Top Honors: Newsweek ranks THS among top schools in U.S.
by Dan Fearson
Published: June 17, 2010

For the fourth consecutive year Temple High School was ranked among the best schools in the country by Newsweek magazine.

Temple High School ranked in the top 6 percent of public high schools in the nation based on the number of students who have taken advanced placement and international baccalaureate tests. The number of students taking the advanced tests was divided into the number of graduating seniors to arrive at an index number for rankings.

Top programs for top kids.

Just found out that Killeen High School is also on the list. Congrats to the Roos as well!

How is Temple HS a Newsweek top school, yet academically unacceptable? not criticizing, but just wondering since, well, it sure seems odd that a "top school" in the nation also has the lowest rating possible

OK, saw Cru's criteria. So its based on the number of kids TAKING a test?

Pablo a school's performance with the state is actually based on its lowest group. Not making annual progress or being unacceptable is frequently because of ONE subgroup.

For instance, ESL students science scores, or drop out rate, or special ed students now that almost all have to take taks.

It does not mean a school is not doing a great job with most of its population. In fact 100 percent of everyone else could be passing, and if the rate for say 10th grade science for African American was too low, the entire high school would wear the bad label.

It is a highly deceptive system.

I know it's deceptive, but Temple High is not unique with issues of dropouts, ESL students, special Ed, etc. There are lots of schools with those issues that do better, and THS is pretty consistently low, for some reason. Does THS include groups that othe schools don't?

[This message has been edited by Captain Pablo (edited 6/17/2010 9:50p).]

Heres the Newsweek formula:

AP + IB = A

A / Graduates = B

They then take B and make a list.

The most accurate description of how a school is doing is the state standards. Its very much in depth and rates how schools are doing with all students and all parts of the population. Yes, it can be negatively effected by one or 2 bad groups, but thas why you increase focus in those areas.

Be honest--that is usually at the expense of the others, who are only taken far enough to pass the test. Then it is a full attack on the special populations.

The percentage of kids taking ap and IB and thus taking the exams is an excellent measure of a school

There is also evidence that the odds of actually being successful in college are higher for those who have taken at least ONE ap exam.

i know Jan has pimped the AP/IB programs before.

good job THS.

It is good to be recognized, especially nationally for anything, but I don't think the way they determine this list is really representative of being "one of the best schools in the U.S." If that is the case, why are so many parents doing everything they can to get to Belton HS or one of the smaller high schools in the area?

It honestly depends on your child. If you have a top level child or one in the arts programs, Temple High in my opinion is the strongest around.

But if your kids is NOT up to taking nearly all AP or IB classes, and is not a theatre/chorale type, then I personally would opt for one of the small schools around. At those the kids get a chance to be in so many different things.

Our Val. was in athletics in two different sports, one act, academic UIL in five events, and I am probably leaving things out.

Our Sal. did athletics, band, and mulitple academic UIL.

Our all state first team pitcher got an associates degree from the Bioscience institute while also playing another sport and making it to regional twice in UIL Journalism.

When you look at out top five percent, many were in athletics, theater, academic UIL, FHA, student council, and band. In the small schools the teachers and coaches commit to sharing kids rather than forcing choices. So I think the opportunity to be so involved in so many things is one factor that leads some families to opt for small schools.

When you look at the demographics of Temple high, kids have the benefit of real cultural diversity, and the district actually does an excellent job with the demographic realities.

A lot of the issues regarding Temple High's identity comes from the media and, quite frankly, ignorant people. If you actually attended/visited the school and saw what really happens, you would see a highly diverse school that still manages to excel academically. Many young families move in, ask the opinion of the wrong people/read the Temple Daily Telegram, and are immediately put off by what they hear. There are some fantastic people at THS and in TISD in general, and the results are there. But, its easier to focus on the lowest common denominator and dismiss any success as a fluke. Its a shame really.

TISD has a problem - it is sh*t out of land. Landlocked. No room to grow, and no place to build nice new housing. To remain vibrant, you have to have new housing, where young families want to live. In 25 years, TISD will have pretty much what it has now in terms of housing and people - except everything will just be 25 years older. If it doesnt grow, it will decline. No in between.





