Beaver Falls High School

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Beaver Falls High School
File:Beaver Falls High School.jpg
Beaver Falls High School
Location
Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
United States
Beaver County
Information
Type Public high school
School district Big Beaver Falls Area School District
Principal Mary Beth Leeman
Grades 9-12
Enrollment 558 pupils in 2011 [1]
 • Grade 8 116
 • Grade 9 110
 • Grade 10 139
 • Grade 11 139
 • Grade 12 140
Color(s) Orange and black
Mascot Fighting Tiger
Website http://www.tigerweb.k12.pa.us/bfhs/index.htm

Beaver Falls High School, is a public high school located in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the sole high school for the Big Beaver Falls Area School District. Beaver Falls High School provides grades 9th through 12th. The total school enrollment is 562 students in 2010, with 330 students eligible for a free or reduced rice lunch due to family poverty. At Beaver Falls High School, the student body demographics were 52 percent male and 48 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 28 percent in 2010.

The school employed 45 teachers yielding a student teacher ratio of 12:1 in 2010.[2] According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 9 teachers were rated "Non‐Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind.[3] The school's mascot is the Tiger.

Graduation Rate

In 2011, the graduation rate was 93%.[4] In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. Big Beaver Falls High School's rate was 82.71% for 2010.[5]

According to traditional graduation rate calculations
  • 2010 - 90% [6]
  • 2009 - 91% [7]
  • 2008 - 87% [8]
  • 2007 - 87% [9]

Academics

In 2012, Beaver Falls High School ranked 90th out of 123 high schools in the western Pennsylvania region by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on student academic achievement as demonstrated on five years of the PSSAs for: reading, writing math and three years of science.[10]

  • 2011 - 97th
  • 2010 - 95th [11]
  • 2009 - 89th out of 123 western Pennsylvania high schools [12]

In 2012, Beaver Falls High School achieved AYP status. In 2011, the school was in Warning status due to lagging achievement in reading and math.[13]

PSSA Results
11th Grade Reading
  • 2011 - 69% on grade level, (16% below basic). State - 69.1% of 11th graders are on grade level.[14]
  • 2010 - 57%, (23% below basic). State - 66% [15]
  • 2009 - 60% (18% below basic). State - 65% [16]
  • 2008 - 66%, State - 65% [17]
  • 2007 - 52%, State - 65%[18]
11th Grade Math:
  • 2011 - 52% on grade level (24% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 60.3% of 11th graders are on grade level.[19]
  • 2010 - 46% (37% below basic). State - 59%
  • 2009 - 52% (27%, State - 56% [20]
  • 2008 - 51%, State - 56%
  • 2007 - 55%, State - 53%

11th Grade Science:

  • 2011 - 24% on grade level (28% below basic). Statewide - 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.[21]
  • 2010 - 22% (23% below basic). State - 39%
  • 2009 - 45% (23% below basic), State - 40%
  • 2008 - 27%, State - 39%

In 2009, US News and World report ranked 21,000 public high schools, in the United States, based on three factors. First, the schools were analyzed for the number of students who achieved above the state average on the reading and math tests in 2008. Then they considered how the economically disadvantaged students performed against the state average. Finally, they considered the participation rate and the performance of students in college readiness by examining Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate test data. Seventy Pennsylvania high schools achieved ranking bronze, silver or gold rating. Fifty three Pennsylvania high schools achieved bronze.[22] Beaver Falls High School achieved Bronze ranking. Two high schools in Beaver County achieved inclusion in the ranking. After 2009, the school was not recognized by US News & World Report in the ranking in 2010, 2011, or 2012.[23]

College Remediation

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 33% of Big Beaver Falls 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.[24] 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.[25] 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.

Dual enrollment

Beaver Falls High School offers a Dual Enrollment program. This state program permits high school students to take courses, at local higher education institutions, to earn college credits. Students remain enrolled at their high school. The courses count towards high school graduation requirements and towards earning a college degree. The students continue to have full access to activities and programs at their high school, including the graduation ceremony. The college credits are offered at a deeply discounted rate. The state offers a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books.[26] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[27] For the 2009-10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $19,577 for the program.[28]

SAT Scores

From January to June 2011, 67 Beaver Falls High School students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 443. The Math average score was 449. The Writing average score was 419.[29] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479.[30] 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.[31]

Graduation requirements

Big Beaver Falls Area School Board has determined that a pupil must earn 27 credits to graduate including: math 4 credits, English 4 credits, social studies 4 credits, science 3 credits, Physical Education 2 credits, Health 1/2 credit, Communications 1/2 credit, computers 1 credit and electives 5 credits.[32] Any student scoring Below Basic on the 11th grade PSSA Math and/or Reading Assessment is required to take a PSSA Math and/or Reading Class in order to graduate.

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.[33] Completion of the project earns the student one credit towards graduation.

By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, beginning with the graduating class of 2016, students must demonstrate successful completion of secondary level course work in Algebra I, Biology, English Composition, and Literature for which the Keystone Exams serve as the final course exams. Students’ Keystone Exam scores shall count for at least one-third of the final course grade.[34][35][36] 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.[37] Individual student, school or district reports were not made public, although they were reported to district officials by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

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. The Beaver Falls High School received $154,153 in 2006-07. In 2007-08 the district received an additional $250,000. The district did not apply for funding in 2008-09.[38] In Beaver County the highest Classrooms for the Future grant award was given to Freedom Area School District at $476,723. The highest funding statewide was awarded to the Philadelphia City School District in Philadelphia County - $9,409,073. In 2010, Classrooms for the Future program funding was curtailed statewide due to a massive state financial crisis, which was brought on by the US stock market crash in the Fall 2008.

Extracurriculars

The district offers a wide variety of after school clubs, activities and sports.

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.[39]

The Tigers' main athletic rivals are the New Brighton Lions, who they play each season in football for the Little Brown Jug, the trophy winner takes it home to the their high school, and the Aliquippa quips which are played every season as well.

Beaver Falls High School athletics:

Men's Football

Men's Golf

Men's Cross Country

Men's Basketball - PIAA state champions in 1970, 1994, 2005 [28]

Men's Baseball

Men's Swimming and Diving

Men's and Women's Track and Field

Men's and Women's Bowling-(started in 2007)

Women's Volleyball

Women's Tennis

Women's Cross Country

Women's Basketball

Women's Softball

Women's Swimming and Diving

The school has a notable production of Little Women.

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Enrollment and Projections by LEA 2011 July 2011
  2. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, Common Care Data - Beaver Falls High School, 2010
  3. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Professional Qualifications of Teachers Beaver Falls High School, September 29, 2011
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Beaver Falls High School Report Card 2009, September 14, 2009
  8. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Beaver Falls High School Report Card 2008, August 2008
  9. ↑ Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, High School Graduation Rates 2007, 2008
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ The Rankings: 11th grade, Pittsburgh Business Times, May 15th, 2009.
  13. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Beaver Falls High School AYP Overview Status, September 29, 2011
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, PSSA Math and Reading by school and grade 2007, 2007
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2009 PSSAs: Reading, Math, Writing and Science Results, 2009
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Best High Schools 2008, US News and World Report. December 9, 2009
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Pennsylvania College Remediation Report, 2008
  25. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Dual Enrollment Fall Grants 2009-10, August 2009
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Big Beaver Falls School District Administration, Course Selection guide 2012, 2012
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Home-Schooled, Charter School Children Can Participate in School District Extracurricular Activities, Pennsylvania Office of the Governor Press Release, November 10, 2005

External links

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