U.S. News & World Report‘s 2015 Ranking of Best High Schools has just been published, and New Hope-Solebury High School ranked #2 in Pennsylvania (out of 673) and #210 in the nation, attaining “national gold medal” honors.
New Hope-Solebury held the #3 spot in the last U.S. News rating, published in 2014.
In 11th grade, Pennsylvania high school students take assessments in reading, writing, math and science, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and those tests factor into the rankings. The US News article also reveals that the AP® participation rate at New Hope-Solebury High School is 75% (up from 66 percent last year), the student body makeup is 51 percent male and 49 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 5 percent. Total enrollment is 494.
Certainly a feather in the cap of the entire school district, New Hope-Solebury’s continuing movement upward in nationally-recognized school rankings is also a testament to the successful partnership between students, teachers, parents, guardians, counselors, principals, administrators, staff, superintendent and board.
William – nicely done! But as we can see – talking with Mel is like hurding cats – not worth the effort. Can we all agree to just ignore him with the hopes that he’ll just go away? Really -it’s basic preschool 101, don’t give attention to the behavior and it will stop. We have TOO much positive to focus on! We don’t need his constant negative energy, which offers nothing but critisim from some ‘chip on the shoulder’ vendetta.
Enjoy your day!
Hey “Jim Smith”, errr, Mel –
You do realize that you’ve now congratulated 2 people in this thread using fake names taken from pop culture on using their “full names” right?
To determine the credibility of Scott DePace’s claims,I would direct him and others to the article, ” How US News and World Report calculated the 2015 Best High School’s Rankings” (May 11, 2015) written by Robert Morse. Mr. Morse has been” the chief strategist for US News and World report since 1976.”
The data used in the rankings for 2015 comes from the performance of the seniors from 2012- 2013,not from any other students including this year’s graduating class. And I would bet dollars to donuts that on June 16, at this year’s graduation the supt. Will Not make that distinction when he gets up and says the school is #2 in the state.
It’s good to see that Scott DePace is using his full name. To hear William G. tell it, only people who are retired or living off a trust fund use their full names.
What a bozo.
Of course ratings that came out a month ago are not based on data from THIS school year. But once again Mel is wrong in his last post. When this data was collected (I’ll take Mel at his word on 2012-2013, a big leap of faith) the current graduating class were sophomores, some contributing 11 years of hard work to this outstanding rating/achievement. So Mel, you old crank, the rating actually has A LOT to do with this year’s graduating class.
As I said in my very first post,the # 2 ranking is based on data from the 2012- 2013 school year whose students are now in college which has nothing to do with this year’s graduating class.
Mel – I was going to be done with this, but one last comment here and then I’m done, because you’re truly exhausting and obviously will do this for the rest of your life as long as NHSSD continues to have success.
So here Mel – scroll up. Reread the thread.
I stopped “rebutting and challenging” your arguments when you completely glossed over and ignored it every time I “rebutted and challenged” your arguments by pointing out the errors of your math. I realized then and there you have absolutely NO interest in objectivity and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t fit the story you’re trying to write.
All the way up there at the top of this thread, where you literally concocted your own numbers about “only 50%” of NHSSD being ready for college, I pointed out the errors in your math, that the 50% you made up was completely wrong if you’d bothered to look at the data on the next page, and what the “College Readiness Index” actually is since you seemed to look into it no further than in name.
Your response to my correction? I quote: “Right now I am just too ecstatic about the results of the school board election to address the issues of the article” – in other words, when the numbers show you’re incorrect and that the story you and you alone in this town are trying to write is nonsense, you’ll ignore it completely and quickly move onto some other weird thing you’ve come up with about why NHSSD is terrible.
So again – pot calling the kettle black. You ignore everything “rebutting and challenging” you, yet think your bizarre rants are convincing anyone at all that NHSSD isn’t a great school district.
