Abington Heights High School


Abington Heights High School is a moderate-sized public high school. It serves the boroughs of Clarks Green and Clarks Summit and the townships of Waverly Township, Glenburn Township, Newton Township, North Abington Township, Ransom Township and South Abington Township in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. It is the sole high school operated by the Abington Heights School District.
In 2016, AHHS enrollment was reported as 1,047 pupils in 9th through 12th grades, with 16% of pupils eligible for a free lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. Additionally, 7.6% of pupils received special education services, while less than 0.1% of pupils were identified as gifted. The school employed 76 teachers.
In 2013, enrollment was reported as 1,078 pupils in 9th through 12th grades, with 13.8% of pupils eligible for a free lunch due to family poverty. Additionally, 9% of pupils received special education services, while 4.6% of pupils were identified as gifted. The school employed 85 teachers. Per the PA Department of Education 100% of the teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2011, the school reported an enrollment of 1,135 pupils in grades 9th through 12th, with 124 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced price lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. In 2011, the Abington Heights High School employed 85 teachers yielding a student-teacher ratio of 13:1. According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
The school is served by Northeastern Intermediate Unit IU19, which provides special education services, preemployment screening for future employees, inservice training and other services. The school offers its own Vocational Technical Program, where students prepare to take NOCTI Assessments.

Graduation rate

In 2016, the district's graduation rate was 94%.
;According to traditional graduation rate calculations:
SPP 93.7 out of 100 points.
Abington Heights High School Keystone Exams mandated testing results were: 93% of students were on grade level in reading-literature and 82% of students demonstrated on grade level in Algebra I. In Biology I, 87% of pupils demonstrated on grade level science understanding at the end of the Biology course. The requirement that pupils pass the Keystone Exams in reading, algebra I and biology I in order to graduate was postponed until 2019 by the Pennsylvania General Assembly because less than 60% of 12 grade pupils statewide would have been eligible for graduation from high school due to failing one or more Keystone Exams. Fifty-four percent of the 2,676 public schools in Pennsylvania achieved a passing score of 70 or better.

2015 School Performance Profile

Abington Heights High School achieved 98.1 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. The PDE reported that 95% of the Abington Heights High School's students were on grade level in reading/literature. In Algebra 1, 86% of students showed on grade level skills at the end of the course. In Biology I, 84.6% demonstrated on grade level science understanding at the end of the course. Statewide, 53 percent of schools with an eleventh grade achieved an academic score of 70 or better. Five percent of the 2,033 schools with 11th grade were scored at 90 and above; 20 percent were scored between 80 and 89; 28 percent between 70 and 79; 25 percent between 60 and 69 and 22 percent below 60. The Keystone Exam results showed: 73 percent of students statewide scored at grade-level in English, 64 percent in Algebra I and 59 percent in biology.

2014 School Performance Profile

Abington Heights High School achieved 98.3 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature 94.5% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 88% showed on grade level skills. In Biology, 86% demonstrated on grade level science understanding at the end of the course. Statewide, the percentage of high school students who scored proficient and advanced in Algebra I increased to 39.7% to 40.1%. The percentage of high school students who scored proficient and advanced in reading/literature declined to 52.5%. The percentage of high school students who scored proficient and advanced in biology improved from 39.7% to 41.4%.

2013 School Performance Profile

Abington Heights High School achieved an SPP 95.3 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature - 95.7% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 84% showed on grade level skills. In Biology, 58.5% showed on grade level science understanding. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,181 public schools, achieved an academic score of 70 or higher. Pennsylvania 11th grade students no longer take the PSSAs. Instead, beginning in 2012, they take the Keystone Exams at the end of the associated course.

AYP History

In 2012, Abington Heights High School declined to Warning Adequate Yearly Progress status, due to missing the mathematics metric. In 2010 and 2011, Abington Heights High School achieved AYP status. In 2009, Abington Heights High School was in Warning AYP status. From 2003 through 2008, the High School achieved Adequate Yearly Progress each school year.

