Bermudian Springs High School

Map of Adams County, Pennsylvania School Districts

Bermudian Springs High School is a public high school located near the borough of York Springs, Pennsylvania. It is the sole high school operated by the Bermudian Springs School District. The school serves students from most of northeastern Adams County. In 2014, enrollment was reported as 645 pupils in 9th through 12th grades, with 29.7% of pupils eligible for a free lunch due to family poverty. Additionally, 10% of pupils received special education services, while 3% of pupils were identified as gifted. The school employed 42 teachers.^[7] Per the PA Department of Education 2% of the teachers were rated "Non‐Highly Qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2011, Bermudian Springs High School reported an enrollment of 646 pupils in grades 9th through 12th, with 134 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced-price lunch. The school is a federally designated Title I school. The high school employs 42 teachers, yielding a student–teacher ratio of 15:1.^[8] According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 4 teachers were rated "Non‐Highly Qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.^[9] In April 2013, longtime principal, Steven Brown, retired, taking advantage of a school board offer to pay 75% of his health insurance until he turns 65 years old, including major medical. Elementary School Principal Roger Stroup was moved to the high school principal position.^[10] Among notable alumni is historian and television presenter Dr. Taylor Stoermer of Harvard University, who briefly attended the school in 1985.

Graduation rate

In 2014, Bermudian Springs High School's graduation rate was 89%.^[11] In 2013, Bermudian Springs High School's graduation rate was 90.48%. In 2012, Bermudian Springs School District's graduation rate was 91%. In 2011, Bermudian Springs School District's graduation rate was 96%.^[12] In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate. Bermudian Springs School District's rate was 95% for 2010.^[13]

According to traditional graduation rate calculations:

• 2010 – 93%^[14]
• 2009 – 85%^[15]
• 2008 – 90%
• 2007 – 90%^[16]

2014 School Performance Profile

Bermudian Springs High School achieved 77.1 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature - 85% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 72.7% showed on grade level skills. In Biology, 65% showed on grade level science understanding.^[17][18] According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,134 of 2,947 Pennsylvania public schools (72 percent of Pennsylvania public schools), achieved an academic score of 70 or higher.^[19] Fifty-three percent of schools statewide received lower SPP scores compared with last year's, while 46 percent improved. A handful were unchanged.^[20][21]

2013 School Performance Profile

Bermudian Springs High School achieved 84.2 out of 100. This reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement.^[22] In reading/literature, 83% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 70% were on grade level. In biology, 45.7% were on grade level.^[23] According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,181 public schools (less than 73 percent of Pennsylvania public schools), achieved an academic score of 70 or higher.

Pennsylvania 11th grade students no longer take the PSSAs in the spring of their 11th grade year. Instead, they now take the Keystone Exams at the end of the associated course.

AYP History

In 2012, Bermudian Springs High School again declined School Improvement I AYP status due to missing all the academic metrics measured in both reading and mathematics.^[24] 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 parents the opportunity to transfer their children to a successful school within the district. There is no other high school run by the district. Additionally, Bermudian Springs High School Administration was required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to develop an improvement plan to address the school's low student achievement. Under the Pennsylvania Accountability System, the Bermudian Springs School District must pay for additional tutoring for struggling students at the high school.^[25]

• 2011 - declined in Warning AYP status due to declining student achievement in mathematics and the low reading achievement.^[26]
• 2010 - achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status.
• 2003 to 2009 - achieved Adequate Yearly Progress status each year.

PSSA Results History

Pennsylvania System of School Assessments, commonly called PSSAs are No Child Left Behind Act related examinations which were administered from 2003 through 2012, in all Pennsylvania public high schools. The exams were administered in the Spring of each school year. The goal was for 100% of students to be on grade level or better in reading and mathematics, by the Spring of 2014. The tests focused on the state's Academic Standards for reading, writing, mathematics and science. The Science exam included content in science, technology, ecology and the environmental studies. The mathematics exam included: algebra I, algebra II, geometry and trigonometry. The standards were first published in 1998 and are mandated by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education.^[27] In 2013, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania changed its high school assessments to the Keystone Exams in Algebra 1, Reading/literature and Biology1. The exams are given at the end of the course, rather than all in the spring of the student's 11th grade year.^[28]

11th Grade Reading:

• 2012 - 58% on grade level, (22% below basic). State - 67% of 11th graders are on grade level.
• 2011 - 62.1% (17% below basic). State - 69.1% ^[29]
• 2010 – 58% (21% below basic). State - 67%
• 2009 – 64%, State – 65%
• 2008 – 67%, State – 65%^[30]
• 2007 – 69%, State – 65%^[31]