[This message has been edited by Captain Pablo (edited 6/19/2010 9:54a).]

quote:

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A lot of the issues regarding Temple High's identity comes from the media and, quite frankly, ignorant people. If you actually attended/visited the school and saw what really happens, you would see a highly diverse school that still manages to excel academically. Many young families move in, ask the opinion of the wrong people/read the Temple Daily Telegram, and are immediately put off by what they hear. There are some fantastic people at THS and in TISD in general, and the results are there. But, its easier to focus on the lowest common denominator and dismiss any success as a fluke. Its a shame really.

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THANK YOU!

They ask the wrong people and seriously only go by rumors.

This is one of the best explanations I have ever seen.

We were academically unacceptable because we didn't have enough of a subgroup (minorities) complete high school from the class of 2008. It is a new criteria, and I honestly don't know how we can change this.

Our TAKS scores have only gone UP the past two years to the point that we might be recognized this year.
Yet, the thing that held us back is completion.

That is what I hate Jan, they rate schools based on the lowest single score they get.

Some schools that rate recommended or exemplary actually have lower scores in MY subject that where I teach. But a low score for drop outs or special ed in 10th grade science or something VERY specific that is honestly only a problem for people in that subgroup, cause a negative rating for the entire school and sometimes for an entire district.


Temple high does a great job, but gets very little credit.

The State of Texas rating system is very deceptive. Even a lot of teachers have no idea how their school is rated. A school like Temple HS is going to be rated with "All students, White, Hispanic, Afican American, and Economically Disadvantaged" in ELA, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. that means they are going to have just right there alone a minimum of 20 areas or indicators as they are called that they are ranked in (they may have more areas that qualify, those are just the ones I am pretty sure about without looking up their AEIS Reports). All you have to do is be unacceptable in one indicator and you are then unacceptable overall. Many people don't realize that schools are oftn Exemplary in 21, 22, or 23 out of 24 indicators but are Acceptable in one indicator and that causes the whole campus to be rated Acceptable. Screwy system if you ask me but that is what it is. What teachers also don't realize is that you must have 30 students in a subgroup for that indicator to count. Many of the smaller schools in the area often don't have that many students in a subgroup where it actually counts for/against them and their overall rating. What stirs the pot even more is that the number is 50 students in a subgroup when you look at the Federal accountability system (AYP), and the federal system only rates you on Reading and Mathematics. It doesn't take into account Science or Social Studies. Of course once you get to the High School, you also have things like attendance rate, completion rate, and drop out rate that also affect your rating, and these are things that are many times more controlled by the parents of the students than the school itself.

The number of students then gets magnified when you look at the rating of a district. For example if you only have say 10 African Americans on your Junior High campus that take the 8th grade Science test they won't count for your campus, but when you factor in the 5th graders and 10th and 11th graders in the district taking the science test you get enough that you are above the magic number of 30. A lot of people don't realize that testing doesn't even start until 3rd grade, and then the tests you take each year from then through the 11th changes from year to year.

3rd Grade - Reading and Math
4th Grade - Reading, Writing, and Math
5th Grade - Reading, Writing, and Science
6th Grade - Reading and Math
7th Grade - Reading, Writing, and Math
8th Grade - Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies
9th Grade - Reading and Math
10th Grade - ELA(includes Reading and Writing), Math, Science, and Social Studies
11th Grade(Exit Level) - ELA(includes Reading and Writing), Math, Science, and Social Studies

And then you have the fact that students take some tests at certain grade levels more seriously than others because of the SSI (Student Success Initiative) requirements - Students in 5th grade must pass Reading and Math to be promoted to 6th grade, Stuents in 8th grade must pass Reading and Math to be promoted to 9th grade, and students in 11th Grade (Exit Level) must pass all four (ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies) to be able to graduate from High School.

Lots and Lots of murky water!!!!

[This message has been edited by Crusaders41 (edited 6/21/2010 11:05a).]