Westside High School (Omaha)

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Coordinates: 41°14′49.8″N, 96°2′59.1″W

Westside High School
Location
8701 Pacific St.
Omaha, Nebraska, 68114-5298
Information
Principal Pat Hutchings
Type Public
Mascot Warriors
Color(s) Red and Black
Established 1951
Homepage http://www.westside66.org/westsidehs/

Westside High School is the high school of the Westside Community Schools district. It is located in Omaha, Nebraska. This outstanding school has provided quality education to the Westside Community for 50 years. Recent awards include: best in Nebraska (Redbook), one of the top Guidance Programs in the nation (National Association of State Guidance officials), World Class School (National Association of Secondary School Principals), National Blue Ribbon School, National Service Learning School and top school in Nebraska (offspring.com).

Contents

[edit] About the School

[edit] Academic Statistics

The Omaha World-Herald recently reported that 48% of Nebraska graduates attained the minimum ACT (College entrance Exam) score necessary for admission to the University of Nebraska while, 73% of Westside graduates met this level. The next closest school system had 59% meeting the minimum. Westside had more National Merit Semifinalists (eleven) than any other public high school in Nebraska in 2005. The class of 2006 had six National Merit Semifinalists, all of whom were National Merit Finalists. The graduating class of 2006 had the highest ACT average (24.2) in Westside’s history, which was also among the highest ACT average of any public high school in the state.

Westside High School has dominated the Omaha World-Herald’s All Academic Team competition since its inception 11 years ago.To qualify for initial recognition, a student must score 32 or higher on the ACT, or 2080 on the SAT college entrance exam and/or be one of the top two ranked students in their graduating class. Westside had 31 qualifiers in 2006, and 30 qualifiers in 2007, for a total more than any other Class A high school in the metro area.

Though high average scores and number of high scorers on an exam such as the ACT are important measures, two other important factors are a school’s participation rate and the school’s number of “low scorers”. Of Westside’s 2006 graduates, 83% took the ACT and had an average composite score of 24.2, the highest in public schools across Nebraska. Nationwide, 41% of students, and 33% of students in Nebraska scored below 20, while only 19% of Westside students scored below this level. A high participation rate combined with a small percentage of low performers indicates Westside is successfully educating all levels of students. Westside has commissioned ACT twice to identify and compare our school to 24 similar high schools nationwide. Westside students scored higher and indicated greater satisfaction in all areas than students in these 24 peer schools, both in 1997 and 2004 (the most recently commissioned comparison).

Westside students also do extremely well earning scholarships. The class of 2007 had 167 students receive 512 scholarships, valued at over 2.3 million dollars.

[edit] Modular Schedule System

Westside is one of several public schools in the nation that uses a modular schedule. The modular schedule system differs from the traditional block schedule in the way that block scheduling repeats the same classes everyday, whereas modular scheduling allows every school day to be scheduled differently. Mondays, for example, would have different classes and a different order than Tuesdays. Each day is divided in 14 periods or 'mods'. There are 3 varieties of classes in the Westside modular scheduling system: small groups, large groups, and labs. Small groups are classes where 10-20 students meet to discuss material and are the most common type of class. They occur 3-5 times a week. Large Groups are presentations or lectures located in one of Westside's three lecture halls and occur 1-2 times a week. Labs are held 1-2 times a week for technology and science classes. When students do not have class, they are permitted to study in Instructional Material Centers (IMCs). IMCs are divided into area specific regions such as the Social Studies, English and Foreign Languages, Engineering and Technologies, and Mathematics. Teachers' desks are located in their specific studies' IMC. Students are expected to seek additional help from teachers and fellow students during their "independent study/open mods" (times when students have no class). Seniors and Juniors have open campus based upon academic performance. The advantages of this system include: promoting student responsibility and time management, access to additional help, and students can enroll in more classes than in traditional schools.

[edit] Laptops and Technology

Westside issued over 2,000 Apple iBooks to students in 2004, becoming the first public school in the state to issue laptops to students. Students can access grades at home or school through PowerSchool. Many book texts are posted on-line for students to use. Assignments, discussion boards, and academic tools are posted on Blackboard, a web-based course management system. In the 2008-2009 school year, Westside High School plans to distribute the newly bought Apple MacBooks to students for use.


[edit] History

[edit] Court case

In January of 1990, Westside High went to court with Mergens and several other students because they denied the right of Mergens and other students to form a Christian Club. In addition to citing the Establishment Clause, Westside refused the club's formation because it lacked a faculty sponsor. When the school board upheld the administration's denial, Mergens and several other students sued. The students alleged that Westside's refusal violated the Equal Access Act, which requires that schools in receipt of federal funds provide "equal access" to student groups seeking to express "religious, political, philosophical, or other content" messages. On appeal from an adverse District Court ruling, the Court of Appeals found in favor of the students. The Supreme Court granted Westside certiorari.

In June of that same year the Supreme Court of the United States decided in favour of Mergens saying that in distinguishing between "curriculum" and "noncurriculum student groups," the Court held that since Westside permitted other noncurricular clubs, it was prohibited under the Equal Access Act from denying equal access to any after-school club based on the content of its speech. The proposed Christian club would be a noncurriculum group since no other course required students to become its members, its subject matter would not actually be taught in classes, it did not concern the school's cumulative body of courses, and its members would not receive academic credit for their participation. The Court added that the Equal Access Act was constitutional because it served an overriding secular purpose by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of philosophical, political, or other types of speech. As such, the Act protected the Christian club's formation even if its members engaged in religious discussions.

[edit] The First Amendment

According to the Omaha World-Herald, several students at Westside High School were punished after they "plastered the school on Monday" -- Martin Luther King Day -- "with posters advocating that a white student from South Africa receive the 'Distinguished African American Student Award' next year." The posters featured a picture of junior Trevor Richards, whose family moved to Omaha from Johannesburg in 1998, smiling and giving a thumbs-up.

School officials tore the posters down, apparently in response to complaints from a few black students, and denounced them as "inappropriate and insensitive." Trevor was suspended for two days, according to his mother, and two of his friends were also penalized for helping to put the posters up. A fourth student, the World-Herald reported, "was punished for circulating a petition Tuesday morning in support of the boys. The petition criticized the practiced of recognizing only black student achievement with the award.

The boys said that their intention was not to offend, but to bring to light the fact that "It's an award that is given to Black students ONLY, and if this award is to promote equality in the races, why is it inappropriate and insensitive? If the award is for African American students, then what's wrong with an African American Student receiving the award, even if he is white. If the award is for Blacks only, It would not be an award for equality, would it."

[edit] Famous alumni

[edit] External links