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Points I have seen raised so far, ignoring Alby's:
1. My school is free.
2. My school offers an extremely large number of AP and college credit classes. The average student takes 6 APs before graduating, as I recall.
3. Math: Several math classes allow dual enrollment with the nearby George Mason University. All students take at least up to AP Calculus AB, most students take up to either BC calc or AP statistics in math. I am taking Multivariable Calculus and Matrix Algebra this year (I am a senior), so that is the highest I will go in math before graduating.
4. Science: Most students take at least one AP science before graduating. Popular ones are AP Physics (both E&M and mechanics), AP Biology, and AP Chemistry. The school offers a large number of elective sciences as well, especially in biology: DNA science, neuroscience (which is actually really legit-they do experiments on rat brains and stuff), and biochemistry. We also have really good classes on quantum mechanics and optics.
5. Technology: Aside from a number of college level CS classes, there's also robotics classes, prototyping, "energy systems", CAD, and electronics. The robotics is pretty good and mainly teaches creative problem solving. The Prototyping classes are like shop++ but also it seems pretty good. The CAD is kind of self explanatory, it actually kind of sucks and is a bit of a joke class. Electronics is really good, we do basic analog and digital electronics and also audio electronics. Energy systems is miscellaneous tech, for instance one project in that class is building a miniature engine and another is designing a balsa wood glider.
6. Standards of Learning (SOLs): SOLs are incredibly easy and most TJ students think they're stupid. However they are often credited as being one of the reasons that Virginia's schooling system is good relative to the rest of the country. Virginia was ahead of the curve with SOLs, No Child Left Behind made the practice pretty much standard but SOL was around before NCLB, and SOL requires higher standards than NCLB. SOLs are actually not testing the students, they are intended to test teachers. Teachers whose students routinely fail SOLs are fired.
7. TJ has a pretty crappy budget. The Virginia General Assembly sticks an amendment into the state budget every year requiring Fairfax County not to reduce our funding. The patrons of the amendment (General Assembly name for Congress' sponsors) are always the Northern Virginia delegation. It's kind of strange--the Fairfax County government hates us, but the Virginia government, in particular the Virginia government from NoVA, really likes us.
EDIT: More on SOLs from wikipedia:
NCLB was passed in 2002.
1. My school is free.
2. My school offers an extremely large number of AP and college credit classes. The average student takes 6 APs before graduating, as I recall.
3. Math: Several math classes allow dual enrollment with the nearby George Mason University. All students take at least up to AP Calculus AB, most students take up to either BC calc or AP statistics in math. I am taking Multivariable Calculus and Matrix Algebra this year (I am a senior), so that is the highest I will go in math before graduating.
4. Science: Most students take at least one AP science before graduating. Popular ones are AP Physics (both E&M and mechanics), AP Biology, and AP Chemistry. The school offers a large number of elective sciences as well, especially in biology: DNA science, neuroscience (which is actually really legit-they do experiments on rat brains and stuff), and biochemistry. We also have really good classes on quantum mechanics and optics.
5. Technology: Aside from a number of college level CS classes, there's also robotics classes, prototyping, "energy systems", CAD, and electronics. The robotics is pretty good and mainly teaches creative problem solving. The Prototyping classes are like shop++ but also it seems pretty good. The CAD is kind of self explanatory, it actually kind of sucks and is a bit of a joke class. Electronics is really good, we do basic analog and digital electronics and also audio electronics. Energy systems is miscellaneous tech, for instance one project in that class is building a miniature engine and another is designing a balsa wood glider.
6. Standards of Learning (SOLs): SOLs are incredibly easy and most TJ students think they're stupid. However they are often credited as being one of the reasons that Virginia's schooling system is good relative to the rest of the country. Virginia was ahead of the curve with SOLs, No Child Left Behind made the practice pretty much standard but SOL was around before NCLB, and SOL requires higher standards than NCLB. SOLs are actually not testing the students, they are intended to test teachers. Teachers whose students routinely fail SOLs are fired.
7. TJ has a pretty crappy budget. The Virginia General Assembly sticks an amendment into the state budget every year requiring Fairfax County not to reduce our funding. The patrons of the amendment (General Assembly name for Congress' sponsors) are always the Northern Virginia delegation. It's kind of strange--the Fairfax County government hates us, but the Virginia government, in particular the Virginia government from NoVA, really likes us.
EDIT: More on SOLs from wikipedia:
Results over ten years
In 1998, the first year of SOL testing, only 2 percent of the Virginia Commonwealth’s public schools met the standard for full accreditation. The percentage of schools meeting the state’s accreditation standards increased to 6.5 percent in 1999, 22 percent in 2000, 40 percent in 2001, 64 percent in 2002, 78 percent in 2003, and 84 percent in 2004.
In October 2005, the State reported that students in 1,685, or 92 percent, of the Commonwealth’s 1,834 schools received accreditation ratings for 2005-2006, met or exceeded state achievement objectives on Standards of Learning (SOL) tests and other statewide assessments in the four core academic areas.
The VDOE stopped reporting statewide results in 2006. However, complete results of all assessments in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, and end-of-course tests for fall, spring, and summer may be found on the School Report Cards.
In 1998, the first year of SOL testing, only 2 percent of the Virginia Commonwealth’s public schools met the standard for full accreditation. The percentage of schools meeting the state’s accreditation standards increased to 6.5 percent in 1999, 22 percent in 2000, 40 percent in 2001, 64 percent in 2002, 78 percent in 2003, and 84 percent in 2004.
In October 2005, the State reported that students in 1,685, or 92 percent, of the Commonwealth’s 1,834 schools received accreditation ratings for 2005-2006, met or exceeded state achievement objectives on Standards of Learning (SOL) tests and other statewide assessments in the four core academic areas.
The VDOE stopped reporting statewide results in 2006. However, complete results of all assessments in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, and end-of-course tests for fall, spring, and summer may be found on the School Report Cards.
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