Penns Valley Area High School

Penns Valley Area High School
Address
4545 Penns Valley Road Spring Mills, Pennsylvania, Centre County 16875-9403 United States
Coordinates	40°52′40″N 77°31′49″W / 40.8778°N 77.5303°W / 40.8778; -77.5303Coordinates: 40°52′40″N 77°31′49″W / 40.8778°N 77.5303°W / 40.8778; -77.5303
Information
Type	Public
School board	9 locally elected members
Oversight	Pennsylvania Department of Education, PA General Assembly
Superintendent	Dr. Brian Griffith (salary $108,951 in 2010) (salary $134,057 (2013) [1] (contract July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2017)[2]
Administrator	Jefrey Wall, Business Manager[3] Sherri Connell Ast Super, Salary $116,144 (2013) Brian K. Griffith, Compliance Officer Holly Sawyer, $82,960
Principal	Dustin Dalton, PVAJSHS salary $101,626 (2013)
Faculty	50 teachers (2013)[4]
Grades	7-12
Age	12 years old to 21 years old special education
Pupils	672 pupils (2015),[5] 697 pupils (2010)
• Grade 7	128 (2013), 131 (2010)
• Grade 8	115 (2013), 121
• Grade 9	130 (2013), 162
• Grade 10	94 (2013), 169
• Grade 11	120 (2013), 133
• Grade 12	119 (2013), 159 (2010)
• Other	20
Language	English
Mascot	Rams
Per pupil spending 2008	$13,330
Per pupil spending 2010	$13,516.41
Website	http://pennsvalley.org/

Penns Valley Area High School is a small, rural, public school located in Centre County, Pennsylvania. In 2015, enrollment had declined to 672 pupils in 7th through 12th grades, with 29% of pupils eligible for a free lunch due to family poverty. Additionally, 11% of pupils received special education services, while 3.8% of pupils were identified as gifted.^[6] The School employed 50 teachers in 2015.^[7] Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of the teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Penns Valley Area High School is the sole junior high school or senior high school operated by the Penns Valley Area School District.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010, the school reported an enrollment of 697 pupils in grades 7th through 12th, with 157 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced-price lunch. The Penns Valley Area High School employed 57 teachers, yielding a student–teacher ratio of 12:1.^[8] According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 18 teachers were rated "Non‐Highly Qualified" and 6 teachers have emergency certifications under No Child Left Behind.^[9]

Special education services are provided by District employees and the Central Intermediate Unit CIU10. Occupational training and adult education in various vocational and technical fields are provided by the district and the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology.

Graduation rate

In 2015, Penns Valley Area School District's graduation rate was 93%.^[10]

• 2014 - 91.84% ^[11]
• 2013 - 87.62% ^[12]
• 2012 - 89.8%
• 2011 - 90%.^[13]
• 2010 - 91%, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate.^[14]

Former calculation graduation rate

• 2010 - 95%^[15]
• 2009 - 95%^[16]
• 2008 - 95%
• 2007 - 95% ^[17]

Academics

2015 School Performance Profile

Penns Valley Area High School achieved 92.1 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement.The PDE reported that 92% of the High School’s students were on grade level in reading/literature. In Algebra 1, 80% of students showed on grade level skills at the end of the course. In Biology I, 73% demonstrated on grade level science understanding at the end of the course.^[18] Statewide, 53 percent of schools with an eleventh grade achieved an academic score of 70 or better. Five percent of the 2,033 schools with 11th grade were scored at 90 and above; 20 percent were scored between 80 and 89; 28 percent between 70 and 79; 25 percent between 60 and 69 and 22 percent below 60. The Keystone Exam results showed: 73 percent of students statewide scored at grade-level in English, 64 percent in Algebra I and 59 percent in biology.^[19][20]

2014 School Performance Profile

Penns Valley Area High School achieved 80.3 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature, 80.5% of pupils were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 87.5% showed on grade level skills. In Biology, 71% demonstrated on grade level science understanding at the end of the course.^[21][22] Statewide, the percentage of high school students who scored proficient and advanced in Algebra I increased to 39.7% to 40.1%. The percentage of high school students who scored proficient and advanced in reading/literature declined to 52.5%. The percentage of high school students who scored proficient and advanced in biology improved from 39.7% to 41.4%.^[23]

