Seattle Schools National Merit Semi-Finalists
Congrats to all these hard-working students for this great academic outcome. Your parents must be very proud.
BALLARD HIGH SCHOOLLee, Conrad C.
Roidad, Aneesa S.
GARFIELD HIGH SCHOOLBecker, Zebediah S.
Cohen, Jed M.
Lundsgaard, Annika P.
O'Kelley, Ciaran A.
Philipose, Millan J.
Shao, Zhemin
Vinh Farr, Myles M.
Webbeking, Blaise E.
Wozniak, Natasha A.
INGRAHAM HIGH SCHOOLGraham, Kirsten M.
Groom, Maks J.
Lempriere, James P.
Truax, Roshan D.
Weiner, Duncan E.
White, Vivian M.
ROOSEVELT H. S.Johnson, Isabella E.
Peng, Avery W.
Scott, Adam M.
BALLARD HIGH SCHOOLLee, Conrad C.
Roidad, Aneesa S.
GARFIELD HIGH SCHOOLBecker, Zebediah S.
Cohen, Jed M.
Lundsgaard, Annika P.
O'Kelley, Ciaran A.
Philipose, Millan J.
Shao, Zhemin
Vinh Farr, Myles M.
Webbeking, Blaise E.
Wozniak, Natasha A.
INGRAHAM HIGH SCHOOLGraham, Kirsten M.
Groom, Maks J.
Lempriere, James P.
Truax, Roshan D.
Weiner, Duncan E.
White, Vivian M.
ROOSEVELT H. S.Johnson, Isabella E.
Peng, Avery W.
Scott, Adam M.
Comments
SPS Parent
- Bulldog Parent
- Bulldog Parent
The blog rules don't include "unpleasant" as a disqualifier.
The deleted comments called out the low SPS numbers for NMSF compared to the Eastside, despite extremely high numbers of enrolled SPS HC and an ensuing backlash against changing HC (even though the program isn't delivering).
Hey, it's your blog. But realize that, when you impose your POV by deleting blog-rule following comments you disagree with, you further damage your credibility.
Delete Me
I would have had no problem with stating facts without the sneering tone.
My credibility - to those who actually take the time to listen - is just fine but thanks for the concern.
And you are right - it is my blog. You can follow those guidelines or not.
Anyway, congrats to the students!
-Cynic
Wondering
I personally think it’s fantastic these hard working students reached this achievement. I appreciate moderating comments where students get dragged into disagreements (grudges, grievances etc) that grownups are having.
Flawed Logic
But I agree with Cynic - it would be interesting to look at the numbers from the last decade and see what those look like.
Perhaps there aren't larger numbers because of the district's and some schools' lack of interest in supporting these kids.
But again, we need to celebrate all achievements.
Maybe a teacher here or there will bring 'em a cupcake or something, or maybe a counselor or principal will call a kid into their office to deliver the news in private. But we don't celebrate this sort of thing in Seattle. [Tip to parents of NMSFs--don't mention it to others. If they happen to mention it to you, I've found the best response is to sound almost apologetic, saying they must have just gotten really luck or had a good day.]
cupcake
I'm glad you're starting to, at least parenthetically, acknowledge the reality here--that the apparent disparity in the number of NMSFs in SPS vs. the Eastside is likely not because Seattle students themselves just aren't as capable as our neighbors, but likely because our public schools aren't providing educational programs that deliver the same results.
Some of Seattle's private schools did well, so it's probably not just a Seattle thing.
I also don't tend to agree with the explanation of @Flawed Logic, that it's because HCC crowd tends to be anti-test and thus probably didn't take (or try hard at) the PSAT. Maybe that's the case with some of the other standardized tests, but I think many former HCC students are in fact interested in the PSAT as a practice for the SAT, which many ARE going to take because some of the colleges to which they want to apply ARE still asking for, or at least accepting, SAT scores, and high SAT scores aren't going to hurt. Some schools also provide additional $ for students who are NMSFs. I suspect that those who refuse to take the SAT (or ACT) are those who don't anticipate doing well enough for it to help them with college admissions, so those are also students not likely to qualify as NMSFs, either.
I think @Cynic has it right--or at least partly right. HCC services in SPS are weaker, and so our students might not be doing quite as well as some in surrounding districts. This doesn't mean our students are doing poorly or still aren't doing well--but since NMSF status is all relative, if other WA schools/districts have made progress in relation to SPS, we'll have fewer NMSFs and they'll have more. It's as simple as that--with one caveat.
It's also important to note, however, that NMSF and HCC are not necessarily associated. Many HC-identified students in SPS did not ever participate in HCC services, and many students who probably should be considered "HC" have not been identified. Further, the goal of HC services--whether in HCC or via neighborhood HC services--has never been to produce NMSFs. Since the PSAT doesn't cover anything that's very unusual or advanced, any strong student (HCC or not) should have just as good a chance at qualifying if they were provided a very strong academic background. The PSAT is not an HCC or HC test.
HF
National Merit Scholar is a minor distinction of no value to most students. You get your name in the paper, but considering the unconcealed animosity toward advanced students in Seattle, I wonder how many students even want that.
Long ago when I personally took it, the PSAT was positioned as a warm-up for the SAT (which coincidentally generated another fee for the College Board). This was before SAT test prep books and courses were ubiquitous, so getting a practice run was really helpful. Also, there was more stigma attached to taking the SAT itself multiple times, so you couldn't use the SAT as a warm-up for the SAT. NMS status was a feather in your cap, but little or no actual scholarship money was tied to it, so the feather was all you got.
It seems that Lakeside pushes the PSAT hard on its students for marketing purposes, but how many public school students actually take it, and when?
