Forest Hills High School (Pennsylvania)


Forest Hills High School, located in Sidman, Pennsylvania, is a small, rural, public high school. In 2014, enrollment was reported as 454 pupils in 10th through 12th grades, with 49% of pupils eligible for a free lunch due to family poverty. Additionally, 9% of pupils received special education services, while 2.8% of pupils were identified as gifted. The school employed 33 teachers. Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of the teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. It is the sole high school operated by the Forest Hills School District of Cambria County.
The principal is Curt Vasas. It once was composed of 4 high schools before their unification to Forest Hills in 1966. The 4 high schools were: Triangle Area, Adams-Summerhill, South Fork-Croyle, and Beaverdale-Wilmore. The district encompasses 3 townships: Adams, Croyle, and Summerhill.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2012, the school reported an enrollment of 476 pupils in grades 10th through 12th, with 189 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced price lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. In 2012, the Forest Hills High School employed 33 teachers yielding a student-teacher ratio of 14:1. According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of the teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind.
Forest Hills High School students may choose to attend Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center for training in the construction and mechanical trades as well as other careers. The Appalachia Intermediate Unit IU8 provides the School with a wide variety of services like specialized education for disabled students and hearing, background checks for employees, state mandated recognizing and reporting child abuse training, speech and visual disability services and professional development for staff and faculty.

Graduation rate

In 2014, the Forest Hills HIgh School graduation rate was 94%.
;According to traditional graduation rate calculations:
;2014 School Performance Profile:
Forest Hills High School achieved 72.5 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature - 78% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 66% showed on grade level skills at the end of the course. In Biology, only 27% demonstrated on grade level science understanding at the end of the course. 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%.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,134 of 2,947 Pennsylvania public schools, achieved an academic score of 70 or higher. Fifty-three percent of schools statewide received lower SPP scores compared with last year's, while 46 percent improved. A handful were unchanged.
;2013 School Performance Profile:
Forest Hills High School achieved 78.8 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature - 84% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, only 67% showed on grade level skills at the end of the course. In Biology, just 28% 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

Effective with Spring 2013, the Pennsylvania Department of Education discontinued administering the PSSA's to 11th graders.
In 2012, Forest Hills High School declined to Warning Adequate Yearly Progress status, due to missing all academic metrics measured.
Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, in 2009 Forest Hills High School administration was required to notify parents of the school's poor achievement outcomes and to offer the parent the opportunity to transfer to a successful school within the District. In 2006, Forest Hills High 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. Due to the low student achievement, Forest Hills High School was eligible for special, extra funding under School Improvement Grants from the federal government, which the school must apply for each year.
;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:
According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 15 % of Forest Hills 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 Pennsylvania community colleges. 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. 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. Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions. Under state rules, other students that reside in the district, who attend a private school, a charter school or are home schooled are eligible to participate in this program. For the 2009-10 funding year, the Forest Hills School District received a state grant of $2,721 for the program. In 2010, Governor Edward Rendell eliminated the grants to students, from the Commonwealth, due to a state budget crisis.

Graduation requirements

Among Pennsylvania's 500 public school districts, graduation requirements widely vary. The Forest Hills School Board has determined that a pupil must earn 26.5 credits to graduate, including: a required class every year in math, English, social studies, science, Physical Education and electives. Students attending Vo-Tech must earn twenty-three credits.
For nearly two decades, all Pennsylvania secondary school students were required to 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. 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 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. 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 2014, 104 Forest Hills School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 498. The Math average score was 506. The Writing average score was 474. 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.
In 2013, 93 Forest Hills School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 488. The Math average score was 515. The Writing average score was 479. 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, 107 Forest Hills School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 477. The Math average score was 509. The Writing average score was 463. 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, 94 Forest Hills School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 485. The Math average score was 499. The Writing average score was 462. 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.
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.

AP Courses

In 2014, Forest Hills High School offered 5 Advanced Placement courses at a higher cost than regular courses. The fee for each AP Exam is $91. 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 Forest Hills High School just 7% of students who took an AP course earned a 3 or better on the exam. In 2013, the school offered 5 AP courses with 12% of pupils earning a 3 or better on the end of course exam.

