Walton County National Merit Finalists/Semi-Finalists?

It calls to attention all the BS the Sup likes to spread about. Great test scores, great this and great that. Its all great!

Yet they will KNOWINGLY allow a teacher on Florida State Felonly Probation to: teach your kids, collect a pay check, get insurance and benefits...
I could go on and on about others but this was a proven fact.

We have none (merit scholars), for a reason; they are not the focus, the focus is, will and has been on the family members, those that are employees by the $$$ district and keeping their big $$$ jobs, retirement and other assorted benefits very close to the chest.

House cleaning is far past due. Got to keep it "all in the family".

Perhaps a good question would be how many Walton County students won Bright Futures scholarships since more of our students take ACT.

Interesting that you commented how difficult it is to have adult conversation on here, but when I tried to answer your original question, you responded not with a "thanks for the info!" , but a terse response that negated what I said! You were wondering why more students from this area aren't National Merit Scholars Finalists. I explained to you that you have to take the SAT to be a finalist and most kids here take the ACT because it is more convenient (given at the school) and most colleges accept either. So unless a student has applied to a school that specifically requires the SAT or the student is trying to become a National Merit Finalist, they don't take the SAT. If you want to read it for yourself, read the blue box on page 7 of the PSAT student guide that went home with walton county high schoolers last week. They will take the PSAT next week, but to be a finalist, they must take the SAT. You're welcome.

I'm sorry that you thought it was a terse response. Don't fight those that are on the same team. The PSAT scores are used to determine the eligibility and qualification for Merit Scholar finalists. This test must be taken before the others. It all starts with this test. I am not trying to start an argument, just making sure the facts are out there. Unfortunately, it look like many of the teachers do not understand the importance of this test (based on correspondence with them- which means the district is not placing much emphasis on the one test taken at school that WILL matter for the students).
http://www.nationalmerit.org/entering.php

Each year's PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test designated for entry to a particular year's competition. For example, the 2014 PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test for entry to the competition for scholarships to be awarded in 2016. Registration for the test is by high school rather than individual student. Interested students should see their counselor at the beginning of the school year to make arrangements to take the PSAT/NMSQT at the school in October.

Perhaps a good question would be how many Walton County students won Bright Futures scholarships since more of our students take ACT.

OK, let's look at the requirements. It is not just the ACT. It is ACT/SAT, weighted GPA, and service hours requirement.

http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/PDF/BFHandbookChapter1.pdf

OK, let's look at the requirements. It is not just the ACT. It is ACT/SAT, weighted GPA, and service hours requirement.

http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/PDF/BFHandbookChapter1.pdf

OK. We know what the requirements are to earn a Bright Futures scholarship. A high enough ACT OR SAT score and the weighted GPA requirements. I'd be interested to know how many Walton county seniors got one last year and in the last five years. I believe it's also important to know that Bright Futures is attainable for a lot of students. With encouragement from their parents and guidance councilors and hard work a senior can graduate, and go to college with tuition paid by scholarship funding. One good thing that the Florida lottery brought to us.

If semi-finalists for National Merit Scholarships represent the top one percent of seniors, how is this relevant to the quality of Walton County schools? Does someone here have a kid who is in that one percent?

If semi-finalists for National Merit Scholarships represent the top one percent of seniors, how is this relevant to the quality of Walton County schools? Does someone here have a kid who is in that one percent?

I hope I misunderstood your post. Each time i read it, I interpreted it to say that our Walton county kids aren't capable of being the best. I would argue that we get the best when we give the best. Are we giving our kids the best education possible? Are we demanding our educational system is amongst the top 1 percent?

I'm not suggesting that our kids aren't capable of excelling, but in a small school system it's unlikely that a lot of students would be in that top one percent in the entire United States. How many students in Walton Schools even take the SAT? I suspect that seniors who are smart enough to reach the lofty goal of a National Merit Scholarship are smarter than any of their teachers.

I'm not suggesting that our kids aren't capable of excelling, but in a small school system it's unlikely that a lot of students would be in that top one percent in the entire United States. How many students in Walton Schools even take the SAT? I suspect that seniors who are smart enough to reach the lofty goal of a National Merit Scholarship are smarter than any of their teachers.

Statistically we could hope that our best one percent measures up to the top one percent around the country. In regard to your assertion that a National Merit Scholar is smarter than his/her teachers in Walton County, I would rephrase to say they would definitely have significantly more potential for intellectual
development

I hope I misunderstood your post. Each time i read it, I interpreted it to say that our Walton county kids aren't capable of being the best. I would argue that we get the best when we give the best. Are we giving our kids the best education possible? Are we demanding our educational system is amongst the top 1 percent?

