Pine-Richland High School

Pine-Richland High School is a high school located at 700 Warrendale Road, in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. It is the only high school in the Pine-Richland School District and is located in Pine Township, Pennsylvania. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010, the school reported an enrollment of 1,467 pupils in grades 9th through 12th, with 81 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced price lunch. The school employed 101 teachers yielding a student teacher ratio of 14:1.^[2] According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of its teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind.^[3]

History

Richland High School was opened in September 1956, which allowed the students who transferred from other schools the final two years of their public education at PRHS, along Bakerstown-Warrendale Road in Richland Township. The first graduating class was June, 1958. The former building closed in 1993 and became Richland Elementary School in 1994. The new High School became Pine-Richland High School instead of Richland High School and was opened at its current location in Pine Township in 1993. The Pine-Richland Stadium was built on the new secondary campus between the middle school and the high school in 2001.

The current building was opened in 1993, with two gymnasiums and a pool, along with nearly 80 classrooms and office space, and a large auditorium. An addition opened in 2000 with modifications to the original building, plus nearly 30 more classrooms and the new district office. Another addition to the school was completed in October 2012.

Graduation Rate

In 2011, Pine-Richland High School's graduation rate was 98%.^[4] In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. Pine-Richland High School's rate was 98% for 2010.^[5]

According to traditional graduation rate calculations

• 2010 - 99% ^[6]
• 2009 - 99.7% ^[7]
• 2008 - 98% ^[8]
• 2007 - 98% ^[9]

Academics

Pine-Richland Ranks as one of top US Public High Schools "Newsweek Magazine" ranked PRHS 841 out of the top schools in the US in 2009 and was the fourth highest ranked high school in Pennsylvania. "U.S. News and World Report" awarded Pine-Richland High School a 'Silver' Rating, placing PRHS in the top 604 in the nation. Students continuously out perform national standards, particularly in the sciences and math. The school has a graduation rate between 93-98%, depending on the graduating class. A number of students go on to ivy league or equally high caliber schools each year.' Pine Richland also offers a Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program that brings

Western Pennsylvania region ranking

In 2012, Pine-Richland's eleventh grade ranked 16th out of 104 western Pennsylvania high schools based on the last three years of student academic achievement in Pennsylvania System of School Assessments (PSSA) in: reading, math, writing and three years of science.^[10] (Includes schools in: Allegheny County, Beaver County, Butler County, Fayette County, Westmoreland County, and Washington County).

• 2011 - 18th
• 2010 - 13th
• 2009 - 10th out of 105 western Pennsylvania high schools based on three years of student academic achievement in PSSAs in: reading, math writing and one year of science.^[11]

AYP Status

In 2011 Pine-Richland High School declined to Warning AYP status due to lagging reading and math skills of students who have an Individual Education Plan (IEP).^[12] In 2010, Pine Richland High School achieved AYP status.

PSSA Results

11th Grade Reading

• 2011 - 81% on grade level, Males - 71% / Females - 92% (9% below basic). State - 69.1% of 11th graders are on grade level.^[13]
• 2010 - 79%, Males - 75% / Females - 84% (11% below basic). State - 66% ^[14]
• 2009 - 79% (7% below basic). State - 65% ^[15]
• 2008 - 77% (9% below basic). State - 65% ^[16]
• 2007 - 82% (5% below basic). State - 65% ^[17]

11th Grade Math:

• 2011 - 76% on grade level Males - 72% / Females - 81% (11% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 60.3% of 11th graders are on grade level.^[18]
• 2010 - 77% Males - 77% / Females - 79% (13% below basic). State - 59% ^[19]
• 2009 - 77% (9% below basic). State - 56%.^[20]
• 2008 - 77% (11% below basic). State - 56% ^[21]
• 2007 - 83% (8% below basic). State - 53% ^[22]

11th Grade Science:

• 2011 - 62% on grade level Male - 56% / Female - 67% (7% below basic). State - 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.^[23]
• 2010 - 57% Male - 60% / Female - 55% (7% below basic). State - 39%
• 2009 - 51% (5% below basic). State - 40% ^[24]
• 2008 - 54% (6% below basic). State - 39% ^[25]

College Remediation Rate

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 21% of the Pine-Richland 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.^[26] 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.^[27] 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.

SAT Scores

From January to June 2011, 295 Pine-Richland students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 546. The Math average score was 571. The Writing average score was 533.^[28] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479.^[29] 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.^[30]

Classrooms for the Future grant

The Classroom for the Future state program provided districts with hundreds of thousands in extra state funding to buy laptop computers for each core curriculum high school class (English, Science, History, Math) and paid for teacher training to optimize the computers use. The program was funded from 2006-2009. Pine-Richland School District applied to participate in 2006-07 receiving $314,383. In 2007-08, Pine-Richland received $300,000. The high school received another $45,413 in 2008-09 for a total funding of $659,796.^[31] In Allegheny County the highest award $835,286 was given to Highlands School District. The highest funding state wide was awarded to Philadelphia City School District in Philadelphia County - $9,409,073. In 2010, Classrooms for the Future funding was curtailed statewide due to a massive state financial crisis.

