Hall High School (Arkansas)

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Hall High School, located in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a comprehensive four-year public high school in the Little Rock School District (LRSD) enrolling 1,464 students in grades nine through twelve.

[edit] History

Opened in 1957, Hall High School started with student body of about 700. It was named for Col. Robert Cleveland "R.C." Hall, Superintendent of the Little Rock School District from 1909 to 1941.

[edit] Facilities

Hall's classic performing arts auditorium, the home of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra from September 1972 to April 1973, still serves as a favorite site for community events and performances. Hall High School received additions in 1962, 1963, 1971, 1975 and 1984. Two new buildings opened in 2003: a new gymnasium/athletic center and a new classroom wing. The Dietz Physical Development Center officially was dedicated in January 2005 and was named to honor Donald Dietz, a Hall High graduate and West Point alumnus who was killed in Vietnam in 1969.

[edit] Athletics

The Little Rock Hall Warriors have a strong tradition in athletics with numerous state championships to their credit, including: (10x) girl's swimming & diving, (5x) boy's swimming & diving, (7x) football, (5x) boy's basketball, (3x) girl's tennis, and (1x) girl's basketball.

[edit] Academics

[edit] Accreditation

Hall is accredited by The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and holds membership in the College Board. It remains one of only three Arkansas public schools admitted (1963) to the National Cum Laude Society, the high school equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa. The Cum Laude Society recognizes academic achievement in secondary schools for the purpose of promoting excellence (Areté), justice (Diké) and honor (Timé). Since its founding in 1906, Cum Laude has grown to 344 chapters - most chapters being in private schools and approximately two dozen located in public schools.

[edit] Faculty

More than half of Hall's faculty hold advanced degrees - six with doctorate degrees and one of the few schools in the Little Rock School District with a lawyer as a faculty member. Hall's faculty boasts a total of 1,791 years of teaching experience (18 years average).

[edit] College coursework

At Hall High, college courses are offered through a partnership (University Studies) with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR). In 2005-2006 (the 7th year of the program) Hall had 72 students signed up for fall college courses and 97 students for spring college courses. The program is open only to juniors and seniors who attend Hall High. Currently, Hall offers 12 college courses, representing a total of 40 college credit hours. Also offered is Comp I, Comp II, Biology, Speech Communication, Intro to Sociology, Physics I, Physics II, US History I, US History II, Intro to Psychology, College Algebra, Evolutionary and Environmental Biology. Students receive college credit (in addition to high school credit) for all of these courses. Students receive "grants-in-aid" from UALR which result in a 50% reduction in tuition costs. Textbooks are provided at no cost to students by the Little Rock School District. Additionally, professors from UALR come to the Hall campus and team teach with Hall teachers so students don't have to secure transportation or contend with parking at UALR.

[edit] Vocational training

Another unique program, available only at Hall, is the Cisco Academy. Internetworking Technologies is a four semester hands-on curriculum prescribed by the Cisco Systems. At the end of the fourth semester, students take a certification test which is recognized throughout the computer industry. This curriculum is open to 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students. Cisco Networking Academy prepares students to take the CCNA certification exam. Cisco provides the background needed for success in the competitive field of computer networking.

[edit] English language acquisition

Hall High School is known as the Newcomer Center for the Little Rock School District's secondary students. This means that all Little Rock School District secondary students whose native languages are not English have the option of attending Hall High School and participating in Hall's English as a Second Language (ESL) program. The ESL program includes courses taught by teachers with training in each subject area. Currently, the Newcomer Center serves approximatey ten percent (10%) of the student population at Hall.

[edit] Grant programs

Hall High School was the first high school to receive the Arkansas 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant (CCLC). The 21st CCLC grant provides funding for "out-of-school" educational experiences for students and their families in the Hall community. Programs include: a one-hour before-school tutoring program, a two-hour after-school program, a Super Saturday program to improve test-taking skills, a free summer school for 9th graders to get back "on track" for graduation, and a Summer Bridge Program for incoming freshmen. The grant also provides mentoring and counseling services for students and their parents.

According to the school's website, Hall is currently undergoing a renaissance and returning to its roots of excellence. Hall is applying the 10 key practices of High Schools That Work, which is the largest and oldest of the Southern Regional Education Board’s school improvement initiatives for high school and middle grades leaders and teachers, as the engine to drive the reform effort. As a recipient of a million-dollar Smaller Learning Community Grant (shared with Little Rock's McClellan Magnet High School), Hall is in the process of restructuring the school into four smaller learning communities: the Freshmen Warrior Academy, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Information Technology, and the College of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Career focuses have been replaced with "majors" that are unique to the LRSD: Modern Languages, Visual Art, Political Science/Law, Computer Science, Information Management, Life Sciences, Health & Wellness, Mathematics, and Applied Sciences. New courses designed and only available at Hall: Spanish for Native Speakers I, Spanish for Native Speakers II, Contemporary Literature, Applied Art, Digital Imaging, Street Law, Rights & Liberties, Media in Politics, Campaigns & Elections, Calculator Applications, Zoology, Botany, Intro to Vet Science, CSI (Crime Scene Investigation), and First Aid.

[edit] Famous Alumni

Hall has produced an impressive roster of graduates, including:

• Chris Akins, professional football player (NFL)
• David Auburn, (Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright for Proof)
• DeeDee Brown, professional track star
• Audra Burks, professional golfer (LPGA)
• General Wesley Clark, retired four-star general and former Supreme Allied Commander Europe
• E. Lynn Harris, best-selling author and novelist
• Bruce Lindsey, Deputy White House Counsel for President Bill Clinton
• Sidney Moncrief, former professional basketball player (NBA)
• Leslie O'Neal, Former professional football player, San Diego Chargers (NFL)
• Richard Thalheimer (founder and CEO of Sharper Image)
• Jim Guy Tucker, former Governor of Arkansas (1992-1996)

[edit] External links

• Little Rock Hall High School
• Little Rock School District
• Arkansas Activities Association