Chester High School (Chester, Pennsylvania)

Chester High School is an urban, public high school located in Chester, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States with a ZIP code of 19013-4288. Chester is a part of the Chester-Upland School District. The school serves the City of Chester, Chester Township, and Upland. In 2009-10, the school had 1,302 pupils, with 779 pupils qualifying for a federal free or reduced-price lunch. The school employed 78 teachers yielding a Student/Teacher Ratio of 16.69.[2] In 2011, 26 of the teachers were designated Non‐Highly Qualified Teachers under No Child Left Behind.[3] Qualifying students may choose to attend one of the district's two magnet high schools Smedley Allied Health Campus or Science and Discovery Campus.

Chester High School
Location
200 W 9th Street
Chester, PA 19013
Information
TypePublic
MottoC-Pride In Pursuit of Excellence
PrincipalPearl Cameron
Faculty58.00 (FTE)[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment994 (2018–19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio17.14[1]
Color(s)Orange and Black
   
MascotClipper
Websitehttp://cusd.high.schoolfusion.us

The school's first floor has the headquarters of the school district.[4]

History
Sketch of Chester High School from John Jordan's History of Delaware County, and its people, 1914

The first Chester High School building was erected in 1902.[5]

Graduation rate

In 2011, the graduation rate declined to 50%.[6] In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate.[7]

According to traditional graduation rate calculations

In 2007, Johns Hopkins University reported that Chester High School was among 47 Pennsylvania high schools and nationwide nearly 2,000 that have exceptionally high drop out rates. Nearly 8 percent of Pennsylvania's high schools had high dropout rates, with 60 percent or less of their incoming freshmen making it to graduation.[12][13][14]

Academic achievement

In 2011, Chester High School declined to Corrective Action II 5th year due to unrelenting low student achievement. In 2010, the school was in Corrective Action II 4th year AYP status.[15][16] Due to the low academic achievement, the school was mandated by No Child Left Behind to permit students to transfer to a school (within the District) with adequate achievement for over 7 years. No such school exists Chester Upland School District.[17][18] Chester High School remains in Title I School Improvement which brings state professional resources and supplemental financial assistance to the school. In 2010, the school was cited, by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, as among the bottom 5% for student academic achievement in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

PSSA Results

11th Grade Reading

  • 2011 - 15% on grade level, (64% below basic). State - 69.1% of 11th graders are on grade level.[19]
  • 2010 - 24% on grade level, (60% below basic). State - 66% [20]
  • 2009 - 18% (62% below basic). State - 65% [21]
  • 2008 - 9% on grade level, (75% below basic). State - 65% [22]
  • 2007 - 9% on grade level, (76% below basic). State - 65% [23]

11th Grade Math:

  • 2011 - 15% on grade level (68% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 60.3% of 11th graders are on grade level.[24]
  • 2010 - 8% on grade level, (83% below basic). State - 59%
  • 2009 - 5% on grade level, (80% below basic). State - 56%.
  • 2008 - 3% on grade level, (88% below basic). State - 56% [25]
  • 2007 - 3% on grade level, (86% below basic). State - 53%

11th Grade Science:

  • 2011 - 3% on grade level (70% below basic). State - 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.[26]
  • 2010 - 1% on grade level, (56% below basic). State - 39%
  • 2009 - 2% on grade level, (71% below basic). State - 40% [27]
  • 2008 - 0% on grade level, (65% below basic). State - 39%

College remediation rate

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 63% of the Chester 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.[28] 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.[29] 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

In January–June 2011, 105 Chester-Upland School District students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 372. The Math average score was 358. The Writing average score was 323.[30] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among state with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479.[31] In the United States, 1.65 million students took the exam in 2011. The averaged scores were: Verbal 497 (out of 800), Math 514 and in Writing 489.[32]

Dual enrollment

The District offers a dual enrollment program to its high school students. 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 offered a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books [33] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[34] For the 2009-10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $20,260 for the program.[35]

Graduation requirements

In Chester Upland School District, ninth grade students are required to earn 7 credits to be promoted to 10th grade. To move from Grade 10 to Grade 11, 13 credits must have been earned. To be promoted from Grade 11 to 12 the student must have earned a total of 20 credits. The District offers students the opportunity to recover up to two credits, not earned during the previous school year through the Credit Recovery Program, which is offered during the second semester and during the summer.

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.[36]

By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, for the graduating classes of 2015 and 2016, students must demonstrate successful completion of secondary level course work in Algebra I, Biology, English Composition, and Literature for which the Keystone Exams serve as the final course exams. Students’ Keystone Exam scores shall count for at least one-third of the final course grade.[37][38][39]

School safety and bullying

The school district administration reported there were zero incidents of bullying in the high school, in 2009. There were 30 incidents involving law enforcement, including 98 fights and 67 assaults. Thirty-four pupils were assigned to alternative education.[40]

Extracurriculars

The district offers a wide variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility for participation is determined by school board policy.

Sports programs include; football, basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, baseball, tennis, track and club activities. The Athletic Director is Jeffery Legette. This school has a long-standing tradition of Championship wins in basketball. The Clippers have won eight state championships: 1983, 1989, 1994, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2012. Chester was state runner-up in 1954, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1966, 1967, 1972, 2003, 2007 and 2013. Since the 1981-82 season, Chester has qualified for the state tournament every year except for 1991-92.