2013 School Performance Profile

Penns Valley Area High School achieved 79.8 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature, 86% were on grade level. In Algebra 1 86% showed on grade level skills. In Biology, just 65% showed on grade level science understanding.^[24] According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,181 public schools (less than 73 percent of Pennsylvania public schools), achieved an academic score of 70 or higher. Pennsylvania 11th grade students no longer take the PSSAs. Instead, beginning in 2012, they take the Keystone Exams at the end of the associated course.^[25]

AYP History

Penns Valley Junior Senior High School achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status in 2010 through 2012.^[26]

• 2009 - Making Progress: in School Improvement I ^[27]
• 2008 - declined to School Improvement Level I AYP status due to low student achievement of special education students^[28] Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the school administration was required to notify parents of the school's poor achievement outcomes. Additionally the school administration was required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, to develop a School Improvement Plan to address the school's low student achievement. Under the Pennsylvania Accountability System, the school district must pay for additional tutoring for struggling students.^[29] The High School was eligible for special, extra funding under School Improvement Grants which the school must apply for each year.^[30]
• 2007 - Making Progress: in School Improvement I ^[31]
• 2006 - declined to School Improvement Level I AYP status due to low student achievement
• 2005 - declined to Warning AYP status due to lagging academic achievement
• 2003 and 2004- achieved AYP status

PSSA Results

Pennsylvania System of School Assessments, commonly called PSSAs are No Child Left Behind Act related examinations which were administered from 2003 through 2012, in all Pennsylvania public high schools. The exams were administered in the Spring of each school year. The goal was for 100% of students to be on grade level or better in reading and mathematics, by the Spring of 2014. The tests focused on the state's Academic Standards for reading, writing, mathematics and science. The Science exam included content in science, technology, ecology and the environmental studies. The mathematics exam included: algebra I, algebra II, geometry and trigonometry. The standards were first published in 1998 and are mandated by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education.^[32] In 2013, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania changed its high school assessments to the Keystone Exams in Algebra 1, Reading/literature and Biology1. The exams are given at the end of the course, rather than all in the spring of the student's 11th grade year.^[33]

11th Grade Reading

• 2012 - 91% on grade level, (2% below basic). State - 67% of 11th graders are on grade level.^[34]
• 2011 - 81% (6% below basic). (97 pupils enrolled) State - 69.1%^[35]
• 2010 - 80% (12% below basic). State - 67% (110 pupils enrolled)^[35]
• 2009 - 71%, State - 65%^[36]
• 2008 - 66%, State - 65%^[37]
• 2007 - 77%, State - 65%^[38]

11th Grade Math

• 2012 - 83% on grade level (5% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level.^[39]
• 2011 - 60% (10% below basic). State - 60.3%
• 2010 - 75% (10% below basic). State - 59%^[40]
• 2009 - 66%, State - 56%^[41]
• 2008 - 60%, State - 56%
• 2007 - 64%, State - 53%

11th Grade Science

• 2012 - 62% (7% below basic). State - 42%^[42]
• 2011 - 49% (8% below basic). State - 40%
• 2010 - 61% (5% below basic). State - 40%^[35]
• 2009 - 46%, State - 40%^[43]
• 2008 - 48%^[44]

Science in Motion Penns Valley Area High School did not take advantage of a state program called Science in Motion which brought college professors and sophisticated science equipment to the school to raise science awareness and to provide inquiry-based experiences for the students. The Science in Motion program was funded by a state appropriation and cost the school nothing to participate.^[45] Juniata College provided the science enrichment experiences to schools in the region.

PSSAs Junior High

Seventh grades have been tested in reading and mathematics since 2006. Eighth graders are tested in: reading, writing, mathematics and Science. Beginning in the Spring of 2013, eighth graders, who are enrolled in Algebra I take the Keystone Exam for Algebra I at the end of the course. The testing of 8th grade in reading and mathematics began in 1999, as a state initiative.^[46] Testing in science began in 2007. The goal is for 100% of students to be on grade level or better in reading and mathematics, by the Spring of 2014. The tests focus on the state's Academic Standards for reading, writing, mathematics and science.^[47] The standards were published in 1998 and are mandated by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education.^[32] In 2014, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania adopted the Pennsylvania Core Standards - Mathematics.^[48]

8th Grade Reading

• 2012 - 84%, 64% advanced (2% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 79% of 8th graders on grade level.^[39]
• 2011 - 86%, 65% advanced (5% below basic). State - 81.8%
• 2010 - 89% (6% below basic) State - 81%
• 2009 - 83%, State - 80%
• 2008 - 78%, State - 78%

