<p>The new list is posted here:</p>
<p>My neighborhood hs dropped from the mid 200's to 402!</p>
<p>my school apparently wasn't considered, as we have a ratio of about 5.5 or 6:1 for AP exams (80 seniors). </p>
<p>We're a public charter though, the local public school was around 230 i think.</p>
<p>weird..i can't find my school.</p>
<p>Used to be 57??</p>
<p>Anybody find Monta Vista?</p>
<p>Apparently this list can be manipulated by how questions are answered, unanswered and/or ignored. The factors used to determine this list are limited and do not take into account variables that can put a particular school in a positive light. There is also an imbalance between larger and smaller school districts and the amount of personnel required to run them; e.g., larger school districts have the personnel to run a couple of high schools effectively while smaller districts can require personnel to have other administrative duties. While interesting, like other rankings, there are too many things in this list to create doubt as to veracity and reliability.</p>
<p>I guess my school isn't improving... We used to be in the top 5 just a few years ago and now we're in the 20's range. I thought last year's class was really talented and smart but I suppose not according to this.</p>
<p>My school is ranked 26th. :D</p>
<p>My school is on the list, but I think ranking based exclusively on AP/IB test taking is ridiculous. It would be like college rankings based exclusively on SAT score, when we all know thats not correct or accurate.</p>
<p>My school didn't make it. Count that. Anyone else think that the great state of Massachusetts is underrepresented?</p>
<p>If you read the article more closely, you'd realize that it's not the ranking that really matters, but the change in the ratio for your school. If the ratio has increased, then your school is improving (offering more APs) even if it's ranking has gone down.</p>
<p>This is the most ridiculous ranking list I have ever seen. To rank schools based on only Ap/IB criteria is irresponsible. Even USN&WR does better. I personally am very familiar with the Illinois schools, having been a public school teacher for 5 years in IL, and Ican tell you that the ranking is completely inaccurate.</p>
<p>My school dropped 5 places from last year, but we're still top 40. Not too shabby, I guess.</p>
<p>my hs was ranked around 50 5 years ago, now its not even on the list. something doesnt add up....</p>
<p>
[quote]
Anyone else think that the great state of Massachusetts is underrepresented?
[/quote]
or maybe it's as simple as most schools in Mass have not added a ton AP courses ... I believe at my kids HS the most APs a kid can have as a 9th, 10th, and 11th grader is 2 a year (unless they are allowed to skip grades in a subject) ... just by the set-up of the school it could not get near the top of the list ... and I'm not judging of it is a better or worse set-up (at least I'm not in this string).</p>
<p>this ranking is useless!</p>
<p>shoot. My school went from 17 to 51. I know it doesn't matter for me anymore and this ranking is stupid too but its a pride thing. I can't have BCC or richard montgomery being better than me.</p>
<p>
[quote]
my hs was ranked around 50 5 years ago, now its not even on the list. something doesnt add up....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>After the first list was published, some schools began offering to pay all or a portion of the $80+ exam fees for its AP students. Without the cost barrier, more kids began taking the exams. These schools were given a big boost in the ranking while pushing other schools way down or off the list. Many public school districts can't afford to pay these fees so, consequently, take a hit on a list like this since it ranks schools solely on # of AP tests taken.</p>
<p>Hypothetical as of today, but worthy of thought.
My school currently ranks in the top 200. Highly likely we will drop ALL AP's next year. Our town believes that teaching to the AP exam is ludicrous, hence, we'll have none next year.
Therefore, does my high school - with the same teacher corps and high achievement student body - fall to the bottom of all high schools in the US next year?
Think about it. Our school system is right. This AP crap has gone too far.</p>
<p>The rankings are pointless, Our school only offers 5 AP classes however of the people who take the AP tests for Physics and Calculus we have had no 2's, only 4 - 3's, and the rest of the 100+ tests have been 4's and 5's, which I think looks better than offering 20 AP tests and having kids do poorly.</p>
<p>If a school district is big enough to pay for all these tests it will be ranked high. So it's not very useful ranking system.
It would be much better to use the number of students who passed the tests instead of number of students who took them (and probably failed).</p>
<p>Some school districts subsidize students the AP exam fees just to make on this ranking list. I have to give Jay Mathews credit to include E and E% value in this year ranking. E and E % stands for equity and excellence percentage: the portion of all graduating seniors at a school that had at least one passing grade on one AP or IB test. I think the ranking should listed by E and E % value. It makes nonsense that Jefferson County ranks No.2 with only 50 in E and E%. It's even ridiculous that LSU Laboratory ranks No.201 with only 2 in E and E%.</p>