Dual enrollment

Pine-Richalnd High School offers a Dual Enrollment program.^[32] 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. Pine-Richland High School has agreements with the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), University of Pittsburgh and LaRoche College. The University of Pittsburgh and LaRoche College approved courses are taught during the school day by Pine-Richland High School faculty certified as adjunct professors. The college credits are offered at a deeply discounted rate. Initially, the state offered a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books.^[33] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.^[34] The grant was discontinued by then Governor Edward Rendell in 2010 due to a multibillion dollar state budget shortfall.

For the 2009-10 funding year, Pine- Richland received a state grant of $5,691.00 for the program.^[35]

Graduation requirements

Pine-Richland School Board has determined that a pupil must earn 24.5 credits to graduate including: a required class every year in English 4 credits, social studies 4 credits, math 3 credits science 3 credits, Physical Education and Health 2.5 credits and electives 8 credits. Effective with the class of 2016, graduation requirements have been changed to reduce the Physical Education and Health credits to one credit and the social studies credits to 3 with one more credit to be selected in Mathematics, Science or Social Studies.^[36] A student must earn 6 credits to be promoted from 9th grade to 10th grade.

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.^[37]

By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, for the graduating class of 2017, 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.^[38][39][40] 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.^[41] Individual student, school or district reports were not made public, although they were reported to district officials by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Early graduation

Students may chose to carry eight credits each year and/or take courses during the summer in order to graduate at the end of their junior year. These pupils may choose when to participate in a high school graduation ceremony.

AP courses

Students have access to a wide variety of AP Courses. Students have the option of taking these 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 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. or above.

College Board Award

In 2011, Pine-Richland School District achieved the College Board's AP District of the Year Award. This honor roll consists of the 388 U.S. public school districts that simultaneously achieved increases in access to AP® courses for a broader number of students and also maintained or improved the rate at which their AP students earned scores of 3 or higher on an AP Exam.^[42]

Sports

The Pine-Richland High School's mascot is the Ram. The Pine-Richland sports teams include boys and girls basketball, volleyball, baseball, ice hockey, tennis, crew, golf, lacrosse, fencing, wrestling, track, swimming/diving, cross country, football, soccer, field hockey, and gymnastics.

The Rams baseball, girls soccer, hockey, gymnastics, and volleyball teams were all state champions in the 2005-2006 school year. There were five state championship teams in the year 2006, which include: women's volleyball, women's soccer, baseball, men's tennis doubles, and women's gymnastics. In 2005 the girls soccer team defeated the number one ranked team in the nation to win their first PIAA state title. In 2006, the Pine-Richland wrestling team were section champions.

Pine Richland's competition cheerleading team won 3rd in the nation in the 2012-2013 school year.

Pine Richland also offers a Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program that stresses honor and commitment.

Pine Richland Arts

Art displays and exhibitions occur year round in during the Pine Richland High School year. These displays include photography, drawings, paintings and self portraits. The Annual Pine Richland Art Show takes place at the beginning of May each year, featuring portfolios of Advanced Placement art students and Alumni. The school is considered to have an above average art/music program compared to the surrounding schools.

The band course contains both a fall/winter marching band section and a later year ensemble experience. The Pine-Richland Rams Marching Band has a yearly repertoire consisting of an "opener," a tuba feature, a band dance (during which the drumline is featured), a colorguard feature, a dance team feature, a closer, as well as various other songs. The second part of the band course, the ensemble band, focuses on musical ability. Jazz Ensemble provides a venue where well-performing students can play jazz and blues music. Each year the school features a musical for which students must try out, including music from a selected pit orchestra.

The school also has a musical each year in the spring, which are consistently considered some of the best high-school musicals in the greater Pittsburgh area. The school competes at the Gene Kelly Awards each year, an award ceremony for local high-schools in the Greater Pittsburgh Area.

Started only in 2009, the high school started its own chapter of the International Thespian Society. Each fall, the club sponsors a fall production entirely run by students (with minimal help from adult supervisors.) Aside from the fall production, the club aims to help students explore the arts of theatre with workshops and sponsored talks.

Demographics

Pine-Richland is 89% white, with other ethnicities comprising 11% of the student population. Pine-Richland draws students from the townships of Pine and Richland.

Notable alumni

• Jeff Calhoun — Tony Award–winning choreographer
• Stephen Frick — American astronaut
• Meghan Klingenberg — Midfielder for the Boston Breakers and the United States women's national soccer team
• Blake Lalli — First baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers
• Brandon Saad — Left winger for the Chicago Blackhawks
• Neil Walker — Second basemen for the Pittsburgh Pirates

See also

• Pine Richland Middle School

References