8th Grade Math

• 2012 - 89%, 78% advanced (2% below basic). State - 76% ^[42]
• 2011 - 87%, 68% advanced (5% below basic). State - 76.9%
• 2010 - 82% (9% below basic) State - 75%
• 2009 - 78%, State - 71%
• 2008 - 64%, State - 70%

8th Grade Science

• 2012 - 70% on grade level (9% below basic). State - 59%
• 2011 - 67% (14% below basic). State – 58.3%
• 2010 - 72% (17% below basic). State - 57%
• 2009 - 57%, State - 55%
• 2008 - 48%, State - 52%

Graduation requirements

The Penns Valley Area School Board has determined that 28 credits are required for graduation, including English 4 credits, Math 4 credits, Science 4 credits, Social Studies 4 credits, Physical Education 2 credits, Health 0.5 credits, Driver Education 0.5 credit, Arts/Humanities 2 credits, Computer Literacy I 0.5 credits and Electives 6.5 credits.^[50] Graduation from the Penns Valley Area High School requires a student to achieve 54 student learning outcomes. The 54 Learning Outcomes were approved by the Penns Valley Area School Board in August, 1996.

By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students must complete a project as a part of their eligibility to graduate from high school. The type of project, its rigor and its expectations are set by the individual school district.^[51] Effective with the graduating class of 2017, the Pennsylvania State Board of Education eliminated the state mandate that students complete a culminating project in order to graduate.^[52]

By Pennsylvania State School Board regulations, beginning with the class of 2017, public school students must demonstrate successful completion of secondary level course work in Algebra I, Biology, and English Literature by passing the respective Keystone Exams for each course.^[53] The exam is given at the end of the course. Keystone Exams replace the PSSAs for 11th grade.^[54]

Students have several opportunities to pass the exam. Schools are mandated to provide targeted assistance to help the student be successful. Those who do not pass after several attempts can perform a project in order to graduate.^[55][56] For the class of 2019, a Composition exam will be added. For the class of 2020, passing a civics and government exam will be added to the graduation requirements.^[57] In 2011, Pennsylvania high school students field tested the Algebra 1, Biology and English Lit exams. The statewide results were: Algebra 1 38% on grade level, Biology 35% on grade level and English Lit - 49% on grade level.^[58] Individual student, school or district reports were not made public, although they were reported to district officials by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Students identified as having special needs and qualifying for an Individual Educational Program (IEP) may graduate by meeting the requirements of their IEP.

College Remediation

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 16% of Penns Valley Area School District graduates required remediation in mathematics and or reading before they were prepared to take college level courses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education or community colleges.^[59] Less than 66% of Pennsylvania high school graduates, who enroll in a four-year college in Pennsylvania, will earn a bachelor's degree within six years. Among Pennsylvania high school graduates pursuing an associate degree, only one in three graduate in three years.^[60] Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, one in three recent high school graduates who attend Pennsylvania's public universities and community colleges takes at least one remedial course in math, reading or English.

SAT scores

In 2014, 78 Penns Valley Area School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 497. The Math average score was 518. The Writing average score was 477.^[61][62] Statewide in Pennsylvania, Verbal Average Score was 497. The Math average score was 504. The Writing average score was 480. The College Board also reported that nationwide scores were: 497 in reading, 513 in math and 487 in writing.^[63] In 2014, 1,672,395 students took the SATs in the United States.

In 2013, 57 Penns Valley Area School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 513. The Math average score was 501. The Writing average score was 494. The College Board reported that statewide scores were: 494 in reading, 504 in math and 482 in writing. The nationwide SAT results were the same as in 2012.^[64]

In 2012, 57 Penns Valley School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 507. The Math average score was 514. The Writing average score was 495. The statewide Verbal SAT exams results were: Verbal 491, Math 501, Writing 480. In the USA, 1.65 million students took the exams achieving scores: Verbal 496, Math 514, Writing 488. According to the College Board the maximum score on each section was 800, and 360 students nationwide scored a perfect 2,400.