PSSA Results

s, 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.
In 2013, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania changed its high school assessments to the Keystone Exams in Algebra 1, Reading/literature and Biology1. The new exams are given at the end of the course, rather than all in the spring of the student's 11th grade year.
;11th Grade Reading
;11th Grade Math:
;11th Grade Science:
According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 8% of Abington Heights 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. Less than 66% of Pennsylvania high school graduates, who enroll in a four-year college in Pennsylvania, earned a bachelor's degree within six years. Among Pennsylvania high school graduates pursuing an associate degree, only one in three graduated in three years. 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

Abington Heights 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 both 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. Originally, the Commonwealth offered a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books. Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions. For the 2009-10 funding year, Abington Heights School District received a state grant of $4,165 for the program. In 2010, Governor Edward Rendell eliminated the grants to students.

Graduation requirements

Among Pennsylvania's 500 public school districts, graduation requirements widely vary. The local School Board sets the graduation requirements in a graduation policy. At AHHS students must earn 23.5 credits in order to graduate.
By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, beginning with the class of 2020, public school students must demonstrate successful completion of secondary level course work in Algebra I, Biology, and English Literature by passing the Keystone Exams. The exam is given at the end of the course. Keystone Exams replace the PSSAs for 11th grade.
Students have several opportunities to pass the exam. Schools are mandated to provide targeted assistance to help the student be successful. Those who do not pass after several attempts can perform a project in order to graduate.
Students have several opportunities to pass the exams. Schools are mandated to provide targeted assistance to help the student be successful. Those who do not pass after several attempts can perform a project in order to graduate. The original intent was to gradually add seven more exams including civics and geometry. In 2017, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed legislation that eliminated developing any more Keystone Exams in other subjects. 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. 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 may graduate by meeting the requirements of their IEP.
In 2017, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed House Bill 202, which makes modifications of the Keystone Exam mandates for students who attend VoTech and Career Tech schools. These pupils will be allowed to use alternate assessments or industry-based certifications.

School safety and bullying

The Abington Heights School District administration reported there were zero incidents of bullying in the District in 2015. Additionally, there were two incidents involving knives and no sexual incidents involving students. The local law enforcement was involved in ten incidents at the schools with seven arrests. Each year the school safety data is reported by the district to the Safe School Center which then publishes the compiled reports online. Nationally, nearly 20% of pupils report being bullied at school.
Abington Heights School Board has provided the district's anti-bully policy online. All Pennsylvania schools are required to have an anti-bullying policy incorporated into their Code of Student Conduct. The policy must identify disciplinary actions for bullying and designate a school staff person to receive complaints of bullying. The policy must be available on the school's website and posted in every classroom. All Pennsylvania public schools must provide a copy of its anti-bullying policy to the Office for Safe Schools every year, and shall review their policy every three years. Additionally, the District must conduct an annual review of that policy with students. The Center for Schools and Communities works with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency and the Pennsylvania Department of Education to assist schools and communities as they research, select and implement bullying prevention programs and initiatives. According to the Center for Disease Control’s biannual national study of high school students in 2009, five percent of Pennsylvania students did not go to school for at least one day because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to or from school.
Education standards relating to student safety and anti harassment programs are described in the 10.3. Safety and Injury Prevention in the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Health, Safety and Physical Education.

Safe School grant

In 2013, Abington Heights School District did not participate in a state Safe Schools Targeted Grant. The maximum of $25,000 grants were awarded through a competitive application process. The funds had to be used for research based interventions, like: peer mediation, staff training in managing behavioral issues and creating a positive school climate. The District also did not apply for School Resource Officer and Police Officer grants.

