Danville High School (Pennsylvania)


Danville High School is located at 733 Ironmen Lane, Danville, Pennsylvania. The school is part of the Danville Area School District which is one of 500 public school districts in Pennsylvania. The high school serves fragments of two rural Pennsylvania counties. In Montour County the school serves the Boroughs of Danville and Washingtonville and Cooper Township, Derry Township, Liberty Township, Mahoning Township, Mayberry Township, Valley Township and West Hemlock Township. In Northumberland County it covers the Borough of Riverside and Rush Township. In 2018, the principal of the school is Jeremy Winn and the assistant principal is Ms. Amy Willoughby.
In 2016, enrollment declined to 608 pupils in 9th through 12th grades, with 19% of pupils eligible for a free lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. Additionally, 12.6% of pupils received special education services, while less than 1% of pupils were identified as gifted. The school employed 48 teachers. Per the PA Department of Education, 100% of the teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
In 2013, 100% of the teachers were rated highly qualified under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Declining enrollment is an issue for the school. Danville High School's enrollment declined to 625 pupils in 2013, with 19.5% of them eligible for a federal free or reduced price lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010, the school reported an enrollment of 720 pupils in grades 9th through 12th, with 127 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced-price lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. The school employed 56 teachers, yielding a student–teacher ratio of 13:1. The student body makeup is 51 percent male and 49 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 6 percent.
According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 6 teachers were rated "Non‐Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind due to having emergency certification. The AP® participation rate at Danville Area Senior High School is 35 percent.
Danville Area High school students may choose to attend the Columbia-Montour Area Vocational Technical School for training in the construction and mechanical trades. The Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit IU16 provides the school with a wide variety of services like: specialized education for disabled students; state mandated training on recognizing and reporting child abuse; speech and visual disability services; criminal background check processing for prospective employees and professional development for staff and faculty.

Graduation rate

In 2016, the District's graduation rate was 94.48%.
;According to traditional graduation rate calculations:
In January 2009, research was presented to the Pennsylvania State Board of Education. The research examined course enrollment trends at the state's 14 community colleges and the 14 institutions in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The data, provided by PASSHE and the community colleges, showed that, during the 2007-08 school year, 18% of Danville Area High School graduates required costly remediation in math and/or reading before they could take regular college courses.

2017 School Performance Profile

SPP not reported by PDE.
Danville Area High School Keystone Exams mandated testing results were: 92% of students were on grade level in reading/literature and 80.5% of students demonstrated on grade level in Algebra I. In Biology I, 80% of pupils demonstrated on grade level science understanding at the end of the Biology course. The school had the highest academic achievement among schools in the CSIU16 region. Statewide 72.7% of students who took the Keystone Reading/Literature exam were on grade level or advanced. In Algebra 1, 65.6% demonstrated on grade level skills. In Biology I, 63.4% of students who took a biology course showed on grade level understanding of concepts.

2016 School Performance Profile

SPP 95.3 out of 100 points.
Danville Area High School Keystone Exams results were: 95.8% of students were on grade level in reading /literature and 88.5% of students demonstrated on grade level in Algebra I skills. In Biology I, 90.3% 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. Danville Area High School remained the highest achieving school in the CSIU16 region.

2015 School Performance Profile

Danville Area High School achieved 89.3 points out of 100 SPP. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. The PDE reported that 92.9% of the high school's students were on grade level in reading/literature. In Algebra 1, 89.76% of students showed on grade level skills at the end of the course. In Biology I, 78% 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

Danville Area High School achieved a SPP of 92.9 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature - 86.6% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 84.7% showed on grade level skills. In Biology, 76.6% 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.
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.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,134 of 2,947 Pennsylvania public schools, achieved an academic score of 70 or higher. Fifty-three percent of schools statewide received lower SPP scores compared with last year's, while 46 percent improved. A handful were unchanged.

2013 School Performance Profile

In 2013, Danville High School achieved 92.7 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature, 92% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 92.8% showed on grade level mathematics skills. In Biology, 50% 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.

