Albert Gallatin High School

Albert Gallatin High School
Address
1119 Township Drive Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Uniontown, Pennsylvania, 15401
Information
School type	Public High School
Established	1951
School district	Albert Gallatin Area School District
NCES District ID	4202100
Superintendent	Mr. Carl Bezjak
NCES School ID	420210006001
Principal	Jason Hutchison
Vice principal	Eric Witt Brian Reams Deans of Learning: Laura Bezjak Krista Baker
Staff	35
Faculty	71 (2010 [1]
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	1,111[2] (2009-10 School Year)
Student to teacher ratio	15:1
Color(s)	Black and Silver
Athletics conference	WPIAL / PIAA District VII
Nickname	AG
Team name	Colonials
Rival	Laurel Highlands, Uniontown Area
Communities served	Fairchance, Masontown, Point Marion, Smithfield
Feeder schools	AG North Middle School AG South Middle School
Website	Albert Gallatin High School

Albert Gallatin High School is a public High School, serving nearly 1,111 students (2010) in the eight south-western municipalities of Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The present-day AGHS is located in Georges Township five miles south of Uniontown proper. Five hundred forty nine students were eligible for a federal free or reduced price lunch due to family poverty in 2012.

School History

Albert Gallatin High School was originally created in 1951,^[3] consolidating the Masontown and Point Marion high schools at the present-day AG Middle School South campus, near Point Marion. It was not until 1986 that the present building (the former Fairchance-Georges High School) was used as the sole High School for the district, combining all three (at that time) district's High Schools and creating two Middle Schools. The name was briefly changed to Tri-Valley High School, representing the changes. Finally, in 1993, the school board renamed the school to its present name, to reflect the founding father of the area, Albert Gallatin. Within 1993 and now, the school had a complete renovation and addition process, as well as technology improvements, and a new Athletic Complex,^[4] including a new fieldhouse.

AYP History

In 2012, Albert Gallatin High School declined to Corrective Action Level I due to ongoing low student achievement.^[5] Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the 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. Additionally the 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 must pay fro additional tutoring for struggling students.^[6] In 2011, High School remained in School Improvement level II status.^[7] The Albert Gallatin Area High School declined to School Improvement II status in 2010 due to continuing low student academic achievement. The school achieved one of 8 academic achievement assessment criteria.^[7] The high school was in School Improvement I in 2009.

In 2011, the high school's 11th grade ranked 105th out of 123 western Pennsylvania high schools based on five years of results in PSSAs on: reading, math writing and three years of science.^[8]

• 2010 - 97th ^[9]
• 2009 - 104th out of 123 western Pennsylvania high schools ^[10]

Graduation Rate

In 2012, Albert Gallatin High School's graduation rate declined to 80% ^[11] In 2011, the graduation rate was 86%.^[12] In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. Albert Gallatin Area school District's graduation rate was 79% for 2010.^[13]

Former AYP graduation rate

• 2010 - 85%^[14]
• 2009 - 82%^[15]
• 2008 - 82% ^[16]
• 2007 - 85%^[17]

PSSA Results

11th Grade Reading

• 2012 - 57% on grade level, (24% below basic). State - 67% of 11th graders are on grade level.^[18]
• 2011 - 59%, (19% below basic). State - 69.1% ^[19]
• 2010 - 54%, (28% below basic). State - 67% ^[20]
• 2009 - 53%, State - 65%
• 2008 - 59%, State - 65% ^[21]
• 2007 - 59%, State - 65% ^[22]
• 2006 - 58%, State - 65%

11th Grade Math

• 2012 - 46% on grade level (33% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level.^[23]
• 2011 - 53%, (18% below basic). State - 60.3% ^[24]
• 2010 - 40%, (37% below basic). State - 56%
• 2009 - 48%, State - 56% ^[25]
• 2008 - 38%, State - 56% ^[26]
• 2007 - 39%, State - 53%
• 2006 - 44%, State - 52% ^[27]

11th Grade Science

• 2012 - 26% on grade level (27% below basic). State - 42% of 11th graders were on grade level.^[28]
• 2011 - 24% on grade level (31% below basic). State - 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.^[29]
• 2010 - 25% (29% below basic). State - 39%
• 2009 - 27%, State - 40%
• 2008 - 15%, State - 39% ^[30]

College remediation

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 23% of the school district's 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 schools or community colleges.^[31] 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.^[32] 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 offers 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] For the 2009-10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $16,103 for the program.

