Sayre Area High School

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Sayre Area High School
Map of Bradford County Pennsylvania School Districts.png
Address
333 West Lockhart Street

Sayre
,
Bradford County
,
Pennsylvania
18840

United States of America
Information
TypePublic
School board9 locally elected members
SuperintendentDr. Sherry E. Griggs[1][2]
Dean W. Hostermen, M.Ed.[3]
AdministratorSamuel G. Moore, Business Manager
Debra R. Moore, Head of Health and Welfare
PrincipalDayton M. Handrick
James Howey, Vice Principal
Faculty31.30 (FTE)[4]
Grades7–12
Age12 to 21 (special education)
Enrollment489 (2018–19)[4]
Student to teacher ratio15.62[4]
LanguageEnglish
Color(s)Red and Blue
Fight songOn the Warpath
MascotRedskins
NewspaperSayrenade
Tuition$10,643.49 for nonresidents and charter school students[5]
Per pupil spending$13,137.51 in 2010
Websitehttp://www.sayresd.org/

Sayre Area High School is a rural combined junior–senior high school in Sayre, Pennsylvania, that serves two noncontiguous areas of Bradford County: Litchfield Township and the boroughs of Sayre and South Waverly. It is the sole junior and senior high school operated by the Sayre Area School District.

In 2015, the school had 473 students in grades 7–12 and employed 36 teachers.[6] Just under 44% of students were eligible for free lunches. About 11% received special education services, while 3.8% were identified as gifted.[7] According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of the teachers were rated "highly qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.[8] The graduation rate was 85.7% in 2015;[9] from 2010 to 2014, the rate ranged from 81%[10] to 88%.[11]

Sayre Area High School students may choose to attend the for training in several areas: construction and mechanical trades (including auto mechanics), practical nursing, commercial driving, cosmetology, and food production management.[12] The BLaST Intermediate Unit 17 provides the school with a wide variety of services, including specialized education for disabled students, speech and visual disability services, state-mandated training on recognizing and reporting child abuse, criminal background check processing for prospective employees, and professional development for staff and faculty.

Performance[]

In 2015, Sayre Area High School received a score of 81 out of 100 from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) based on students' performance in reading, mathematics and science,[13] up from 75.5 in 2014[14] and 63.4 in 2013.[15] Seventy-seven percent of students were at grade level in reading and literature. In Algebra 1, only 56% of students were at grade level at the end of the course. In Biology I, the number was 74.6% at the end of the course.[13]

Among 8th graders, 43% read at grade level, while just 10% demonstrated grade-level math skills. In science, 68% were at grade level. Among 7th graders, 40% were at grade level in reading and just 12% in math.[16]

Statewide, 53% of the 2,033 schools serving 11th grade achieved a score of 70 or better from the PDE. Five percent scored 90 or above, 20% between 80 and 89, 28% between 70 and 79, 25% between 60 and 69, and 22% percent below 60. On the Keystone Exam, 73 percent of students statewide scored at grade level in English, 64 percent in Algebra I, and 59 percent in Biology I.[17]

In 2012, Sayre Area High School declined to "warning" Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status after missing all academic metrics in reading and mathematics.[18] In 2010 and 2011, it achieved AYP status even though students' reading and math achievement was below statewide levels.[19]

Standardized testing[]

The Pennsylvania System of School Assessments (PSSA), a series of examinations related to the No Child Left Behind Act, was administered to 11th graders every year from 2003–12. The goal was for 100% of students to be at or above grade level in reading and mathematics (including algebra, geometry, and trigonometry) by the spring of 2014, based on state standards first published in 1998.[20] In 2013, Pennsylvania switched to the Keystone Exams in Algebra I, reading and literature, and Biology I. These exams are given at the end of the applicable course, rather than all in the spring of 11th grade.[21]

In 2012, 61% of Sayre Area High School 11th graders were at grade level in reading (compared with 67% statewide);[22] 59% were at grade level in math (the same as the statewide rate);[23] and 45% were at grade level in science (compared with 42% statewide).[24] From 2007–12, the school's rates ranged from 61%[22][25] to 73%[26] in reading; 52%[27] to 68%[28] in math; and 38%[29] to 48%[30] in science.