In 2011, 64 students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 468. The Math average score was 499. The Writing average score was 469.^[65] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479.^[66] In the United States 1.65 million students took the exam in 2011. They averaged 497 (out of 800) verbal, 514 math and 489 in writing.^[67]

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a research arm of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, compared the SAT data of students in rural areas of Pennsylvania to students in urban areas. From 2003 to 2005, the average total SAT score for students in rural Pennsylvania was 992, while urban students averaged 1,006. During the same period, 28 percent of 11th and 12th graders in rural school districts took the exam, compared to 32 percent of urban students in the same grades. The average math and verbal scores were 495 and 497, respectively, for rural students, while urban test-takers averaged 499 and 507, respectively. Pennsylvania’s SAT composite score ranked low on the national scale in 2004. The composite SAT score of 1,003 left Pennsylvania ranking 44 out of the 50 states and Washington, DC.^[68]

The Pennsylvania Department of Education reported that 71 percent of students in rural areas of Pennsylvania chose to continue their education after high school in 2003, whereas 79 percent of urban high school graduates opted to continue their education.

AP Courses

In 2015, Penns Valley Area Junior Senior High School offered 4 Advanced Placement (AP) courses at a higher cost than regular courses. The fee for each AP Exam is $91 (2014).^[69] The school normally retains $9 of that fee as a rebate to help with administrative costs. In 2012, the fee was $89 per test per pupil. Students have the option of taking College Board approved courses and then taking the College Board's examination in the Spring. Students, who achieve a 3 or better on the exam, may be awarded college credits at US universities and colleges. Each higher education institution sets its own standards about what level of credits are awarded to a student based on their AP exam score. Most higher education give credits for scores of 4 or 5. Some schools also give credits for scores of 3. High schools give credits towards graduation to students who take the school's AP class. At Penns Valley Area High School 20% of the students who took an AP course earned a 3 or better on the exam.^[70] In 2013, fewer than 10 of the pupils who took an AP course earned a 3 or better on the AP exam at the end of the course.

Tuition

Students who live in the District's attendance area may choose to attend one of Pennsylvania's 157 public charter schools. A student living in a neighboring public school district or a foreign exchange student may seek admission to Penns Valley Area School District. For these cases, the Pennsylvania Department of Education sets an annual tuition rate for each school district. It is the amount the public school district pays to a charter school for each resident student that attends the charter and it is the amount a nonresident student's parents must pay to attend the District's schools. The 2012 tuition rates are Elementary School - $8,223.89, High School - $9,719.99.^[71]

Grants

Classrooms for the Future grant

The Classroom for the Future state program provided districts with hundreds of thousands of extra state funding to buy laptop computers for each core curriculum high school class (English, Science, History, Math) and paid for teacher training to optimize the computers use. The program was funded from 2006-2009. Penns Valley Area School District did not apply for funding in 2006-07. In 2007-08 it received $188,432. In 2008-09, the District received $45,413 for a total funding of $233,845.^[72]

The school did not participate in the state's: Education Assistance Grants; 2012 Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy grant; 2012 and 2013 Hybrid Learning Grants;^[73] nor the Project 720 High School Reform grants.^[74]

Extracurriculars

Penns Valley Area School District offers a wide variety of clubs, activities and an extensive, sports program.^[75][76][77]

Penns Valley Area School District does not provide its athletics disclosure form on its web site.^[78] Article XVI-C of the Public School Code requires the disclosure of interscholastic athletic opportunities for all public secondary school entities in Pennsylvania. All school entities with grades 7-12 are required to annually collect data concerning team and financial information for all male and female athletes beginning with the 2012-13 school year and submit the information to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Beginning with the 2013-14 school year, all non-school (booster club and alumni) contributions and purchases must also be reported to PDE.^[79]

By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students in the district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, cyber charter school, charter school and those homeschooled, are eligible to participate in the extracurricular programs, including all athletics. They must meet the same eligibility rules as the students enrolled in the district's schools.^[80][81][82]

According to PA Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Act 126 of 2014, all volunteer coaches and all those who assist in student activities, must have criminal background checks. Like all school district employees, they must also attend an anti child abuse training once every three years.^[83][84][85]

Sports

Coaches receive compensation as outlined in the teachers' union contract. When athletic competition exceeds the regular season, additional compensation is paid.^[86]

According to Pennsylvania’s Safety in Youth Sports Act, all sports coaches, paid and volunteer, are required to annually complete the Concussion Management Certification Training and present the certification before coaching.^[87][88]

The District funds:

Varsity

Junior High Sports

According to PIAA directory July 2015^[89]

References