Thomas Jefferson High School falls to No. 14 in national rankings

Virginia-based Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ), once ranked as the top public high school in the U.S., dropped to No. 14 in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. The decline has ignited debates about the school’s revised admissions process, which some parents blame for the fall in both academic performance and rankings.

About its admissions process: In 2020, TJ’s admissions process was modified to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), addressing concerns about underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students. The new system, which eliminated standardized testing, allocated a portion of admissions slots to top-performing students from each middle school in the region, rather than selecting only the highest overall applicants. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and supporters argue that it reflects a commitment to diversity while maintaining academic standards. “14 is amazing,” Dr. Andrew Hayes of the TJ Alumni Action Group told FOX 5, dismissing concerns about the ranking drop as based on “unrealistic expectations.”
What critics are saying: Critics, particularly among the Asian American community, argue that the revised admissions process unfairly disadvantages Asian American students and lowers the school’s academic rigor. The share of Asian American students reportedly dropped by 3.2% since the policy was implemented, leading groups like the Coalition for TJ to pursue legal action. While the Supreme Court declined to hear their case earlier this year, the controversy continues, with critics asserting that the new admissions policy amounts to “intentional racial discrimination.” Meanwhile, FCPS denies any link between the ranking decline and the new admissions policy, noting that the rankings are based on older data and that most students admitted under the new process were only completing their freshman year. “To imply a link between a rank drop in this area and the new race-blind admissions policy would be a fabrication,” a spokesperson told the Fairfax County Times.

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