Grants

;Classroom 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 and paid for teacher training to optimize the computers use. The program was funded from 2006 to 2009. Forest Hills HIgh School applied to participate in 2006-07 and in 2007-08, but was denied funding both years. The school received $97,634 in 2008-09. Among the public school districts in Cambria County, the highest award was given to Greater Johnstown School District which received $463,166. The highest funding statewide was awarded to Philadelphia City School District in Philadelphia County - $9,409,073. The grant program was discontinued by Governor Edward Rendell as part of the 2009-10 state budget.
;Project 720 state grant
Project 720 was a high school reform program implemented for three years under the Rendell administration. The intent was to increase academic rigor and improve the instruction of teachers in the Commonwealth’s high schools. Teachers were expected to use data driven instructional practices and to meet the needs of diverse learners. The 720 in the name referred to the number of days a student was in high school in ninth through 12th grades. High school’s applied for funding and were required to agree to report to the PDE their plans, their actions and the outcomes. In 2007-08 budget year, the Commonwealth provided $11 million in funding. Forest Hills High School did not participate. Out of 501 public school districts in Pennsylvania, 161 PA public school districts applied for funding over three years. For 2010-11, Project 720 funding was decreased to $1.7 million by Governor Rendell. The grant program was discontinued effective with the 2011-12 state budget.
;Hybrid Learning grants
The high school did not participate in 2012 and 2013 Pennsylvania Hybrid Learning Grants. Hybrid learning uses three learning models to increase student achievement: instruction from the teacher, group activities, and self-instruction through digital content. According to state testing results, among the pilot schools, 88 percent achieved higher academic performance in hybrid classes compared to traditional classes in the same district or statewide benchmarks, 75 percent reported better academic achievement, and all of them met or exceeded academic growth. In 2013-14, the state awarded $633,000 in federal Title 2A funds to accelerate teacher training in the implementation of hybrid learning programs in 50 school buildings in 34 school entities. In 2012, $1.1 million was awarded to 15 districts to launch the first hybrid pilot schools in the state that included more than 1,900 students and 48 teachers.

Notable alumni

The Forest Hills School District administration reported there were zero incidents of bullying in the high school in 2014. Additionally, there were no sexual incidents involving students. The local law enforcement was involved in five incidents at the school, with no arrests.
Each year the school safety data is reported by the district to the Safe School Center, which then publishes the compiled reports online. Nationally, nearly 20% of pupils report being bullied at school.
The School District administration reported there were zero incidents of bullying at the high school in 2012. Additionally, there was a knife incident and no sexual incidents involving students. The local law enforcement was involved in eleven incidents at the school.
The Forest Hills School Board has provided the district's antibully policy online. All Pennsylvania schools are required to have an anti-bullying policy incorporated into their Code of Student Conduct. The policy must identify disciplinary actions for bullying and designate a school staff person to receive complaints of bullying. The policy must be available on the school's website and posted in every classroom. All Pennsylvania public schools must provide a copy of its anti-bullying policy to the Office for Safe Schools every year, and shall review their policy every three years. Additionally, the District must conduct an annual review of that policy with students. The Center for Schools and Communities works in partnership with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency and the Pennsylvania Department of Education to assist schools and communities as they research, select and implement bullying prevention programs and initiatives.
Education standards relating to student safety and anti harassment programs are described in the 10.3. Safety and Injury Prevention in the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Health, Safety and Physical Education.

Extracurriculars

The Forest Hills High School offers a wide variety of clubs, activities and an extensive, publicly funded sports program. Eligibility for participation is determined by school board policy and in compliance with standards set by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The District is compliant with state law posting its Interscholastic Athletic Opportunities Disclosure Form on its website.
By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students residing in the Forest Hills School 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.
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.

Sports

Coaches receive compensation as outlined in the teachers' union contract. When athletic competition exceeds the regular season, additional compensation is paid.
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 contributions and purchases must also be reported to PDE.
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.
;The District funds:
;Varsity:
;Boys:
;Girls: