Aliquippa Senior High School

Aliquippa Jr./Sr. High School is located in the city of Aliquippa in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, USA. In 2007, the Jr./Sr. High supported grades 7–12 with an enrollment of 465 students.^[3] By 2010, the grade 9–12 enrollment declined to 329 pupils.^[5] According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010, the school reported an enrollment of 509 pupils in grades 7th through 12th, with 385 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced price lunch due to family poverty. The school employed teachers yielding a student teacher ratio of 13:1.^[6] According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of the teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind.^[7]

The Aliquippa School District underwent major changes in the year 2009. The middle school building housed grades 5–8 was renovated to house grades 7–12. The Elementary school building that housed grade k-4 was renovated to house grades k-6. The High school building, that was built in 1929, was demolished in 2009.^[8]

History

On June 7, 1909 the Woodlawn School District was formed to provide education to the growing population of Woodlawn, which was later annexed into Aliquippa.^[9] In 1910 Highland School located in the Plan 6 area of Woodlawn was opened and in 1911 Logstown School was constructed as well.^[9] The first high school students where housed in elementary schools or sent to Beaver for senior classes and graduation, in 1913 the first senior class graduated from the Logstown building and whose names are as follows: Lehman Howard, Elvira Davis, Carol Howard, Eleanor Calhoun, Edwin Davis, and Ruth Scott.^[9] Shortly after that a two story building was erected on the foot of the Plan 12 hill and was dedicated as Woodlawn High School. The first graduating class from that school was the Class of and its members were Dewitt Baker, Rose Eberlie, Helen McGaughy, Alda Johnson, Ruth Stevenson, Orie Cochran, and Joseph Cochran. In 1925, and new high school was erected on the hilltop overlooking the Franklin Avenue Business District. The school consisted of two wings which included 34 classrooms, laboratories, and offices and shortly after that a second building phase followed the construction of a gymnasium and the first part of a vocational shop on the hill above the school was completed. Named Harding High School after the late President Warren G. Harding who died in office during its construction it was renamed Aliquippa High School on June 8, 1930 due to the merger of the Boroughs of Woodlawn and Aliquippa two years earlier in 1928.

Aliquippa High School continued serving the community for more than 80 years until 2009.^[9] At that time the structure was in a state of deterioration and needed either remodeled or replaced. The Aliquippa School District took remodeling the school into consideration but the project would have cost $63 million and due to the heavy loss of tax revenue because of the closing of the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company in 1985 and the heavy population & school enrollment loss the school could not afford the project.^[9] The school decided to cut down from three buildings to two by renovating Aliquippa Elementary School to house Grades K-6 instead of K-4 and renovating Aliquippa Middle School to house Grades 7-12 instead of 5-8 and it was to be renamed Aliquippa Junior/Senior High School . Aliquippa High School would be razed since there was nothing that could be done to the building. The Class of 2009 was the final graduating class from AHS and the Class of 2010 was the first class to graduate from the new Aliquippa Junior/Senior High School. Over 10,000 people graduated from Aliquippa High School from 1925 to 2009.^[9]

The Aliquippa Jr/Sr High School was built in 1959 as the Aliquippa Junior High School. The school was built by orders of the Aliquippa Board of School Directors due to the rising enrollment in the District. The school was built from 1958 to 1959 and was built to house 1,000 Students. The school was estimated to cost $750,000 to $850,000. The Junior High School was operated from 1959 to 1985, When by the decision of the Aliquippa School Board, The schools Grades would be realigned, Aliquippa`s population was declining due to the collapse of the steel industry, And the school district's enrollment dropped from 3,900 in 1973 to 1,500 that year. The School Board decided to put grades Kindergarten through Sixth in the then New Sheffield Elementary School (currently Aliquippa Elementary School), And put grades Seventh through Twelfth Grades at the Aliquippa High school, And renaming it Aliquippa Junior/Senior High School. Thus closing the over 30-year-old Junior High School. This remained until 1991 when due to a spike up in Enrollment, The Aliquippa School Board voted to reopen the Junior High School after being closed for 6 years. But in order to reopen the Junior High, The building had to be brought up to Code by the Regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Department of Education, County of Beaver, and the City of Aliquippa. After the work was finished the School was dedicated. A new air conditioning system, doors to the classrooms/building, new kitchen equipment, floors, lights, ceiling panels,paint, and a new main school entrance. The School was renamed Aliquippa Middle School and the school did not really change until 2008. When the Aliquippa School Board decided to once again realign the Grades, Aliquippa Elementary School will house grades Kindergarten through Sixth, And Aliquippa Middle School will house grades Seven through Twelfth and be renamed Aliquippa Junior/Senior High School. Aliquippa High School, built in 1924, would be demolished. The Class of 2009 was the last graduating class from the former Aliquippa High School. As of the 2012-2013 School year Aliquippa Junior/Senior High School houses 577 pupils in grades 7 through 12.

Academics

In 2011, Aliquippa Junior-Senior High School achieved AYP status. In 2010, the school achieved "Warning" status.^[10] In 2009, Aliquippa High School was in Corrective Action II 2nd Year due to low academic achievement of the students.^[11]

The high school's 11th grade ranked 109th out of 123 western Pennsylvania high schools based on three years of results in PSSAs on: reading, math writing and one year of science.^[12]

Graduation rate

In 2011, Aliquippa School District reported a graduation rate of 85%.^[13] In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate. Aliquippa School District's rate was 76% for 2010.^[14]

Graduation rate:

• 2010 - 78% ^[15]

2009 – 83%^[16]
2008 – 87%
2007 – 87%^[17]

PSSA results

11th Grade Reading

• 2011 - 40% on grade level, (31% below basic). 69.1% of 11th graders are on grade level.^[18]
• 2010 - 29%, (44% below basic). State - 66% ^[19]
• 2009 – 29%, State - 65%
• 2008 – 44%, State – 65%
• 2007 – 65%, State – 65% ^[20]

11th Grade Math

• 2011 - 29%, on grade level (51% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 60.3% of 11th graders are on grade level.^[21]
• 2010 - 13% (66% below basic). State - 59%
• 2009 – 23%, State - 56% ^[22]
• 2008 – 33%, State – 56%
• 2007 – 37%, State – 53%

11th Grade Science

• 2011 - 5% on grade level (60% below basic). State - 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.
• 2010 - 1% (68% below basic). State - 39%
• 2009 - 10%, State - 40%
• 2008 – 26%^[23]

College remediation

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 47% of Aliquippa School District 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.^[24] 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.^[25] 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, 45 Aliquippa School District students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 371. The Math average score was 382. The Writing average score was 338.^[26] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479.^[27] 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.^[28]

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, including the graduation ceremony. 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.^[29] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.^[30] For the 2009–10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $5,414 for the program.

Graduation project

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.^[31]

Classrooms for the Future grant

The Classroom for the Future state program provided districts with hundreds of thousands of extra state funding to buy laptop computers for each core curriculum high school class (English, Science, History, Math), along with other specialized equipment and provided funding for teacher training to optimize the use of the computers. The program was funded from 2006-2009. Aliquippa School District did not apply for funding in 2006-07. The Aliquippa School District received $83,935 in 2007-08 and was given $45,413 for the 2008-09 school year.^[32]

Extracurriculars

The school offers clubs, activities and sports. The Aliquippa Quips compete in the AA of the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL).

By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students in the district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, cyber charter school, charter school and those homeschooled, are eligible to participate in the extracurricular programs including all athletics. They must meet the same eligibility rules as the students enrolled in the district's schools.^[33]

Notable alumni

• Press Maravich (class of c. 1933) – former NCAA basketball coach and father of "Pistol" Pete Maravich
• Henry Mancini (class of c. 1942) – composer and winner of a record 20 Grammy Awards
• Jesse Steinfeld (class of c. 1945) – eleventh Surgeon General of the United States from 1969 to 1973
• Hal Jeter (class of c. 1963) – former American Basketball Association player with the Washington Caps
• Gust Avrakotos (class of c. 1955) – United States Central Intelligence Agency operative who received notoriety in George Crile's book Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History
• Mike Ditka (class of c. 1957) – Television commentator, former National Football League tight end, and former coach of the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints; Super Bowl champion as both a player and coach
• Ty Law (class of c. 1992) – former National Football League cornerback. 3-time Super Bowl champion
• Sean Gilbert (class of c. 1998) – former National Football League defensive tackle
• Darrelle Revis (class of c. 2003) – National Football League cornerback with the New York Jets
• Tommie Campbell (class of c. 2005) – National Football League cornerback with the Tennessee Titans
• Jonathan Baldwin (class of c. 2008) – National Football League wide receiver with the San Francisco 49ers

References

External links

• Aliquippa School District