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.[41]

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Chester HS". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  2. Nation Center for Education Statistics, CCD Public school data 2009-2010 school year CHester High School - Main Campus, 2010
  3. Pennsylvania Department of Education, Professional Qualifications of Teachers, 2011
  4. "adminmovebanner.jpg Archived 2016-12-21 at the Wayback Machine." Chester Upland School District. Retrieved on December 7, 2016. "Chester Upland's Administration Building has moved! Find us at our new location: Chester High School, 1st Floor 232 W. 9th Street"
  5. Smith, H.V. (1914). Chester and Vicinity. Chester, Pennsylvania: H. V. Smith. p. 20. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  6. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "Chester High School AYP Data Table". Archived from the original on April 18, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  7. Pennsylvania Department of Education (March 15, 2011). "New 4-year Cohort Graduation Rate Calculation Now Being Implemented". Archived from the original on September 14, 2010.
  8. Pennsylvania Department of Education (2010). "Chester High School Academic Achievement Report Card Data table 2010". Archived from the original on 2013-04-18. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
  9. The Times-Tribune (June 27, 2010). "PA School District Statistical Snapshot Database 2008-09".
  10. The Times-Tribune (June 25, 2009). "Delaware County School Districts Graduation Rates 2008".
  11. Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (2008). "High School Graduation rate 2007" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-05-07. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
  12. "Schools Have High Dropout Rates,". WPXI.com. October 29, 2007. Archived from the original on May 7, 2008.
  13. Robert Balfanz and Nettie Legters, Locating the Drop out Crisis, Johns Hopkins University, September 2004
  14. Robert Balfanz, Center for Social Organization of Schools, Johns Hopkins University (2007). "Schools with a Three Year Average Promoting Power Ratio (Class of 2004, 2005 and 2006) of 60% or Less" (PDF).CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "Chester-Upland School District - Schools AYP status 2011". Archived from the original on 2012-04-24. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
  16. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "Chester-Upland High School AYP status 2011". Archived from the original on 2013-04-18. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
  17. Chester-Upland Superintendent's Office (2010). "Notice of Adequate Yearly Progress" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
  18. Dr. Darla Hammond, Principal (August 15, 2011). "Notice of Adequate Yearly Progress" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  19. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "2010-2011 PSSA and AYP Results".
  20. Pennsylvania Department of Education (2010). "2009-2010 PSSA and AYP Results".
  21. The Times-Tribune. (September 14, 2009). "Grading Our Schools database, 2009 PSSA results,".
  22. Pennsylvania Department of Education (August 15, 2008). "2007-2008 PSSA and AYP Results".
  23. Pennsylvania Department of Education (2007). "PSSA Math and Reading results".
  24. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "Chester High School Academic Achievement Report Card 2011" (PDF).
  25. Morning Call (2009). "DISTRICTWIDE PSSA RESULTS: CHESTER-UPLAND School District".
  26. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "2010-2011 PSSA results in Science".
  27. The Times-Tribune. (2009). "Grading Our Schools database, 2009 Science PSSA results,".
  28. Pennsylvania Department of Education (January 20, 2009). "Pennsylvania College Remediation Report,". Archived from the original on 2012-05-03.
  29. National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, 2008
  30. Pennsylvania Department of Education (2011). "Public School SAT Scores 2011". Archived from the original on 2011-10-15.
  31. College Board (September 2011). "SAT Scores State By State - Pennsylvania". Archived from the original on 2011-10-08.
  32. "While U.S. SAT scores dip across the board, N.J. test-takers hold steady". NJ.com. September 2011.
  33. Pennsylvania Department of Education. "Dual Enrollment Guidelines".
  34. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (March 2010). "Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement".
  35. Pennsylvania Department of Education. "Dual Enrollment Grants 2009 10 Fall Grants by School District".
  36. Pennsylvania State Board of Education. "Pennsylvania Code §4.24 (a) High school graduation requirements".
  37. Pennsylvania Department of Education (2010). "Keystone Exam Overview" (PDF).
  38. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 2011). "Pennsylvania Keystone Exams Overview". Archived from the original on 2012-03-17.
  39. Pennsylvania State Board of Education (2010). "Rules and Regulation Title 22 PA School Code CH. 4".
  40. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Safe School Center (2009). "Pennsylvania Safe Schools Online Reports". Archived from the original on 2012-12-05.
  41. Pennsylvania Office of the Governor Press Release (November 10, 2005). "Home-Schooled, Charter School Children Can Participate in School District Extracurricular Activities".
  42. .Onofrio, Jan (1999). Pennsylvania Biographical Dictionary (Third Edition): Volume 1, A - K. St. Clair Shores, MI: Somerset Publishers. p. 216. ISBN 0-403-09950-1. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  43. Chaykun, Harry. "In The Community: 75 years on, remembering the Phillies’ ‘Chester Day’". The Delaware County Daily Times. October 2, 2016. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
  44. Durso, Christopher. "John V. Diggins, 96, Ex-delco Chief Judge". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 7, 1993. Retrieved 2016-10-10.

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