Adequate Yearly Progress history

In 2003 through 2012, Danville Area High School achieved Adequate YEarly Progress status under the federal No Child Left Behind Act each year. Effective with Spring 2013, the Pennsylvania Department of Education discontinued administering the PSSA's to 11th graders.

PSSA History

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 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 on grade level
  • 2007 - 79%, State Avg 65.4%
  • 2008 - 78.6%, State - 65%
  • 2009 - 75.5%, State - 65%
  • 2010 - 76%, State - 67%. The 11th grade ranked 6th in CSIU16 high schools for reading achievement.
  • 2011 - 82.5%. Ranked 2nd among CSIU16 region 11th grades. State - 69%.
  • 2012 - 89%. State - 67%. CSIU16 region 11th grade rank - 1st.
;11th Grade Mathematics on grade level
  • 2007 - 65.4% - State Avg 53.7%
  • 2008 - 60.4%, State - 56%
  • 2009 - 66.7%, State - 56%
  • 2010 - 77%, State - 59%. The 11th grade ranked 2nd in the CSIU 16 region for 11th grade math achievement.
  • 2011 - 77.6%. State - 60.3%. The 11th grade ranked 1st, in the CSIU 16 region, for math achievement.
  • 2012 - 87% on grade level. State - 59% of 11th graders are on grade level. CSIU16 region rank - 1st.
;11th Grade Science on grade level
  • 2008 - 39%, State - 36%
  • 2009 - 48.5%, State - 39.7%
  • 2010 - 54%, State - 39%. In the CSIU16 region, Danville ranked 6th for 11th grade science achievement.
  • 2011 - 52.6%. State - 40%. In the CSIU16 region, Danville AHS ranked 5th for science achievement.
  • 2012 - 52% on grade level. State - 44% of 11th graders were on grade level. In the CSIU16 region, Danville AHS ranked 6th for science achievement.
Science in Motion''' Danville High School took 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. The High School worked with Susquehanna University to provide the experiences.

Dual enrollment

The Danville 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. 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, Danville Area School District received a state grant of $4,368 for the program. The grants were discontinued by Governor Rendell in 2010.

ACE

Danville High School students also have access to Bloomsburg University's Summer College and Advanced College Experience during the summer of their sophomore, junior and senior years. Tuition is deeply discounted to 75% of the regular rate. Successful students earn college credits that can be transferred to other Pennsylvania public colleges and universities through the Pennsylvania TRAC system.

Advance Placement Courses

In 2013, Danville High School offered 13 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. The cost of the exam was $89 in 2012. 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. The College Board does not require a student to take an AP course to qualify for taking the exam. At Danville Area High School 76.81% of students who took an AP course earned a 3 or better on the exam in 2013.
Among Pennsylvania's 500 public school districts, graduation requirements widely vary. The Danville Area School Board has determined that a pupil must earn 28 credits to graduate, including: mathematics - 4 credits, English 4.5 credits, social studies 3 credits, science 4.5 credits, Computer technology 1 credit, Physical Education and health 2.5 credits, Graduation project 0.5 credit and electives. In 2017 graduation requirements will be reduced by 1 credit to 27 credits and the student must score proficient or advanced on the following Keystone Exams: Algebra I, English Literature, and Biology.
By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students were required to 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. 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.
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 respective Keystone Exams for each course. The exam is given at the end of the course. Keystone Exams have replaced the PSSAs for 11th grade.
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.
For the class of 2019, a composition exam was to be added. For the class of 2020, passing a civics and government exam was to be added to the graduation requirements. 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.

