Quote:
This is particularly true in my district. The downside is that it makes it very competitive. I've included my local high school's demos-
Highland Park, TX
Median Family Income- $373,327
Poverty- 1.6%
Highland Park High School
2007 National Blue Ribbon School
Newsweek National Rank- 14th
Aprox. 2000 students Grades 9-12
Students:
White- 93%
Hispanic- 4%
Asian- 2%
African American- <1%
Eligible for Free/Reduced Price Lunch- 0%
Limited English Proficient- <1%
TEA Acknowledgements/Awards-
Rated: Exemplary
*Commended Performance- Reading/English Language Arts
*Commended Performance- Mathematics
*Commended Performance- Science
*Commended Performance- Social Studies
*Texas Success Initiative- Higher Education Readiness Component: Math
*Texas Success Initiative- Higher Education Readiness Component: English/Language Arts
*Advanced Course/Dual Enrollment Completion
*Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate Results
*Attendance Rate
*Recommended High School Program
*SAT/ACT Results
TAKS Testing Results:
Grade 9-
Subject- % meeting or exceeding standards (state average)
Reading- 99% (state average- 86%)
Math- 96% (state average- 60%)
Grade 10-
Social Studies- 100% (state average- 86%)
Science- 93% (state average- 58%)
English/Language Arts- 96% (state average- 84%)
Math- 95% (state average- 63%)
Grade 11-
Social Studies- 100% (state average- 94%)
Science- 99% (state average- 77%)
English/Language Arts- 99% (state average- 90%)
Math- 98% (state average- 80%)
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Yet, at Paschal High School in Fort Worth (45 minutes from you), we manage to have a more successful program (albeit for about half of the students, as the other half tends to not care at all about studies) with funding at most a tenth of your school's. Sure our TAKS (standardized Texas testing) passing rates are lower, but is it not the government's fault for forcing kids, who could care less about school and would rather work, to attend school?
Money is not it man, it's up to the students and faculty to make the most of it. I think that is the most important aspect of a school, not the funding, nor the socioeconomic statuses of the students/faculty, but their desire to learn/teach.