11th Grade Math:

• 2012 - 50% on grade level (27% below basic). State - 59% of 11th graders are on grade level.^[32]
• 2011 - 53.6%, (27% below basic). State - 60.3%
• 2010 – 57% (22% below basic). State - 59% ^[33]
• 2009 – 52%, State – 56%^[34]
• 2008 – 62%, State – 56%^[35]
• 2007 – 60%, State – 53%

11th Grade Science:

• 2012 - 26% on grade level (15% below basic). State - 42% of 11th graders were on grade level.
• 2011 - 32.5%, (18% below basic). State - 40%
• 2010 – 39% (16% below basic). State – 39%
• 2009 – 39%, State – 40%
• 2008 – 36%, State – 39%

Science in Motion

Bermudian Springs High School does not take advantage of a state program called Science in Motion which brought college professors and sophisticated science equipment to the school to raise science awareness and to provide inquiry-based experiences for the students. The Science in Motion program was funded by a state appropriation and cost the school nothing to participate.^[36] Gettysburg College provides the experiences in the Adams County and York County region.

College remediation

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 32% of Bermudian Springs 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.^[37] 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.^[38] 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 – Bermudian Springs High School does not offer the Pennsylvania dual enrollment program which permits students to earn deeply discounted college credits while enrolled in high school. Over 400 public school districts in Pennsylvania offer their high school juniors and seniors the Dual Enrollment program. Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.^[39] In 2010, Governor Edward Rendell eliminated the grants to students from the Commonwealth, due to a state budget crisis.

SAT scores

In 2014, Bermudian Springs School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 510. The Math average score was 521. The Writing average score was 491.^[40] Statewide in Pennsylvania, Verbal Average Score was 497. The Math average score was 504. The Writing average score was 480. The College Board also reported that nationwide scores were: 497 in reading, 513 in math and 487 in writing.^[41]

In 2013, Bermudian Springs School District students' average verbal score was 480. The math average score was 507. The writing average score was 472. The College Board reported that Pennsylvania students who took the test averaged 494 verbal, 504 math and 482 in writing. The highest possible score is 800 on each of the exams. The nationwide scores averaged verbal 496, math 514, and writing 488.

In 2012, 90 Bermudian Springs School District students took the SAT exams. The district's average verbal score was 469. The math average score was 493. The writing average score was 456. The statewide SAT exams results were: verbal 491, math 501, writing 480. In the USA, 1.65 million students took the exams and averaged verbal 496, math 514, writing 488. According to the College Board, 360 students nationwide scored a perfect 2,400.

In 2011, 81 Bermudian Springs students took the SAT exams. The district's average verbal score was 492. The math average score was 499. The writing average score was 484.^[42] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among the states with average SAT scores of verbal 493, math 501, and writing 479.^[43] 1.65 million US students took the exam in 2011, averaging 497 verbal, 514 math, and 489 writing.^[44]

The Pennsylvania Department of Education compared the SAT data of students in rural areas of Pennsylvania to students in urban areas. From 2003 to 2005, the average total SAT score for students in rural Pennsylvania was 992, while urban students averaged 1,006. During the same period, 28 percent of 11th and 12th graders in rural school districts took the exam, compared to 32 percent of urban students in the same grades. The average math and verbal scores were 495 and 497, respectively, for rural students, while urban test-takers averaged 499 and 507, respectively. Pennsylvania’s SAT composite score ranked low on the national scale in 2004. The composite SAT score of 1,003 left Pennsylvania ranking 44 out of the 50 states and Washington, DC.^[45]

AP Courses

In 2013, Bermudian Springs High School offered 2 Advanced Placement (AP) courses at a higher cost than regular courses. Students have the option of taking 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 institution 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. At Bermudian Springs High School less than 10 students who took an AP course earned a 3 or better on the exam.^[46]

In 2014, Bermudian Springs School District reported no students were registered in AP Courses.^[47]

Drop Out intervention

Bermudian Springs High School offers students who have expressed an interest in dropping out of school an alternative placement. Students who meet the entrance criteria for the York County High School are able to enroll and complete their high school education.^[48]

Graduation requirements

By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students must complete a project to graduate from high school. The type of project, its rigor and its expectations are set by the individual school district.^[49] Effective with the graduating class of 2017, the Pennsylvania Board of Education eliminated the state mandate that students complete a culminating project in order to graduate.^[50]

Bermudian Springs School Board course requirements for graduation are 27 credits. English – 4 credits, math – 3 credits, science – 3 credits, social studies – 4 credits, health – 1 credit (grades 9 & 11), physical education – 2 credits (grades 9, 10, 11, & 12), computer – 1/2 credit (grade 9), Driver Theory – 1/2 credit (grade 10), and electives – 9 credits. Two of the elective credits must be in the arts and/or humanities.^[51]

By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, beginning with the class of 2017, public school students must demonstrate successful completion of secondary level course work in Algebra I, biology, and English Literature by passing the Keystone Exams.^[52][53][54] For the class of 2019, a composition exam will be added. For the class of 2020, a civics and government exam will be added.^[55] 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.^[56] Individual student, school or district reports were not made public, although they were reported to district officials by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Students identified as having special needs and qualifying for an Individual Educational Program (IEP) may graduate by meeting the requirements of their IEP.

VoTech

High school aged students can attend the taxpayer -unded Adams County Tech Prep for training in the building trades, the culinary arts, diesel mechanics, allied health including Emergency Medical Technician certification and other areas. The school is located on the Gettysburg Area High School campus at 1130 Old Harrisburg Road. Adams County Tech Prep is funded by a consortium of the school districts, which includes Gettysburg Area School District, Littlestown Area School District, Fairfield Area School District, Conewago Valley School District, and Bermudian Springs School District.

Classrooms for the Future grant

The Classroom for the Future state program provided districts with hundreds of thousands of extra state funds to buy laptop computers for each core curriculum high school class (English, science, history, and math) and paid for teacher training to optimize the computers' use. The program was funded from 2006–2009. Bermudian Springs School District was denied funding in 2006–07. In 2007–08 the High School received $257,712. The high school received $46,881 in 2008–09 for a total of $304,593.^[57]

Tuition

Students who live in the Bermudian Springs School District's attendance area may choose to attend one of Pennsylvania's 157 public charter schools. A student living in a neighboring public school district or a foreign exchange student may seek admission to Bermudian Spring School District. For these cases, the Pennsylvania Department of Education sets an annual tuition rate for each school district. This is the amount the public school district pays to a charter school for each resident student that attends the charter and it is the amount a nonresident student's parents must pay to attend the District's schools. The 2012 tuition rate at Bermudian Springs High School was $7,647.99.^[58]

Extracurriculars

Bermudian Springs School District offers a wide variety of clubs and activities, and an extensive sports program. The Bermudian Springs School Board sets policies regarding eligibility to participate in these activities.^[59] The district did not charge an activity fee in 2011–12.^[60] The sports program is governed by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA).

By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students in the district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, cyber charter school, charter school, or home school, 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.^[61][62]

According to PA Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Act 126 of 2014, all volunteer coaches and all those who assist in student activities, must have criminal background checks. Like all school district employees, they must also attend an anti child abuse training once every three years.^[63][64][65]

Sports

Coaches receive compensation as outlined in the teachers' union contract. When athletic competition exceeds the regular season, additional compensation is paid.^[66]

Bermudian Springs School District provides its athletics disclosure form on its web site.^[67] Article XVI-C of the Public School Code requires the disclosure of interscholastic athletic opportunities for all public secondary school entities in Pennsylvania. All school entities with grades 7-12 are required to annually collect data concerning team and financial information for all male and female athletes beginning with the 2012-13 school year and submit the information to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Beginning with the 2013-14 school year, all non-school (booster club and alumni) contributions and purchases must also be reported to PDE.^[68]

The District offers an extensive sports program, including:

According to PIAA directory July 2014.^[69]

References

See also

High schools in Pennsylvania

Adams County, Pennsylvania Schools Main School Districts Bermudian Springs Bermudian Springs High School Conewago Valley New Oxford High School Fairfield Area Fairfield Area High School Gettysburg Area Gettysburg Area High School Adams County Tech Prep Littlestown Area Littlestown Senior High School Upper Adams Biglerville High School Other Schools Public Charter schools Gettysburg Montessori Charter School Vida Charter School Private schools Adams County Christian Academy Freedom Christian School Littlestown Christian Academy Paradise School Forest Lane Mennonite School Independent Baptist Day School Oxford Christian Academy Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg Delone Catholic High School Annunciation BVM School Immaculate Conception BVM School Sacred Heart School St Francis Xavier School St Joseph Academy Preschool