SAT Scores

From January to June 2011, 134 Albert Gallatin students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 454. The Math average score was 471. The Writing average score was 442.^[35] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479.^[36] 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.^[37]

School Improvement Grant

The Albert Gallatin High School was awarded the School Improvement Grant, or SIG grant. The grant included some new equipment for educational purposes. It was eligible for funding due to the chronic, low achievement at the high school.^[38]

In 2010, Pennsylvania received $141 million from the federal –US Department of Education, to turn around its worst-performing schools. The funds were disbursed via a competitive grant program.^[39] The Pennsylvania Department of Education has identified 200 Pennsylvania schools as "persistently lowest achieving," making them eligible for this special funding.^[40] Pennsylvania required low performing schools to apply or provide documentation about why they had not applied. The funds must be used, by the district, to turn around schools in one of four ways: school closure, restart - close the school and reopen it as a charter school. The other two options involve firing the principal. One would require at least half the faculty in a chronically poor performing school be dismissed. The second involves intensive teacher training coupled with strong curriculum revision or a longer school day.^[41]

Alma Mater

The Alma Mater was written by Jason Kendall^[42]
Silver And Black will always be my
Home though roads go ever onward.
Faithful and true my dear alma mater
I will ever be.
Albert Gallatin, Albert Gallatin
I will raise thy name with honor.
Albert Gallatin, Albert Gallatin
Forever I will cherish thee

Fight Song

We're gonna fight for Albert Gallatin
We're gonna have the best team when we're done
Give us the ball when we come out the door
and then you'll see us score and score, we want some more
And when the game is over we will say
That we are proud of you in black and gray
we're gonna win this game for Gallatin, Gallatin score, score, score...yeah!

Graduation Requirements

A student at Albert Gallatin must complete 24 Credits,^[42] complete the Culminating (Graduation) project, receive a "Proficient" or higher on the PSSA exam, and if the student has an IEP, complete all goals on said document.

Credits Required to Graduate

Subject Area	# Credits
English	4.0
Math	4.0
Science	4.0
Social Studies	4.0
Arts or Humanities	2.0
Health	0.5
Physical Education	1.0
Introduction to Computers	0.5
Electives	3.0
TOTAL	23.0

Vocational Education Opportunity

Students in Grades 10-12 have the opportunity to attend the Fayette County Career and Technical Institute in Georges Township for one-half day, each day while attending their home school the other half of the day.

Extracurriculars and Athletics

A plethora of Athletic Sports programs and Extracurricular activities are available at AG.

Athletics

Albert Gallatin High School is a member of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) and the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL). Albert Gallatin is in PIAA District 7.
Boys
Baseball - AAAA
Basketball - AAAA 06-07 WPIAL runner-up
Cross Country - AAA
Football - AAA
Golf - AAAA
Soccer - AAA
Track and Field - AAA
Wrestling - AAA

Girls
Basketball - AAAA
Cross Country - AAA
Soccer - AAA
Softball - AAAA
Track and Field - AAA
Volleyball - AAA

Extracurricular Activities

• Academic League
• Art Club
• Band
  
• Chorus/Choir
• Drama Club
• Future Business Leaders
  
• Future Educators of America
• Geology Club
  
• Homecoming
  
• Interact Club
• Math Team
• Mock Trial
  
• NAACP Youth Club
• Newspaper
• Olympics of the Mind
  
• S.A.D.D.
• Ski Club
  
• Student Council
  
• Video Productions (AGTV)
• Web Page Club
  
• Yearbook
• Young Astronauts

Band

The Albert Gallatin High School offer an outstanding band program. The Marching Band competes in various competition parades. The band also performs their Half time show at both Home and Away Varsity football games. The marching band has recently won 1st place in the annual King Coal parade in Carmichaels, PA for the third year in the row. The concert band also performs two concert during the school year as well as performing in a band trip, that includes concert and marching band. The current band director is Mrs. Diane Lavery. Since her arrivial that band has performed three field shows
2010-2011: "Elvis" : show that featured 4 Elvis tunes
2011-2012: "Grease" : show that featured 4 hit songs from the movie
2012-2013: "Gotta Dance" : This year the show features the bands dancing in songs, Disco Inferno, The Safety Dance, Dynamite, Party Rock Anthem

References

Coordinates: 39°49′55″N 79°47′01″W / 39.832064°N 79.783552°W / 39.832064; -79.783552