Central Valley High School (Pennsylvania)


Central Valley High School is a public high school in Center Township, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the only high school in the Central Valley School District. Athletic teams compete as the Central Valley Warriors in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League.

Academics

In 2013, enrollment was reported as 745 pupils in 9th through 12th grades, with 29.9% of pupils eligible for a free lunch due to family poverty. Additionally, 10% of pupils received special education services, while 2% of pupils were identified as gifted. The School employed 38 teachers. Per the PA Department of Education, 100% of the teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010, Central Valley School District reported an enrollment of 622 pupils in grades 9th through 12th, with 88 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced-price lunch. The school employed 33.5 teachers, yielding a student–teacher ratio of 18.5:1. According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2 of the teachers were rated "Non-Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind. The high school facilities were renovated to include: a state of the art technology center with five computer labs and a TV production center; a 400-seat cafeteria and food court; a lighting and sound system in the auditorium; and an athletic complex with artificial turf.
;Western PA ranking:
In 2014, the Pittsburgh Business Times ranked Central Valley High School’s eleventh grade 52nd out of 105 western Pennsylvania high schools, based on the last three years of student academic achievement in Pennsylvania System of School Assessments in: reading, math, writing and science.
;2013 School Performance Profile:
Central Valley High School achieved 67.1 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature - 80% of tested students were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 72% showed on grade level skills at the end of the course. In Biology, 54% showed on grade level science understanding. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,181 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.
;AYP History:
In 2012, Central Valley High School declined to School Improvement I due to lagging student achievement in reading and mathematics. The School's administration was required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, to develop a School Improvement Plan to address the low student achievement. Under the Pennsylvania Accountability System, the school district must pay for additional tutoring for struggling students. The High School is eligible for special, extra funding under School Improvement Grants which the school must apply for each year.
In 2011, Central Valley High School was in Warning AYP status due to low student math achievement.
;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.
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.
;11th Grade Reading
;11th Grade Math:
;11th Grade Science:
Science in Motion Central Valley High School took 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. Westminster College provided the science enrichment experiences to schools in the region.

Graduation requirements

The Central Valley School Board has determined that a pupil must earn 28 credits to graduate, including: Math 5 credits, English 4 credits, social studies 4 credits, science 4 credits, Physical Education and health 2.5 credits, speech 1 credit, technology 1 credit and electives 6.5 credits. In order to graduate students must demonstrate proficiency on the PSSA exams and the state required Keystones Exams when implemented. Students not achieving at the proficiency level on PSSA or district alternatives assessments are required to attend the C-VAP program. The C-VAP program provides tutoring to assist students in achieving academic success.
By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students must complete a graduation 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. Central Valley’s graduation project consists of six components: 40 Community service hours, Job Shadowing, writing a resume, writing a paper describing their experience, a presentation using a visual aid. 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.
By Pennsylvania 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 Keystone Exams. The exam is given at the end of the course. Keystone Exams replace the PSSAs for 11th grade.
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. 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. 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. 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 may graduate by meeting the requirements of their IEP.

SAT scores

In 2013, Central Valley School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 489. The Math average score was 488. The Writing average score was 473. 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.
In 2012, 144 Central Valley School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 489. The Math average score was 488. The Writing average score was 473. 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, 158 students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 479. The Math average score was 482. The Writing average score was 467. Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479. In the United States 1.65 million students took the exam in 2011. They averaged 497 verbal, 514 math and 489 in writing.

AP Courses

In 2013, Central Valley High School offered 8 Advanced Placement courses at a higher cost than regular courses. The student pays the fee for the exam which was $89 per test per pupil in 2012. 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 Central Valley High School 11% of students who took an AP course earned a 3 or better on the exam.

Notable Alumi