | St. Croix Prep | Stillwater | 54.4 | 13 | 5.942 |
2 | Nova Classical | Saint Paul | 93.3 | 10.9 | 5.867 |
3 | International School of Minnesota (P) | Eden Prairie | 70 | 4.149 | |
4 | St. Louis Park | St. Louis Park | 45.3 | 33.2 | 4.037 |
5 | Minnetonka | Minnetonka | 90 | 7 | 3.713 |
6 | Edina | Edina | 57.4 | 9 | 3.63 |
7 | Southwest | Minneapolis | 45 | 39 | 3.569 |
8 | Irondale | New Brighton | 43.4 | 36 | 3.378 |
9 | Central | St. Paul | 56 | 58 | 2.829 |
10 | Eden Prairie | Eden Prairie | 38 | 14 | 2.72 |
11 | Chaska | Chaska | 41 | 24 | 2.667 |
12 | South | Minneapolis | 32 | 50 | 2.666 |
13 | Robbinsdale Armstrong | Plymouth | 39 | 33 | 2.628 |
14 | St. Anthony Village | St. Anthony | 50.3 | 21 | 2.606 |
15 | Orono | Orono | 59 | 5 | 2.581 |
16 | Eastview | Apple Valley | 47 | 18 | 2.522 |
17 | Chanhassen | Chanhassen | 45 | 8 | 2.471 |
18 | Mankato West | Mankato | 51 | 23 | 2.392 |
19 | Simley | Inver Grove Heights | 36.1 | 37 | 2.391 |
20 | Century | Rochester | 100 | 25 | 2.344 |
21 | South St. Paul | South St. Paul | 36 | 39 | 2.262 |
22 | Wayzata | Plymouth | 46.9 | 15 | 2.015 |
23 | Washburn | Minneapolis | 1.926 | ||
24 | Mound Westonka | Minnetrista | 36.8 | 24 | 1.653 |
25 | Brainerd | Brainerd | 43 | 1.645 | |
26 | Hopkins | Minnetonka | 40.4 | 32.3 | 1.598 |
27 | Eagan | Eagan | 42 | 15 | 1.521 |
28 | Prior Lake | Savage | 43 | 9 | 1.457 |
29 | Harding | St. Paul | 43 | 86 | 1.45 |
30 | Lincoln | Lake City | 22.1 | 27 | 1.4 |
31 | Park | Cottage Grove | 35 | 23.9 | 1.29 |
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