I didn't read the same thing into Meggiemom's post as you did. My feeling is that National Merit Scholarships are usually won by gifted students. That's not to say that Walton county doesn't have some but most gifted students probably don't go on the earn Merit Scholarships either. I don't think you can measure a schools success by the number of these scholarships earned by students. How many Rhodes Scholars has Walton County produced?

Rhodes scholars are designated based upon a student's performance in college, not high school. There are numerous ways to measure the success of our students. National Merit scholarships are one method. Bright futures is another. Competitive college acceptance is another. Graduation rates. Direct classroom expenditures to administrative overhead is another. Etc. Etc. How WCSD stacks up on many stats, not just one, seems appropriate.

Rhodes scholars are designated based upon a student's performance in college, not high school. There are numerous ways to measure the success of our students. National Merit scholarships are one method. Bright futures is another. Competitive college acceptance is another. Graduation rates. Direct classroom expenditures to administrative overhead is another. Etc. Etc. How WCSD stacks up on many stats, not just one, seems appropriate.

I know that Rhodes scholars are designated based on college performance. I'm not an idiot. I had a cousin who was a Rhodes scholar. He attended a private school (Indian Springs in Alabama) and I believe he also won a National Merit Scholarship. I brought up the Bright futures but nobody seems interested although it's much more attainable than a National Merit Scholarship. As far as I know nobody in the high school I graduated from ever got one but it was an excellent school system. I simply don't believe that the number of National Merit Scholarship finalists and semi-finalists are a valid measure of a school's success. I wish I could have sent my two children to private schools but they did manage to earn BS degrees after graduating from public schools.

I agree that there are many metrics to determine good schools. What I can't seem to find, and I've looked, is where WCSD brags about these accomplishments. We've lived all over the country, and parts of foreign countries, and one thing we've always noticed is school systems bragging about their accomplishments in education. WCSD, not so much.

I agree that there are many metrics to determine good schools. What I can't seem to find, and I've looked, is where WCSD brags about these accomplishments. We've lived all over the country, and parts of foreign countries, and one thing we've always noticed is school systems bragging about their accomplishments in education. WCSD, not so much.

I think it has something to do with the humble nature of our educational leaders. They are too busy and pure-hearted to take the time to boast about accomplishments. (Sarcasm)

I find it interesting that people are simultaneously complaining about "teaching to the test" regarding the FCAT and "not teaching to the test" regarding the PSAT.

Instead of fretting about specific tests, we need to be providing a good basic education to everyone with a focus on literacy and critical thinking. A broadly and competently educated student will always do better on any test than one who is educated with a narrow scope or a specific purpose.

Walton county has a National Merit Scholar winner, not just a finalist! A young lady at Walton High School in DeFuniak Springs was just awarded the scholarship. Its on the district website!

Yes we do have a winner! She is a fine young lady and her parents are both wonderful people who have been educating our children for many years as well as raising their own.

That is weird. The winner was listed as homeschooled on the report I saw and posted at start of this thread. What year did she win? I looked at reports for several years back.

http://www.walton.k12.fl.us/2014/10/walton-county-s-national-merit-scholarship-student

Both of her parents work for the Walton County School District. Her dad is the Assistant Principal at Paxton and her mom teaches at Walton Middle School.

She has attended walton county schools since kindergarten. She is currently at Walton High and just won this year.

Yes we do have a winner! She is a fine young lady and her parents are both wonderful people who have been educating our children for many years as well as raising their own.

I am sure she is a fine student and a credit to her family. The news release did not say she was a National Merit Finalist or Semifinalist, it says National Merit Scholarship Student. According to their website, this means she was in the top 50,000 nationwide. This is very impressive and she should be congratulated and held up as an example for other students, but it is unfortunately just below requirements for the national merit scholarship semifinalist recognition

You are right she has not won a scholarship yet. She is a semi-finalist. She cannot become a finalist until completing her senior year coursework. Good luck to her!

That's great! Regardless of the absolute mess the school district and its leader are in, we all need to support her!

What can we do to help her get the scholarship?

Congratulations to this young lady. I'd still like to know how many Walton County seniors won Bright Futures scholarships.

Congratulations to this young lady. I'd still like to know how many Walton County seniors won Bright Futures scholarships.

From how long ago? Mine won a 75% Bright Futures in 2003