Moshannon Valley School District

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Moshannon Valley School District
"Mo-Valley"
Map of Clearfield County Pennsylvania School Districts.png
Address
4934 Green Acre Road
Houtzdale, Pennsylvania, Clearfield County 16651
Information
Type Public
School board 9 elected members
Superintendent Tonya DeVecchis-Kerr
Principal John Zesiger (Jr./Sr. High School)
Principal John Dibert (Elementary School)
Grades K-12
Pupils 930 pupil[1]
 • Kindergarten 79
 • Grade 1 57
 • Grade 2 77
 • Grade 3 69
 • Grade 4 82
 • Grade 5 70
 • Grade 6 72
 • Grade 7 58
 • Grade 8 82
 • Grade 9 60
 • Grade 10 73
 • Grade 11 73
 • Grade 12 78
 • Other Enrollment projected to be 798 in 2020[2]
Color(s) Black, White and Gold               
Athletics conference PIAA District 6
Mascot Black Knights
Website

The Moshannon Valley School District is a diminutive, rural public school district in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. It serves the boroughs of Houtzdale, Brisbin, Ramey, and Glen Hope plus the townships of Gulich, Jordan, Bigler, and Woodward. Moshannon Valley School District encompasses approximately 148 square miles. According to 2000 federal census data, it serves a resident population of 8,764. In 2009, the district residents’ per capita income was $13,356, while the median family income was $34,882.[3] In the Commonwealth, the median family income was $49,501[4] and the United States median family income was $49,445, in 2010.[5] Per Moshannon Valley School District officials, in school year 2005-06, the District provided basic educational services to 1,048 pupils through the employment of 80 teachers, 49 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 4 administrators. Moshannon Valley School District received more than $8 million in state funding in school year 2005-06.

Schools

The schools are known locally as "Mo-Valley".

Governance

The school district is governed by 9 individually elected board members (serve four-year terms), the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania General Assembly.[6] The federal government controls programs it funds like Title I funding for low-income children in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the No Child Left Behind Act, which mandates the district focus resources on student success in acquiring reading and math skills.

The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives Sunshine Review gave the school board and district administration a "F" for transparency based on a review of "What information can people find on their school district's website". It examined the school district's website for information regarding; taxes, the current budget, meetings, school board members names and terms, contracts, audits, public records information and more.[7]

Academic achievement

Moshannon Valley School District was ranked 421st out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts in 2011, by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on five years of student academic performance on the reading, writing, math and three years of science PSSAs.[8]

  • 2010 - 421st[9]
  • 2009 - 458th
  • 2008 - 463rd
  • 2007 - 469th out of 501 school districts.[10]

In 2011, the Pittsburgh Business Times reported an Overachievers Ranking for 498 Pennsylvania school districts. Moshannon Valley School District ranked 370th. In 2010, the district was 423rd. The editor describes the ranking as: "a ranking answers the question - which school districts do better than expectations based upon economics? This rank takes the Honor Roll rank and adds the percentage of students in the district eligible for free and reduced-price lunch into the formula. A district finishing high on this rank is smashing expectations, and any district above the median point is exceeding expectations."[11]

In 2009, the academic achievement of the students of Moshannon Valley School District was in the 34th percentile among 500 Pennsylvania school districts. Scale - (0-99; 100 is state best)[12]

Graduation rate

In 2011, the graduation rate was 96%.[13] In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate. Moshannon Valley High School's rate was 90% for 2010.[14]

According to traditional graduation rate calculations

MV Junior Senior High School

The school is located at 4934 Green Acre Road, Houtzdale, PA 16651. In 2011 and 2010, the school achieved AYP status under No Child Left Behind Act.[19] In 2010, the school had 424 students and 26 teachers.[20]

11th Grade Reading

  • 2011 - 61% on grade level, (12% below basic). State - 69.1% of 11th graders are on grade level.[21]
  • 2010 - 57% (23% below basic). State - 66%[22]
  • 2009 - 63% (21% below basic). State - 65%[23]
  • 2008 - 63% (16% below basic). State - 65%[24]
  • 2007 - 63% (21% below basic). State - 65%[25]

11th Grade Math:

  • 2011 - 53% on grade level (22% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 60.3% of 11th graders are on grade level.[26]
  • 2010 - 38% (43% below basic). State - 59%
  • 2009 - 45% (31% below basic). State - 56%.
  • 2008 - 39% (25% below basic). State - 56%
  • 2007 - 45% (31% below basic). State - 53%

11th Grade Science:

  • 2011 - 43% on grade level (12% below basic). State - 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.[27]
  • 2010 - 33% (22% below basic). State - 39%
  • 2009 - 34% (11% below basic). State - 40%[28]
  • 2008 - 17% (17% below basic)s. State - 39%

College remediation rate

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 15% of the Moshannon Valley Junior Senior High School 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.[29] Less than 66% of Pennsylvania high school graduates, who enroll in a four-year college in Pennsylvania, earn a bachelor's degree within six years. Among Pennsylvania high school graduates pursuing an associate degree, only one in three graduate within three years.[30] 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

The 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. The college credits are offered at a deeply discounted rate. The state offered a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books[31] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[32] For the 2009-10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $2,609 for the program.[33]

Graduation requirements

The Moshannon Valley School Board has determined that a pupil must earn 25 credits to graduate, including: Math 4 credits, English 4 credits, social studies 4 credits, science 4 credits, Physical Education and health 2.5 credits, Family Life Skills 0.5 credit, Computers 1 credit, Arts/Humanities 2 credits and electives. Students are required to take 8 credits each year and are allowed one study hall per day.[34]

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.[35]

By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, for the graduating classes 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.[36][37][38]

SAT scores

From January to June 2011, students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 456. The Math average score was 447. The Writing average score was 432.[39] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among state with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479.[40] 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.[41]

Junior high school

PSSA Results:

8th Grade Science:

  • 2011 - 68% on grade level (19% below basic). State – 58.3% of 8th graders were on grade level.
  • 2010 - 48% (33% below basic). State – 57%[45]
  • 2009 - 53% (17% below basic). State - 55%[46]
  • 2008 - 31% (38% below basic). State - 52%[47]


Extracurriculars

The district offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility for participation is determined by school board policy.

By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students in the district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, cyber nts enrolled in the district's schools.[48]

Athletics

Boys Athletics

Girls Athletics

References

  1. Pennsylvania Department of Education, Enrollment by Local Education Agency, July 20, 2010
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  3. US Census Bureau, American Fact Finder, 2009
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  6. Pennsylvania Public School Code Governance 2010
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  20. National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core Data - Moshannon Valley Junior Senior High School, 2010
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  30. National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, 2008
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External links