If the HCC cohort wasn’t so racially homogeneous, we’d probably see more kids of color in it and a number of them would have been Merit scholars.
IPP morphed into APP with its easier entrance requirements and became an escape for white parents who didn’t like integrated schools. After busing was eliminated APP and then HCC came to be seen as a way to escape low performing and hard to teach students.
If self-contained is so necessary, why do so many HC students stay out of the cohort yet do as well as better than those who enter it?
HCC is draining the student of color talent pool from SPS and sending it to Lakeside and other privates or out of the district where parents feel their children won’t be standing out because of their race.
JJ
At least for the past several years, all 10th and 11th graders at Garfield take the PSAT during the school day sometime in October. (There was one year where they were not going to offer it to 10th graders, but they eventually made it work.) Maybe some kids opt out, but it doesn't seem to be a large percentage who opt out. I think this is generally the protocol at all high schools in the district, but that is just based on word of mouth, so other parents can confirm that information.
There was nothing the district did to recognize NMSFs to my knowledge. But there is an "honors night" at Garfield for seniors that includes recognition for a number of different awards. National Merit is one of those. I think Ballard HS also has a similar award recognition night, and I assume other schools do as well.
Much confusion exists around this scholarship opportunity. The National Merit organization sponsors some awards, some colleges provide scholarship awards, and some companies sponsor awards. Because some colleges provide only need-based financial aid and no merit awards, the scholarship can be meaningful to families who do not qualified for need-based aid. Scholarships can be worth as much as $5,000 (the awards sponsored by the National Merit organization itself are worth $2500).
PSAT is not the sole basis for the award, though obviously it is a significant factor. According to the National Merit website FAQs, "Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements, which are provided in the information they receive with their scholarship applications and are also listed in the PSAT/NMSQT® Student Guide. These include completing an application, having a consistently very high academic record, writing an essay, being endorsed and recommended by a school official, and taking the SAT® and earning a score that confirms the PSAT/NMSQT performance. Note: Beginning with the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program, Semifinalists may submit confirming scores from the SAT® or ACT® to meet the Finalist requirement."
Bulldog Parent
Comparing Lakeside and SPS HCC kids is apples and oranges.
My view
Many of the scholarships are only granted to students whose parents work at company x, or for students who want to go to specific schools (e.g., half-tuition at a particular school, usually a school not likely to be of interest to a top student). For students who want an inexpensive education and who don't qualify for a lot of financial aid--or who are planning on graduate school and don't want to build up debt as an undergrad), sone of the National Merit perks may come into play. For many, however, they won't. Highly ranked schools get tons of applicants from NMSFs and NMSs, so I don't think it means much more most.
@ My View, I think we should avoid using terms like "the best and brightest." High grades and/or test scores don't make a kid the best, and they also don't demonstrate that they are the brightest.
HF
In your opinion. Unless you have some kind of data or proof. I'll wait.
If the HCC cohort wasn’t so racially homogeneous, we’d probably see more kids of color in it and a number of them would have been Merit scholars.
Do you see the issue? Rainier Scholars takes the top scholars of color and they get free admission to Lakeside and other top private schools. If some of those kids weren't in RS, they'd probably be in HCC. I have advocated for a long time that the HCC parents of color should be asked to do meet and learn forums in the southend so that other parents of color can see the benefits. It's hard to build up a cohort without that kind of solidarity.
Also, Lakeside may have some students of color - I haven't checked lately - but the school is mostly white and Asian.
Lakeside was 36% European American last year. What was HCC?
Lakeside is very well balanced by race and reflects the community much better than HCC. And that’s no doubt a strong factor in why gifted students of color prefer it to SPS. They can be in classes with kids who look like them, just like the Crosscut writer noted in their essay. That’s extremely important for students.
JJ
NW Parent
And also: All the top white students go to Lakeside, other private’s or move out of the district to where it’s more diverse. And, for the same reason. Sure is a lot of Lakeside envy on this blog. Don’t worry, they’re used to it. The PSAT obsession is absurd and nobody practices for it nor gets special tutors for that. Even at Lakeside. PSAT isn’t pushed hard anywhere. The PSAT is simply a limited practice test for the SAT with no real stakes in play except a brief accolade if you win big. A practice test. You can bet your last dollar there’s plenty of prep at Lakeside and everywhere else, for the ACT/SAT after PSAT scores are established as a baseline. ACT/SAT are what colleges actually care about. And they really do care. But the lack of hoopla around the PSAT does make it a good point of comparison. People haven’t really studied for it, there is nothing except a huge honor riding on it, it’s a great measure. SPS should use Garfield’s PSAT scores to validate Honors for All LA. This year’s PSAT scores are from students who were in Honors for All, correct? It appears that a slight improvement, or at least, no regression in PSAT top scores have resulted from Honors for All. It would seem Garfield’s decent results should quell fears of academic regression for the best and brightest as so feared previously.
Honorific
now RS
Focusing on Lakeside is a straw man argument. The numbers in SPS pale in comparison to the PUBLIC schools on the east side.
There is HC in middle and high school in SPS and it is largely based on tracking. HC students also get preferential choice of classes.
@Melissa "If some of those kids weren't in RS, they'd probably be in HCC."
Are you serious??
They started Rainier Scholars because students of color were not being qualified for advanced learning in SPS. It used to be spelled out on their website. Didn't you know that?
No, they wouldn't qualify for HC in SPS because the entrance criteria excludes them.
Call Rainier Scholars and please stop spreading false information.
Enough
See Nuance
I'll put a call into Lakeside to ask them about how many students come from Seattle and how many come from surrounding communities.