Walton County National Merit Finalists/Semi-Finalists?

[Jdarg]

Just curious- I am trying to find out how many National Merit Semi-Finalists and Finalists have come out of the Walton County School District, and I've only been able to easily find the 2014 results (one semi-finalist, home schooled).

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/local/national-merit-semifinalists-named-1.371600

I have not heard about any others since moving here, but of course that doesn't mean they don't exist.

Sadly, the Panhandle doesn't seem to be a hotbed for National Merit Scholars.

 

[m1a1mg]

My Google-Fu is strong:

2013 winners. 2 from Gulf Breeze, 1 from Niceville.
http://www.fldoe.org/news/2013/2013_05_08/winners.pdf

Actually, Niceville has a few in the running this year.
http://www.fldoe.org/news/2013/2013_09_12/2014NationalMeritSemifinalists.pdf

Got to www.fdoe.org and search Merit Scholar.

 

[Jdarg]

Wow. That's it?

 

[m1a1mg]

Florida had 826 out of 1.4 M enrolled. California had 1922 out of 3.4 M enrolled, Texas 1348 out of 2.8 M. The state that appeared to do the best was NY with 1060 out of 966 K.

Page 23 here for scholars: http://www.nationalmerit.org/annual_report.pdf

Here for population: http://proximityone.com/k12_state.htm

 

[Jdarg]

Thanks. The Panhandle as a region looks pretty slim compared to other parts of the state. What aren't we doing?

 

[m1a1mg]

Education begets education. The lack thereof does the same thing.

 

[Jdarg]

Education begets education. The lack thereof does the same thing.

Sigh.

 

[DaleDalbey]

Sigh.

Sadly, I was surprised there were any. No slight toward our kid's potential mind you.

 

[Matt J]

Sadly, I was surprised there were any. No slight toward our kid's potential mind you.

So cynical.

 

[Jdarg]

I wonder if it is because more emphasis is put on a test that only benefits the district (FCAT) than on the test that actually benefits students in terms of scholarship opportunities and college board test prep (FCAT)? I know a lot of teachers and students and many are National Merit Scholar quality. I understand that not every student can (or should) be a semi-finalist or finalist. But when there is focus on this highest level of achievement, it raises the bar of success for everyone. For everyone that brags on our schools - if you moved here from another community, did those schools consistently have a certain number of National Merit Scholars? Don't you think it's weird that we really don't have a measurable number? This is not a teacher or student quality problem (because I have great confidence in both to be able to achieve at high levels), but a district problem. Actually it appears to be a regional Panhandle problem.