Top Schools Rankings: The Table
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
|
|
HOW WE DETERMINED VALUE: Our rankings were computed by a statistical method created at Babson College and utilized by Boston Magazine in its annual rankings of schools. We gathered data on area schools by consulting school officials and Web sites, as well as the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. With this information, we calculated mean scores for each data category and then ranked schools based on their distance from the averages.
For schools that did not provide figures, the average was used as a placeholder when computing the rankings.
Public Schools Category Weight Breakdown
• Student/Teacher Ratio 15%
• Per Pupil Spending 15%
• NECAP-English 10%
• NECAP-Math 10%
• NECAP-Science 10%
• SAT-Verbal 10%
• SAT-Math 10%
• SAT-Writing 10%
• Graduation Rate 10%
* Block Island had too few students to report scores in 2008-2009; scores from the previous year were used.
**Jacqueline Walsh School has not been open long enough to have a 4-year graduation rate.
*** SAT scores were not available for The Met School. An average value was used to keep our calculations standard.
†Jorge Alvarez High School is new as of the 2007-2008 school year. As a result, its graduation rates and student-teacher ratio are from the 2008-2009 school year.
Enjoy this post? Share it with others.
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.
Comments:
Tom Hoffman
12:41pm on Tuesday, May 11, 2010
These scores are from NECAP assessments given in October of 2008. Thus they do not reflect "2008-09" scores. They are "2007-08" scores or perhaps just "2008."
Why didn't you use the scores for the tests given in October 2009? They've been out for months.
Paul Kopech
12:54pm on Tuesday, May 11, 2010
As with all of these lists the underlying scoring method is what give folks pause when it comes to reliability. You will note that with the exception of Classical High School, most urban schools fared poorly despite extra money spent per pupil.
This is not news and underscores the need to focus money on smaller class sizes which seem to be steady and smaller at suburban schools. Part of the reason for this is the wealth factor that allows them to send more students to private schools in lieu of a public education.
But, what really stands out to me is that the public schools in "good areas" still perform lousy on standardized tests of all kinds. C'mon, look at the scores for NECAP and SAT and it is really telling as to how poorly students view their value. The numbers stink.
Shocked at scores at schools like Cranston West and North Kingstown. But, if you nurture good students in "poorer areas" you can get some similar if not better results at places like Classical in the middle of the West End of Providence.
Go Figure!!!
Domenic Merolla
4:42pm on Tuesday, May 11, 2010
It shocks me that in these rankings the Block Island got so much credit for spending so much per student when it's costs are so high and needs to spend the money, and also it is a very small school. How is Barrington Ranked so lowly when it is only beat in two test categories and its SAT scores are significantly higher than the scores of the first and second place schools AND NECAP scores that beat and in one case beat by more than 100% the scores of the three schools ranked higher. I'm confused... Why is a school penalized on a list like this by getting the least state funding in the state and not being able to afford 7 teachers per student. Hmmm...
sharon walsh
1:31pm on Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Just curious as to why student to teacher ratio was weighted so heavily. This stat is different from classroom size. There could be many teachers in the district who are not in classrooms.