I was curious what everyone's experience or observation has been...Would you regard the number of Nat'l Merit Scholarship semifinalist/finalist a particular high school produces an indication of its general academic excellence? Or could it be a function of the school having a high concentration of high achievers from the start?
Assuming demographics are fairly equal...
I think it has to do with what the kids come in with. So in a district where there are a lot at one high school and less at others, a lot of National Merit semifinalists/finalists probably means there is some draw for the gifted/high ability/highly motivated students.
In a district with only one high school, in my opinion, a lot of National Merit semifinalists/finalists means that the district is doing a good job with it's gifted/high ability/highly motivated students *before* they get to high school.
A case in point: We live in one of two top ranked districts (in terms of state test scores) in our state. The two districts have almost identical demographics, including number of students in the high school (each district has a single high school). One district consistently has 10-15 National Merit semifinalists/finalists and the other has less than five. Last year there was one. The district with the 10-15 National Merit semifinalists/finalists just happens to have a gifted program that starts in elementary school. The other district not only doesn't have a gifted program, it actively stonewalls any attempt at acceleration.