College remediation rate[]

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 11% of Sayre Area High School graduates required remediation in math and or reading before they were prepared to take college-level courses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education or at community colleges.[31]

In 2015, the school did not offer any Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

Dual enrollment[]

Sayre Area High School offers a dual enrollment program that allows students to earn deeply discounted college credits through Corning Community College while still enrolled in high school. Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many in-state colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[32] Under state rules, all students who reside in the district are eligible to participate in this program, even if they are homeschooled or attend a private school or charter school.[33]

Graduation requirements[]

Sayre Area High School students must earn 24.25 credits to graduate,[34] including:

  • 3 credits in math
  • 4 credits in science
  • 4 credits in English
  • 4 credits in social studies
  • 2.5 credits in health and physical education
  • 0.25 credits in driver's education
  • 2 credits in arts and humanities
  • 0.5 credits in Microsoft Office[34]

Before the graduating class of 2017, all Pennsylvania secondary school students were required by law to complete a project in order to graduate from high school. The type of project, its rigor, and its expectations were set by individual school districts.[35] Sayre Area High School required a complex project with multiple components, including a project notebook, completion of community service hours, a written paper, and an oral presentation with a visual component. Starting with the graduating class of 2017, the Pennsylvania State Board of Education eliminated the mandate.[36]

Under state regulations, starting with the graduating class of 2019,[37] students must successfully complete secondary-level course work in algebra, biology, English composition, and literature.[38][39][40] They are evaluated with the Keystone Exams, which they have several opportunities to pass. Those who do not pass after several attempts can complete a project in order to graduate.[39][40] For the class of 2020, a civics and government exam will be added to the graduation requirements.[41]

Students who have special needs and qualify for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) may graduate by meeting the requirements of their IEP.

SAT scores[]

In 2014, 48 Sayre Area High School students took the SAT. They scored an average of 480 out of 800 on the verbal portion of the exam (compared with 497 statewide and nationwide), 490 on math (compared with 504 statewide and 513 nationwide), and 459 on writing (compared with 480 statewide and 487 nationwide).[42][43][44]

In 2013, 49 students took the SAT and scored, on average, 475 on the verbal section, 482 on math, and 469 on writing.[45] In 2012, 46 students took the exam, with a 491 average on verbal, 515 on math, and 480 on writing.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a research arm of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, compared the SAT data of students in rural areas of Pennsylvania to students in urban areas in the early to mid-2000s. From 2003–05, the average total SAT score for students in rural Pennsylvania was 992 out of 1,600, 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 with 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.[46]

Grants[]

From 2006–09, the Classrooms for the Future program provided public school districts in Pennsylvania with hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funding to buy laptop computers for each core curriculum high school class (English, science, history, and math) and to train teachers to optimize the computers' use. The Sayre Area School District did not apply to participate in the 2006–07 academic year, but in 2007–08, it received $160,063. The district received another $45,413 in 2008–09, for a two-year total of $205,476.[47] Governor Edward Rendell curtailed Classrooms for the Future funding in 2010 because of a state financial crisis.

Sayre Area did not apply to participate in the state's Project 720 High School Reform grant program.[48]

School safety and bullying[]

Administrators reported two incidents of bullying in the district in 2015, as well as three sexual assaults or harassment incidents involving students. Local law enforcement was involved in one incident at the high school, but no arrests were made.[49][50] Each year, the district reports safety data to the Center for Safe Schools, which compiles reports and publishes them online. Nationally, nearly 20% of pupils report being bullied at school.[51]

The Sayre Area School Board has posted the district's anti-bullying policy online,[52] as required by state law.