Wellness policy

Abington Heights School Board established a district wellness policy in 2006. The policy deals with nutritious meals served at school, the control of access to some foods and beverages during school hours, age appropriate nutrition education for all students, and physical education for students K-12. The policy is in response to state mandates and federal legislation. The law dictates that each school district participating in a program authorized by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 "shall establish a local school wellness policy by School Year 2006." Most districts identified the superintendent and school foodservice director as responsible for ensuring local wellness policy implementation.
The legislation placed the responsibility of developing a wellness policy at the local level so the individual needs of each district can be addressed. According to the requirements for the Local Wellness Policy, school districts must set goals for nutrition education, physical activity, campus food provision, and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness. Additionally, districts were required to involve a broad group of individuals in policy development and to have a plan for measuring policy implementation. Districts were offered a choice of levels of implementation for limiting or prohibiting low nutrition foods on the school campus. In final implementation these regulations prohibit some foods and beverages on the school campus. The Pennsylvania Department of Education required the district to submit a copy of the policy for approval.
Abington Heights School District offers both a free school breakfast and a free or reduced-price lunch to children in low income families. All students attending the school can eat breakfast and lunch. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level are provided a breakfast and lunch at no cost to the family. Children from families with incomes between 130 and 185 percent of the federal poverty level can be charged no more than 30 cents per breakfast. A foster child whose care and placement is the responsibility of the State or who is placed by a court with a caretaker household is eligible for both a free breakfast and a free lunch. Runaway, homeless and Migrant Youth are also automatically eligible for free meals. The meals are partially funded with federal dollars through the United States Department of Agriculture.
In 2013, the USDA issued new restrictions to foods in public schools. The rules apply to foods and beverages sold on all public school district campuses during the day. They limit vending machine snacks to a maximum of 200 calories per item. Additionally, all snack foods sold at school must meet competitive nutrient standards, meaning they must have fruits, vegetables, dairy or protein in them or contain at least 10 percent of the daily value of fiber, calcium, potassium, and Vitamin D. In order to comply with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 all US public school districts are required to raise the price of their school lunches to $2.60 regardless of the actual cost of providing the lunch. The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 mandates that Districts raise their full pay lunch prices every year until the price of non-subsidized lunches equals the amount the federal government reimburses schools for free meals. That subsidy in 2013-2014 was $2.93. In 2015, federal reimbursement rates were: $3.07 per meal for students who are income-eligible for free lunches and $2.67 for those who qualify for a reduced price. School lunch participation nationally dropped from 31.6 million students in 2012 to 30.4 million in 2014, according to the federal Department of Agriculture. Pennsylvania statistics show school lunch participation dropped by 86,950 students in the same two years, from 1,127,444 in 2012 to 1,040,494 in 2014.
In 2014, President Barack Obama ordered a prohibition of advertisements for unhealthy foods on public school campuses during the school day.
The US Department of Agriculture requires that students take milk as their beverage at lunch. In accordance with this law, any student requesting water in place of milk with their lunch must present a written request, signed by a doctor, documenting the need for water instead of milk.
Abington Heights School District provides health services as mandated by the Commonwealth and the federal government. Nurses are available in each building to conduct annual health screenings and to dispense prescribed medications to students during the school day. Students can be excluded from school unless they comply with all the State Department of Health's extensive immunization mandates. School nurses monitor each pupil for this compliance. Beginning with the 2017–18 school year, high school students are mandated to receive a dose of MCV meningococcal conjugate vaccine for 12th grade entry. Nurses also monitor each child's weight. Nurses also monitor each child's weight.
In 2016, the Pennsylvania Department of Health made available to each Pennsylvania high school the overdose antidote drug naloxone in a nasal spray. School nurses were also provided with educational materials and training developed by the National Association of School Nurses. The cost was covered by a grant from a private foundation.

Extracurricular Activities

Abington Heights HIgh School offers a wide variety of clubs, activities and an extensive, publicly funded sports program. Eligibility for participation is determined by school board policy and in compliance with standards set by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The PIAA mandates that student athletes must be passing at least four full-credit subjects to participate in sports.
By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students residing in the school district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, a Pennsylvania public cyber charter school, charter school and those who are homeschooled, are all 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.
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.

Sports

Coaches receive compensation as outlined in the teachers' union contract. When athletic competition exceeds the regular season, additional compensation is paid.
The District also operates a swim program which teaches children to swim, offers life guard training and recreational swimming time to the community.
According to Pennsylvania's Safety in Youth Sports Act, all sports coaches, paid and volunteer, are required to annually complete the Concussion Management Certification Training and present the certification before coaching.
The District funds:
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According to PIAA directory September 2017