Troy High School (California)

Troy High School
Address
2200 East Dorothy Lane Fullerton, California, Orange County, 92831 United States
Coordinates	33°52′53″N 117°53′34″W / 33.88139°N 117.89278°W / 33.88139; -117.89278Coordinates: 33°52′53″N 117°53′34″W / 33.88139°N 117.89278°W / 33.88139; -117.89278
Information
Established	1964[1][2]
School district	Fullerton Joint Union High School District
Superintendent	George Giokaris
CEEB Code	051009
Principal	Mr. William Mynster
Vice principal	Dr. Danielle Kenfield
Faculty	112
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	2,850 (2009)
Campus type	Suburban
Color(s)	Red, Black, and White
Mascot	Wally the Warrior
Accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges[3]
National ranking	13th (Business Insider[4]
Average SAT scores	1,917
Newspaper	"The Oracle"
Yearbook	"Ilium"
Website	http://www.troyhigh.com/

Troy High School is a public magnet school situated in Fullerton, California, USA, acclaimed for its Troy Tech and International Baccalaureate programs. It is located in the Fullerton Joint Union High School District. As of the 2014-15 school year, 2850 students attend the school. Troy High School has several national distinctions. It has won the maximum number of U.S National Science Olympiad tournaments in the country. It has the #1 AP Computer Science Program in the World, according to the AP Report to the Nation. Troy is ranked as the #6 best STEM school in the nation (#3 in California) by the US News Best High Schools 2014 report.

Academics

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, then-principal Jerry Atkin was instrumental in developing and implementing a Science and Technology magnet program, known as Troy Tech, for Troy High School.^[5] Troy was one of 27 high schools nationwide honored as a New American High School by former U.S. President Bill Clinton in 2000. It has won first place in the U.S. National Science Olympiad in 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2014 and has also placed favorably in many other competitions on both the regional and national level, including the American Computer Science League (1st in the nation, 5th overall in 2005). Troy's Science Olympiad team has consistently attended nationals for the last 15 years, emerging as national champions in 8 of those 15 competitions (with 3 second place and 1 third place). Troy’s Science Bowl Team has placed first and second for four years in the Western Regional Science Bowl sponsored by NASA/JPL and the U.S. Department of Energy. In 2001, the team captured the national second place at the U.S. Dept. of Energy Competition in Washington, D.C.

A number of Troy Tech and International Baccalaureate students have received nationally recognized honors, by competing and often placing highly in the prestigious Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science, and Technology and the Intel Science Talent Search. In 2008, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges granted the school a six-year accreditation.

Athletics

Basketball

The Girl's Basketball Team won the state CIF Division II Title in 2003, 2005, and 2006. Sports Illustrated ranked the team the #4 program in the country for 2006,^[6] and the Los Angeles Times ranked Troy the #5 program in all of Southern California for the second year in a row.^[7]

Girl's Water Polo

The Girl's Water Polo team won the CIF Division IV Title in 2013. The Warriors became just the second Freeway League team to capture a CIF girls water polo title.^[8][9] Coach Jason Wilson received State Coach of the Year following their win.^[10]

Girl's Swim and Dive

The Girl's Swim and Dive team won the CIF Division II Title in 2013. The title was the first in school history for swim. Captains Katja Claesson, Katelyn Martin, Gwen Walter, and Lexi Geiger headed the Warriors' assault on the point standings.^[11]

Journalism

Oracle

Troy's school newspaper is the highly selective Oracle, which was awarded the George H. Gallup Award in the Quill and Scroll International Honor Society News Media Evaluation Service in 2012 ^[12] and 2014.^[13] A number of individual writers have also received honors in competitions such as Orange County Journalism Education Association (OCJEA).^[14]

Ilium

Ilium, Troy's yearbook, has also placed favorably in OCJEA.

NJROTC Program

Troy's Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) has won 1st Place at the Area 11 Championship (State Championship) five consecutive times since 2008. It achieved the title of "Best Unit in the Nation" in 2009 and took 2nd Place at NJROTC Nationals 2011 and NJROTC Nationals 2015. The unit is composed of over 400 cadets making it the largest unit on the west side of the Mississippi River and is now considered a regiment. Currently it is led by Senior Naval Science Instructor, Commander Allen Stubblefield of the United States Navy, with the help of three Naval Science Instructors, Chief Petty Officer Terrik King of the US Navy, 1st Sgt. Steven C. Lyon of the US Marine Corps, and 1st Sgt. Warren Barnes of the US Marine Corps. Troy NJROTC has many competitive teams, including a Marksmanship Team, a Brain Brawl Team, a Computer Security Team, and an Orienteering Team. There are also two competitive drill teams who compete nationally. There are two teams, Varsity (Team Black) and Junior Varsity (Team Red). They participate in events such as Armed Regulation, Unarmed Regulation, Armed Exhibition, and Unarmed Exhibition, an Naval Science Knowledge Test, a Physical Training Competition, and Color Guard.

