HS Program Design Inputs

DP vs. CP Demand + Athletics Reality  |  Evidence: 223 parents + 122 MS students + 20 HS students
HS Pipeline Health Check
Key metrics showing the current state of MS-to-HS transition readiness across all stakeholder groups.
33.6
MS Student HS Intent
38.3
Parent HS Enroll Intent
55.9
Parent HS Confidence
42.6
HS Pipeline Viability
57.4
MS Student Pathway Awareness
Yes, understand
43
35%
Heard, don't get it
54
44%
No awareness
25
20%
65.2
MS HS Preparedness
Students rate how prepared they feel for Magellan's HS program. At 65.2, most feel only moderately ready — a gap in communication and program clarity.
64.2
Current HS Stress Load
Positive
5
Mixed
7
Struggling
8
Pipeline Verdict

The HS pipeline is in critical condition. Student intent (33.6) and parent enrollment intent (38.3) are both below 40/100. 44% of MS students don't understand pathway options, and 40% of current HS students are struggling. Any program design changes must address both the awareness gap (students don't know what's offered) and the experience gap (current HS students report 64.2 stress).

DP vs. CP Demand Analysis
What do 122 MS students actually want from a high school? Direct preference data + the features they rank highest.
55
Don't Plan to Stay
45.1% of MS students
39
Want Career-Focused (CP-like)
31.9% — the largest staying cohort
23
Want Full IB Diploma (DP)
18.9% of MS students
MS Student Program Preference (122 Students)
Parent HS Intent Segments (47 MS/HS Parents)
What Students Want in a High School — Top Feature Mentions (Rank 1 + 2 + 3 Combined)
Parent HS Intent by Division
Division Respondents Committed Leaning In Unsure Leaning Out Leaving
DP vs. CP Verdict

CP demand outpaces DP almost 2:1. Among students who plan to stay, 39 want a career-focused program mixing academics with real-world skills, vs. 23 who want the full IB Diploma. Only 5 want partial IB or innovation pathways.

The retention crisis overshadows program choice: 55 students (45%) don't plan to stay regardless of what program is offered. Of the 47 parents asked about HS, only 3 are committed and 11 are actively leaving.

Feature demand tells the story: Students' top priorities are low stress (53 mentions), competitive athletics (44), and course variety (40). IB Diploma ranks 5th with only 30 mentions. Students want breadth and balance, not just academic rigor.

Athletics Reality Check
Sports is Magellan's #1 competitive weakness. Here's the full picture across parents and students.
56.5
MS Student Sports Gap
#1 competitive weakness
12.2
Avg Parent Athletics Score
72 parents responded
9
Parents Value Club Sports
Only 4% see club model as strength
Athletics Importance — All Parents
Athletics Importance — MS Parents (49)
Avg Athletics Score by 2×2 Quadrant
Athletics Verdict

The data is unambiguous: Athletics is Magellan's largest single competitive gap (56.5/100). Only 4% of parents view the club sports model as a strength.

High-Risk families care most: The families most likely to leave also rate athletics highest in importance — meaning athletics investment directly reduces attrition.

The structural problem: With 20 HS students, Magellan can't field competitive teams. Free public schools (Anderson, Westlake) offer UIL athletics at no cost. This is a gap that money alone won't fix — it requires scale.

MS Student Feature Gap Analysis
What features do MS students want that they feel Magellan doesn't deliver? Higher count = more students see a gap.
Average Gap Score by Feature (0–100 Scale — Higher = Bigger Mismatch Between Importance & Satisfaction)
Feature Gap Verdict

The top gaps — Sports, Stress Balance, and School Size — are all structural issues tied to scale. A school with 20 HS students cannot offer competitive athletics, diverse course selection, or the "big school energy" that students crave.

The bottom gaps — Small Classes, Spanish, Diversity — are Magellan's moat. Students don't want these to change. Program design should protect these strengths while addressing the top 3-4 gaps.