<p>Hi all, I'm new here. I have been searching the web for a paper or a book or anything that will state in writing that the caliber of the high school has some influence over the student's chances at getting into the college of his/her choice. Clearly we all feel that way or parents wouldn't be spending a small fortune on private schools and politicians and parents wouldn't be ever working to improve the public schools. It seems to not be politically correct to make this statement or risk being "anti-diversity".</p>
<p>I am a divorced mother living in the Las Virgenes school district in LA. My ex-husband shares equal custody with me of our daughter. He lives in the Culver City school district. Test scores, a tour of the campus, CA exit exam passing rates, etc all show that the school in my district is doing much better. He refuses to even discuss having her attend there as it is further from his home. I will be taking this to family court and am searching for well researched opinions on this topic. My daughter wants to become a doctor and would like to go to UCLA at this point (she is an 8th grader now so I expect that will change).</p>
<p>Can anyone out there help direct me to someone or something that I can use to present to the court that attending a better school is better for my daughter in terms of her future? Thanks so much in advance.</p>
<p>As long as there is one kid from Culver City going to UCLA, the possibility for your daughter to do so is established. I'm not familiar with the school districts. Is Culver City dangerous or so bad that she will suffer if she stays there?</p>
<p>Is college acceptance the only criteria to be used? What about the quality of the education in and of itself? What about which school will prepare her best for college -- not just get her into it?</p>
<p>Las Virgenes is located north of Malibu & Santa Monica. Two regular high schools, Agoura & Calabasas, both API 10, 83% white; 2% or less reduced fee lunch qualifiers & ESL. (Same source: <a href="http://www.greatschools.net)%5B/url%5D">www.greatschools.net)</a>. Basically it's richer & whiter and presumeably those schools tend to offer more in the way of college counseling and AP courses. But Culver City claims that it offers APs & honors and has graduates enrolled at Harvard & Princeton as well as the UC's, so you are basically right in your observation: the "better chances" argument probably won't wash.</p>
<p>To hmm_md -- Because UC admissions gives a boost to students who are in the top 4% of their graduating classes, there is a certain advantage in attending somewhat less academically competitive schools -- it's easier to be at the top of the class. That may carry over to private colleges as well, where class rank can also be a significant factor in admissions. A kid who goes to a school that offers only a few AP courses and who takes them all can end up looking better than a kid who goes to a school that offers many AP's, but takes only a few -- even though the kid's may have taken the same number of courses. That's because selective colleges want to see kids taking the "most challenging" curriculum their school offers -- so again, the route can be easier if the school is less rigorous. </p>
<p>In any case, API and test scores means little, because it has no bearing on individual student performance. High schools tend to track students, so high performing students will often be in entirely different classes with different teachers than the students who are less capable. </p>
<p>I think you should focus on your daughter's needs and her personal preferences rather than the reputation of the school. It isn't about which school is "better" on paper, it is about what is best for your daughter as an individual. Depending on circumstances, it could be either district.</p>
<p>I agree with Calmom. Your D's high school career should not be about college admissions, but which school is best for her. And best for her is very much an individual issue. My Ss attended a high school where a higher percentage of the students were eligible for free or reduced lunch, though the minority population was smaller. The average SATs were below the national average. Last year, the school sent 10 students to Harvard, 3 to MIT, at least one to Stanford, and several to Yale and Brown among other top schools.
What is important is what happens inside the classrooms.</p>
<p>"In any case, API and test scores means little, because it has no bearing on individual student performance."</p>
<p>I agree with that statement. The average passing rate or the test scores for the school has nothing to do with individual students. S went to OK elementary, podunk jr. high and high school with large number of kids on reduced or free lunch program and did very well with college admissions as well as hist first year college performance.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your responses. Let me see if I can address the points brought up here. Hazmat, I generally do most of the research for my attorney for a variety of reasons. That is what I am doing here. She has told me that my daughter's opinion will be taken into consideration and she wants to attend the school in my district.</p>
<p>Momof4: dangerous is relative. Relatively speaking CCHS is more dangerous. It definitely has a gang element. A gun was removed from a student recently. The gang implicated in the shooting at Venice High this week is centered between Venice and CC and members attend both schools. Is it an everyday concern? Probably low chance that she will run into serious trouble. I want LOWEST chance. So does she. This is HER primary reason for wanting to go to Calabasas.</p>
<p>MIMK6: Excellent point. I would really more than anything like to see her at a place that prepares her well for the future and is not just strategically a better move.</p>
<p>CalMom: thanks, I actually got my original numbers from that site. I believe I am focusing on the best fit for my daughter and what she wants as well as what is best for her. The purpose for my question is to gather information to sway a family court judge. Not only is she wanting to go there but my step-daughter (same grade) will be attending and my daughter knows many of her friends. I feel that if she is at one home (mine) during the school week there will be much more consistency of her work. Finally, most of her current friends are already slated for private schools or have families that are moving primarily to be in a better school district (caveate: CC is an excellent district at the elementary level).</p>
<p>Marite: from what I understand, what happens in the classroom at CCHS is that anyone that wants to take AP courses can, regardless of qualifications. This is done with the purpose of making transcripts look better. The AP classes then are standing room only (literally) while the regular classes have few students. I am skeptical that she will get a great education with no desk and a teacher teaching to the lowest common denominator.</p>
<p>Simba: you are correct. My daughter has much potential and I think she will really excell in an environment where expectations are high. She tends to meet the challenges that are offered her. If the bar is set low, she will meet that too. </p>
<p>Again, thank you all and I look forward to any other tidbits you think of. Is there any literature out there on some of the points you've made?</p>
<p>hmm_md, I don't really know much about the custody issues, but it seems to me that you would do better to focus on the HS environment than on whether one school vs another will give her a better chance of admission to a selective university. Why don't you research things like participation in science and math competitions, numbers of National Merit Finalists, class sizes, etc.? If you can show that the school in your district has a critical mass of high-achieving students and the other school doesn't, then I would think that would be a compelling argument. But I would also think that by age 13 or 14, a child's wishes would carry a lot of weight. </p>
<p>You might try looking around <a href="http://www.hoagiesgifted.org;%5B/url%5D">www.hoagiesgifted.org;</a> there's a lot of research on the site or linked from the site. Also, I believe that they have links to bulletin boards and listserves where you might find more information.</p>
<p>I think you should focus on your daughter's needs and her personal preferences rather than the reputation of the school. It isn't about which school is "better" on paper, it is about what is best for your daughter as an individual. Depending on circumstances, it could be either district.
I grew up in fancy suburbs- I am caucasian- however I did choose to move to a major city when I had kids- because I like the diversity.
But- unlike when I ws in school- you didn't just go to the school that was closest- you struggled to find the best school for your kid- the operating words are "for your kid" not "best"
Younger D was at a K-12 school- small- and since she had transition issues I thought it would be great to be at this alternative school till graduation.
It is small enough- and uncompetitive enough that she could have been in the top 10% of her class. 700 students, she attended there from 3rd grade through middle school.
BUt for high school, she wanted to go to a 1700 student school, that was in an area where the principal told kids not to walk on the street when going to the city bus stop because of drive bys and because of others looking for "prey". I was not convinced- her teachers told me it would be overwhelming- even though I moved to the city for the diversity- how much did I really want?
But I wanted to validate her choice by where she wanted to go to school & I allowed her to register- knowing that if it was really so bad- we could always change.
However- now that she has been there for 2 years- I really like it- I love the diversity- I love the kids- she has gained so much and when looking at colleges- we will now have diversity as a criteria as I have seen how much it adds to the experience that can't be measured with test scores</p>