Standardized testing statistics

SAT

SAT I: Reasoning Test

Section	Mean Score	State Rank
Total	1917	7
Critical Reading	622	4
Math	668	4
Writing	627	9
Figures for schools with greater than 200 test-takers from 2012-2013

SAT II: Subject Tests

Section	Mean Score
Math Level 1	685
Math Level 2	768
United States History	659
World History	610
Chemistry	712
Physics	718
Biology E	705
Biology M	719
Chinese w/L	779
Korean w/L	771
Japanese w/L	601
Spanish	672
French	615
English Literature	650
Figures for schools with greater than 50 test-takers from 2012-2013

AP/IB

• Number of Advanced Placement Examinations taken in May 2010: 2282 (93.5% pass rate; California Public HS rank: 2)
• Number of International Baccalaureate Examinations taken in May 2013: 374 (99% pass rate; World IB Rank: 252; U.S. IB Rank: 93; California IB Rank: 22)
• Number of International Baccalaureate Diploma Graduates in May 2013: 43 (100% pass rate)
• Students may choose to take an IB exam without being in the full Diploma Program

Mean SAT I: Reasoning Test - AP/IB Diploma Students

Section	Mean Score
Total	2261
Critical Reading	734
Math	774
Writing	753
2012-2013 Statistics [15]

Mean SAT II: Subject Test - AP/IB Diploma Students

Section	Mean Score
Math Level II	777
Chemistry	728
Spanish R	705
Japanese w/L	740
Korean w/L	792
Biology E	739
Biology M	763
Physics	761
Spanish w/L	705
French R	620
US History	738
Literature	706
Chinese w/L	790
French w/L	710
World History	800
2012-2013 Statistics [15]

• 2013 IB exams offered:

SL: Spanish, French, Japanese, Latin. Chinese: Mandarin, Physics, Biology, Math, Computer Science, Design Technology, Business & Management, Film HL: English Literature, Spanish, French, Japanese, Philosophy, History of Americas, Biology, Physics, Math: Statistics, Math: Calculus, Computer Science, Film

National Merit statistics

Year	Finalists	Semifinalists	Commended Scholars	Hispanic Scholars
2009		57	95	5
2008	42	51	87	6
2006		39	66
2005	40	42	72	7
2004	30		51	8

Student Body

The following are details and statistics about Troy High School's student body:

Class

Troy High School has a total enrollment of 2,631 students. 682 students are in 9th grade, 628 students are in 10th grade, 644 students are in 11th grade, and 673 students are in 12th grade.^[16]

Student Diversity

Troy High School is a very racially diverse high school. Minorities make up 71% of the student body. The student breakdown by ethnicity/race is as follows: Asian (38%), Caucasian (24%), Hispanic (24%), Filipino (7%), Indian-Asian (4%), African-American (2%), American Indian/Pacific Islander/Undesignated (1%).

Males make up 52% of the student body and females make up 48% of the student body.^[16]

Economically Disadvantaged Students

13% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Of these, 9% of students are eligible for free lunch and 4% of students are eligible for reduced-price lunch. ^[16]

College Attendance

As of 2013, 99% of Troy High School students attend colleges and universities. Of those, 76% attend 4 year universities and colleges and 23% 2 year colleges. ^[15]

Controversy

Troy High School has not been immune from controversy, as detailed below:

Asbestos

Troy High School and district administrators were embroiled in a controversy surrounding the improper removal and handling of asbestos while school was in session. No public notifications or warning was issued about the removal while school was in session.

In one incident, five asbestos-containing bags were left near an intake for the ventilation system feeding the entire school. Numerous individuals at the school later reported respiratory symptoms, and over 80 faculty members at the school signed a petition to the district demanding full disclosure of the extent of exposure.^[17]

School and district officials still deny the existence of asbestos in the building, and refuse to disclose the full extent of the exposure.^[18][19][20]

Oracle controversy

In December 2004, Ann Long, at the time a Troy student and editor of the Oracle, the school newspaper, wrote an Oracle article that profiled several openly gay students at the school. The article was generally well received by students. However, the school administration initiated disciplinary action against the student, citing school and state education codes that prohibit asking students about their sexual orientation without parental notification. Long claimed she was forced to resign voluntarily or she would be fired from her position as student editor, even though the article had been approved by the newspaper's faculty advisor. Long was supported by the American Civil Liberties Union, as well as the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the Gay-Straight Alliance Network and the California Safe Schools Coalition.^[21][22][23]

Student government vote rigging scandal

In April 2012, Associated Student Body (ASB) member Jacob Bigham confessed to breaking into the school database with a faculty password, which he had overheard while an assistant principal was having a speakerphone conversation with the school's computer technician, to view the results of the ASB election. Bigham had suspected foul play in prior elections, and operated under the suspicion that the current election results would be tampered with. Bigham found that the election results had indeed been altered by ASB faculty adviser Jennifer Redmond and that he had actually won the ASB Vice Presidency. Bigham was suspended for five days and was stripped of his student-government post. After controversy broke out, Bigham was reinstated and Redmond resigned from her advisory position at the end of the school year. Principal Buchan and then-Assistant Principal were reprimanded by the Fullerton Joint Union High School District for exposing it to "undue scrutiny, ridicule and embarrassment." Buchan accepted the reprimand and retired the next year, while York did not return phone calls on the matter.^[24][25]

Notable alumni

• Marc Cherry, television and film producer, executive producer of Desperate Housewives
• Aaron Brewer, Long Snapper for the Denver Broncos
• Derrick Coleman, Fullback for the Seattle Seahawks ^[26]
• Courtney Halverson, television and film actress.
• Ed Harris (politician), San Diego city councilman
• Geri Jewell, television and film actress, comedienne and motivational speaker, known for her role as Cousin Geri on the television series The Facts of Life and as Jewell on the Emmy Award winning HBO series Deadwood.
• Gene Kan, founder of Infrasearch.com and Gnutella pioneer
• Alyson Noël, author, known for The Immortals (books)^[27]
• Derek O'Brien, drummer for Social Distortion, Agent Orange, and The Adolescents
• Steve Trachsel, former professional baseball player^[28]

References

External links

• Troy High School website
• GreatSchools.net profile