The schooldigger ranked Prince George’s Academy of Health Sciences at PGCC the number one high school in Maryland in 2017. Since FARM rate was highly discussed in HCPSS school redistricting, I notice that their FARM student rate is 46.3%. This is a significant achievement for such a young school, just opened six years ago.
Their website is http://www.pgcps.org/academyatpgcc/PB-academyatpgcc.aspx?Pageid=221171&id=183487
On the greatschools.org, it shows that its AP course participation rate is 0%, but SAT/ACT participation rate is 85%. A student need take an entrance exam to compete for a seat there. So it is a selective enrollment and by choice enrollment .
Chao,
I found out when RHHS and LRHS were built and first opened 20 years ago with the intent that about 1/4 of students would be out of district tech/votech magnet students. It might be interesting to find out lessons learned and why this program was cancelled by HCPSS.
Jim, thanks for letting me know this change. I agree it would be great to know why the program was cancelled by HCPSS.
Lisa, thanks for your information on LPN and RN. Probably that is the reason their SAT/ACT participation rate is 85%, but no AP classes there. When I was in elementary school, I just wanted to attend a teacher training school ( We need graduate with really top scores from a 3-year middle school and then enter a tuition-free 3-year teacher training school, very competitive and attractive for poor kids) and become a teacher such that I can help my poor family asap. Then my brother became a teacher first and situations gradually improved because of his help such that my path changed too. Otherwise, I probably dropped out from elementary school and my life path would be totally different.
Jim, I did not claim anything here. I was surprised by this school ranking somebody shared with me such that I looked at the school profile. FARM number is there too.
I do know poor, less-advantage students will unfortunately miss many opportunities because of some conditions they could not control. I was one of them before. However, through hard work and community help, I was the first one to attend college and even earn a Ph.D. Now, I want to share my vision and passion for HCPSS education by running for the school board.
I would like keep an open mind and try to explore new approaches if possible. Thanks.
In additional it is only 100 students selected from thousands of applicants for motivation and potential. The school is funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and has students take PGCC courses. To make the claim it is in anyway an indication that FARM rates are not a good indicator of academic performance is disingenuous.
If this school is funded by Gates, expect that this is some kind of an experiment on these children. They are set in front computer screens earning badges and endlessly tested all while being data mined extensively….. their parents probably have no idea. Bill Gates needs to keep his money out of public education, because everything he pushes, goes straight to garbage. Let him use his own kids as experiments.
This is akin to what vocational schools used to be except that it is only for the health sciences. If one is seeking a nursing degree from a program such as this, one would graduate with a LPN license which means that they are not very employable in many hospitals or medical settings….one must have an RN to work in many areas of a hospital setting. It’s not a bad program, but families must realize when enrolling what the outcome of that education is going to be. The objective of education is to turn children into good, well rounded, democratic citizens that are prepared for the world and life….it is NOT to prepare children for the workforce. I don’t know very many 8th graders (12-13 yr olds) that know what they really want to be when they grow up….do you?