As for Villa Joseph Marie – first, I’d say congratulations to those students as well. Sounds like a wonderful school where the students will also go far. Now as for the scholarship numbers you quote – you say the students have been offered $188,000 per student on average. I hope you realize how those numbers break down – that DOES NOT mean that most students are getting full ride scholarships.
Notice the word “offered” and let me break down what that means for you using my own experience as an example, which is fairly representative since the vast majority of students apply to multiple schools.
When I was applying to colleges some years ago, I applied to eight different colleges. I was accepted into seven of them, wait listed at the eighth. I was offered scholarships and grants at all seven, in addition to an independent charitable grant I had previously earned. If I were to add up the scholarships from all seven of the schools plus the outside grant , I could claim that I was offered somewhere over $300k in scholarships (maybe over $350k? it’s been a while, don’t remember exact numbers).
$300k in scholarships offered sounds pretty impressive when you don’t explain everything – but now divide it by eight to account for them being from seven different schools + one independent grant.
I was offered $300k total, but being that you only accept admission at one college and not the multiple that make you offers, the end number that I accepted and earned equaled roughly $60k.
The word “offered” does not mean “offered by colleges to students in a 1:1 ratio”, so again I suspect your numbers are smoke and mirrors being carelessly quoted for no purpose other than to try to make NHSSD look, bad contrary to all information.
So there’s what the numbers mean, Mel. There’s your rebuttal, which I’m sure you’ll ignore just like the other times I showed where your numbers were wrong or misleading as you did above.
In your mind the students are wrong, the teachers are wrong, the administration is wrong, the Superintendent is wrong, the parents are wrong, U.S. News is wrong, Newsweek is wrong – there is only one harbinger of truth, and his name is Melvin.
With that I’m done with this thread; I await your next post pulling up some number about some other vaguely-related thing, whether it’s about some private school in another town, or potholes, or whatever… and why it must mean NHSSD is terrible.
Have fun in the echo chamber Mel, and once again congratulations to the NHSSD Class of 2015 and the entire school district on their accomplishments!
If the shoe fits Mel…. don’t accuse William of evading, as you when do you ever respond when your “facts” (cough) are questioned…so don’t pull that one! This award is KILLING YOU – it’s so sad that you are actually UNHAPPY we are so highly recognized-that’s the headline of this story…. but let’s be done with your drama….
Here Here William! We join you in applauding, recognizing and celebrating these great kids! They worked hard and we are very proud of them! It’s a shame that one person can take up So much negative energy, so we say – let’s not give it to him. NO more replies to him, no more back and forth. He’s like a 2 year old – he really just wants attention – we are all SOOO tired of it! We call on everyone to just ignore his rants, negativity and ridiculous innuendos and diatribe. DONE!
SO – Here’s to the class of 2015 – whatever your journey, go out and make a difference in whatever way you can; do it with kindness, leading by example. We hope you always remember your roots and come back and to visit, check in.
Any reasonable person will see that William G’s latest post does not rebut nor challenge my argument regarding his failure to take into account ALL the schools in the state, but an argument containing a personal attack that I am an old crank.
Grasping at straws, Mel…
I wish you would explain, openly and honestly, why you hate NHSSD so much – and why you despise Supt. Boccuti so much – without all the smoke and mirrors and nonsensical narratives. Earlier this year you even went on a weird tangent blaming the Superintendent for the potholes on state highway 179.
Just say it – “I want my taxes lowered”. That’s your main objective, which is painfully obvious to anyone that’s followed your lone-wolf diatribes every time good news about NHSSD is published.
When I speak to other parents in the district (which is daily), they’re overwhelmingly thrilled with the school system. Just within my street and the two connecting streets I have neighbors with kids currently in the high school, the middle school, and both elementary schools. I hear nothing but positivity from any of them. Quite a few of my neighbors and my kid’s friends families moved to town SPECIFICALLY for the schools. They’re all very happy with things.
If you don’t like the Superintendent personally, I totally understand that. To each his own. If you want your taxes lowered, I get that too. What I don’t understand is your one-man crusade to be as negative as possible, trying to find any speck of dirt you can to undermine what is, and continues to be, one of the best school districts in the nation.