SAT scores

In 2016, 113 Danville Area School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 516. The Math average score was 531. The Writing average score was 509. The College Board also reported that statewide 92,569 pupils took the exams with average scores declining again in all three measurers to: 494 in reading, 508 in math and 482 in writing. Among the 12 high schools in the CSIU16 region, Area High School ranked th which was above the state average. Nationally, 1,681,134 students took the SATs.
In 2015, 131 Danville Area School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 521. The Math average score was 527. The Writing average score was 501. The College Board also reported that statewide 96,826 pupils took the exams with average scores declining in all three measurers to: 495 in reading, 511 in math and 484 in writing.
In 2014, 135 Danville Area School District students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 514. The Math average score was 530. The Writing average score was 490. 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.
In 2013, Danville Area School District students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 541. The Math average score was 530. The Writing average score was 526. The College Board reported that statewide scores were: 494 in reading, 504 in math and 482 in writing. The nationwide SAT results were the same as in 2012.
In 2012, 148 Danville Area School District students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 510. The Math average score was 527. The Writing average score was 501. The statewide Verbal SAT exams results were: Verbal 491, Math 501, Writing 480. In the US, 1.65 million students took the exams achieving scores: Verbal 496, Math 514, Writing 488. According to the College Board the maximum score on each section was 800, and 360 students nationwide scored a perfect 2,400.
In 2011, 137 Danville Area School District students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 512. The Math average score was 526. The Writing average score was 488. Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479. In the United States 1.65 million students took the exam in 2011. They averaged 497 verbal, 514 math and 489 in writing.
According to data from 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.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education reported that 71 percent of students in rural areas of Pennsylvania chose to continue their education after high school in 2003, whereas 79 percent of urban high school graduates opted to continue their education.

Danville e-Learning Cyber Academy

Danville e-Learning Cyber Academy is offered to the school's students as an alternative to attending one of Pennsylvania's 13 public cyber charter schools. The school is open to students in grades 7th through 12th. The program offers numerous online courses provided by VLINC and the BLAST Intermediate Unit #17 including Lincoln Interactive curriculum, Edison Learning and Advanced Academics. Courses earned through the program count towards graduation. Students continue to have access to all district programs including: AP Courses, extracurriculars, health and counseling services and high school graduation ceremony.

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, 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. Danville Area School District received $167,949 in 2006-07 and $300,000 in 2007-08. The district administration did not apply for funding in 2009. The grants were discontinued by Governor Rendell for his 2010-11 budget.

Special Education

Danville High School offers a specialized program for some students with IEPs.
Under Pennsylvania law, students may remain in the program until the age of 21 years. The program is funded with local tax dollars, state special education dollars and federal IDEA funding. In 2013, 12% of the students at Danville Area High School received special education services. In 2016, 12.6% of DAHS pupils received special education services.

School safety and bullying

The Danville Area School District administration reported there were zero incidents of bullying at Danville Area High School in 2015. Additionally, there was one theft and one sexual assault involving students. The local law enforcement was involved in multiple incidents at the school, with one arrest.
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.
The administration reported there were five incidents of bullying at Danville Area High School in 2013. Additionally, there was one assault involving students. The local law enforcement was involved in multiple incidents at the school, with one arrest.
The School Board has provided the district's antibully 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.

Highmark Healthy High 5 grant

In 2009, Danville Area High School received $4,000, through a Highmark Healthy High 5 grant, which was used to purchase additional bikes and supplies for the Mountain Bike for Life program which was started in 2008 with the help of another School Challenge grant. Beginning in 2006, Highmark Foundation engaged in a 5-year, $100 million program to promote lifelong healthy behaviors in children and adolescents through local nonprofits and schools.

Extracurriculars

The Danville Area School District offers a wide variety of clubs, including forensics, activities and an extensive, costly sports program. The district reports spending over $700,000 in 2013-14. Danville Area School District is a member of the for all athletics and participates under the rules and guidelines of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The Pennsylvania Heartland Athletic Conference is a voluntary association of 25 PIAA High Schools within the central Pennsylvania region.
By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students residing in the district, including those who attend a private school, public cyber charter school, public 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.
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.

Athletics

The District is compliant with state law, by posting its Interscholastic Athletic Opportunities Disclosure Form on its website. 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 contributions and purchases must also be reported to PDE.
Coaches receive compensation as outlined in the teachers' union contract. When athletic competition exceeds the regular season, additional compensation is paid.
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.
;Boys:
;Girls:
According to PIAA directory July 2016

Cross Country