This is exhausting. Everyone gets it – figuratively standing on the street corner yelling insults at local kids is a hobby to fill your days with.
If you want to feel like you’ve won, go for it Mel. Everyone else will be busy preparing for the end of the school year and celebrating yet another successful graduating class from NHSSD.
So I’ll just end with this –
Congratulations to the students of NHSSD and the class of 2015. Don’t let the one old crank with a megaphone in town bring you down. You’ve earned the accolades and the entire town (except one guy) is very, very proud of you.
Let’s put things in perspective. Google states that of the 1501 high schools in Pa. 952 are public and 549 are private.Villa Joseph Marie,a private High school featured in Sunday’s May 31st edition of the Intelligencer will have 90 graduates for the class of 2015, which has been offered over $17,000,000 in scholarships and merit grants.Do the math.That’s over $188,888 per student.So when we look at the Whole picture which is to look at All the high schools in Pa,does anyone really believe that NHS would still be #2. Ratings don’t pay tuition, while scholarships and grants do. Perhaps, William G. could get us those numbers for this year’s graduating NHS students.
Mel… “Mr. Booey”? Real name? You’re from New York – Howard Stern would like a word with you…
It’s as real as “Jim Smith”…
Thank you Mr. Booey for your comments. The fact that you are using your full name should we conclude as William G.would that you are either retired or living off a trust fund?
Mel (aka “Jim Smith”),
If you know my full last name or not matters not to me – what is your point? Are you going to track me down and punch me? Bizarre beyond words.
I still await a single one of your like-minded supporters to post on here bad-mouthing the news that NHSSD under the supervision of Dr. Raymond Boccuti has achieved top 0.3% in the state. So far it seems like a one-man show while the rest of the community is PROUD OF OUR STUDENTS.
What a sad sad state of affairs it is that in this great country of ours,there are people who fear some sort of retaliation if they expose their identity when they speak their conscience. According to William G,”Unless you’re retired or living off a trust fund,”you better not reveal your identity. I guess all the people who respond to articles in the New Hope Free Press by using their full name are in this category.
And since William G. refuses to use his full name, I guess he won’t be making any in person commentary at school board meetings any time soon Unlike many parents who have no trouble fully identifying themselves even though they are not retired nor have a trust fund.
Now as far as using the Jim Smith on the internet, I am very easily identifiable because people see and hear me in living color.
And finally, since William G.and myself know a number of parents, perhaps there is an intersection wherein a parent that I know also knows a William G. which means that he can be fully identified. Just call me Sherlock.
As sure as the sun rises in the East, our resident crank Mel B finds a way to rail on his arch-nemesis the New Hope School system as a response to amazingly great news. I love you Mel. The comic relief of your posts is priceless! And the irony his “I don’t want to pay taxes to benefit New Hope schools and kids”, but I live off a NY school tax financed retirement is priceless!
ps – as for only using an initial for my last name when posting online – unless you’re retired or living off a trust fund, it matters in 2015. It’s always worth having just the right amount of anonymity on the internet.
William is my real first name, G. is my real last initial. Some other parents in the district would be able to read this and readily recognize me, while you may not.
At the same time, the top hits on Google will not be silly internet conversations when a client or potential client looks me up. Perhaps when I retire or win a PowerBall jackpot I’ll add the rest of those letters, but for now it’s just smart business and I’d recommend anyone that’s not retired or with a trust fund do the same.
By the way Mel – you comment on YouTube as “Jim Smith” – pot calling the kettle black?
Number 2.
Out of 673.
Top 0.3% in the state.
I don’t know where the obsessive hatred of NHSSD cam from Mel, but the rest of us will be busy congratulating the students, teachers, assistants, administrators, and community for being ranked in the top 0.3% in the state.
I’m starting to get the feeling that if you won a Pulitzer you’d rip it up and demand a Nobel.
Whether you agree or disagree with Laurie Skoroda, we have to admire the fact that she is confident enough in her opinions that she will ALWAYS use her FULL name. This is why she will speak occasionally at school board meetings that are audio taped and where you are required to use your full name. William G,on the other hand, chooses not to, because as he had said in a another article, he is concerned about negative repercussions if he identifies himself. I would like to see a policy whereby posts are only accepted if a person uses his full name.
Right now I am just too ecstatic about the results of the school board election to address the issues of the article except to say that while New Hope Solebury’s #2 is a very distant # 2 in spite of the fact that its pupil to teacher ratio of 13:1 is much less than the #1 school, Masterman at 20:1. Also its % of economically disadvantage students, a mere 2%, is much less than Masterman’s WHOPPING 39%. This means NHS parent’s have the ability to spend much more money and they do,unfortunately to have their kids tutored to bring up their kids grades or have the grades enhanced.
William G, you are…a breath of positive air, a much needed glass half full, a man who tells it like it is and someone who speaks for many, many of us. A great role model for our kids! Thank you on behalf of the majority (99.9%) of us who saw this article and were excited and proud! This recognition goes to the community overall who supports the district with taxes, time and attendance at events, the businesses who support the school so generously, the parents, the staff, the administration, the board (prior and current), and most importantly our awesome teachers and our kids. Well done!
ps Mel – you also twisted the numbers. I see you’re trying to say that 50% of students took and passed the AP tests and earned college credit – no, it’s 67.1%. If you just click over to the “Test Scores” section on the US news site you’ll see the “AP Student Performance” section that breaks down the numbers. That percentage is based on total students, not only the ones that chose to take the tests so there’s no need to start dividing further and drag your numbers down.
Sigh…Mel, Mel, Mel…like clockwork, trying desperately to find a cloud for a silver lining…
The “College Readiness Index” that you’re referring to is just poorly named; it is, as you’ve just yourself explained, the percentage of students that have taken and passed AP tests, meaning they’ve ALREADY earned college credits while still in high school.
No, not EVERY college accepts those credits, but the vast majority do – and this is the system that is in place not just for NHSSD, but for the entire nation.
So it does not mean that only 67.1% of students coming out of NHSSD are “ready for college”, but that over two-thirds of students graduating NHS HS have ALREADY earned college credits and placed out of 101-level college courses. Plenty of students are “ready for college” even if they have not already earned college credits while still in high school – the percentage of NHSSD students that go directly to college after graduating is somewhere around 99%.
There is only one high school in the state that has a higher percentage of students passing AP tests, and you’ll notice that it is a magnet school that is self-selecting, pulling the highest achieving students from all over Philadelphia who must apply, test, and be selected just to attend that school.
Everyone in town already gets it – you hate our school district for some reason, you’re mortal enemies with the Superintendent for some reason, you’ll try to spin every bit of great news into something bad because good news doesn’t jibe with the story you’re trying to concoct…
Ok, NHSSD isn’t #1 in the state. It’s #2 – only behind a magnet school in a major American city. I guess that’s bad news?
What I find disturbing about the ranking is the failure of the powers that be in the district to address the WHOLE picture. For every 100 students eligible to take AP tests, only 75 chose to do so. Of the 75 that take the tests 67.1% pass the tests or 50 students (i.e. get a score of 3 out of 5 which will give them college credit, but not in all colleges).
So to sum up, what we have is just 50% of New Hope Solebury students are college ready according to the US New sand World Report criteria. Is this something to be proud of? Do you think that the 50% that don’t make the grade and their parents are happy as the administration each of whom is probably giving each other high fives?
First,let us understand the fact that the ranking refers to data gathered from the students who took the test in 2012-2013. The significance of this become apparent when we realize that there are two members of the school board who are publicizing the #2 ranking who were not on the school board back in 2012-2013, but are running for reelection. Taking credit for something that they should not be taking credit for?
All the teachers should be recognized and praised for a job well done. All those high schoolers were taught by the best teachers from 1st grade up. Congrats New Hope/Solebury.