Wellness policy[]

The Sayre Area School Board established a district wellness policy in 2012[53] that addressed nutritious school meals, the control of access to some foods and beverages during school hours, age-appropriate nutrition education for students, and physical education. The policy is in response to state requirements (P.L. 108–265) that each school district participating in a program authorized by the National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.) "shall establish a local school wellness policy by School Year 2006". Under these requirements, districts must set goals for nutrition education, physical activity, campus food provision, and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness. Additionally, they must involve a broad group of individuals in policy development and have a plan for measuring policy implementation.[54]

The Sayre Area School District's policy includes an effort for students to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day, including activity outside of school. It is overseen by a Wellness Committee made up of community members, school employees, a parent, and a student.

Sayre Area High School provides both free breakfasts and free or reduced-price lunches to children from low-income families. All students attending the school can eat breakfast and lunch there. Children whose family's incomes are at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level receive free breakfast and lunch. Children from families with incomes between 130 and 185 percent of the poverty level pay no more than 30 cents for breakfast. A foster child whose care is the responsibility of the state, or who has been placed by a court with a caretaker household, is automatically eligible for free breakfast and lunch, as are runaway, homeless, and migrant children.[55] The meals are partially funded by the United States Department of Agriculture.[56]

The school also provides health services as mandated by the state and federal governments. A nurse is available in the building to conduct annual health screenings, monitor students' weight,[57] and dispense prescribed medications during the school day. Students can be excluded from school unless they comply with the Pennsylvania Department of Health's immunization mandates. School nurses monitor compliance.[58][59]

Extracurricular activities[]

The district offers a variety of clubs and activities, as well as an extensive, publicly funded sports program.[60] By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students residing in the district, including those who attend private or charter schools and those who are homeschooled, are eligible to participate in the extracurricular programs, including athletics. They must meet the same eligibility criteria as students enrolled in the district's public schools.[61]

Under Pennsylvania's Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Act, passed in 2014, all volunteer coaches and individuals who assist in student activities must undergo criminal background checks. Like all school district employees, they must also attend an anti-child-abuse training once every three years.[62][63][64]

Sports[]

Coaches' compensation is outlined in the teachers' union contract, and earnings as a coach increase a teacher's annual pension.[65] Under Pennsylvania's Safety in Youth Sports Act, all athletic coaches, paid and volunteer, are required to complete an annual concussion management training.[66][67]

The Sayre Area School District is noncompliant with state law because it has not posted its Interscholastic Athletic Opportunities Disclosure Form on its website.[68]

The district operates an indoor pool, which it had to shut down during the 2015 budget crisis.

Varsity sports[69][]

Junior high school sports[]

References[]

  1. ^ ED Names and Addresses 2015-16, 2016
  2. ^ The Daily Review, Dr. Sherry Griggs named Sayre superintendent, April 4, 2015
  3. ^ Tribune Live.com (2015). "PA Teacher Salaries Database".
  4. ^ a b c "Sayre Area HS". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  5. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Tuition rates per LEA, 2011
  6. ^ US News and World Report, Best High Schools, 2015
  7. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (November 4, 2015). "Sayre Area High School Fast Facts 2015".
  8. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2015). "Highly Qualified Teacher Guidelines". Archived from the original on 2016-06-24.
  9. ^ PDE, Graduation rate by LEA, 2015
  10. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (March 15, 2011). "New 4-year Cohort Graduation Rate Calculation Now Being Implemented".
  11. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "Sayre Area School District Academic report card 2011" (PDF).
  12. ^ Northern Tier Career Center (2016). "Participating School Districts".
  13. ^ a b Pennsylvania Department of Education (November 4, 2015). "Sayre Area High School School Performance Profile 2015".
  14. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (November 6, 2014). "Sayre Area High School Academic Performance Data 2014".
  15. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Sayre Area High School Academic Performance Data 2013, October 4, 2013
  16. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (November 4, 2015). "2015 Keystone Exam School Level Data".
  17. ^ Jan Murphy (November 4, 2015). "Report card for state's high schools show overall decline". Pennlive.com.
  18. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 21, 2012). "Sayre Area High School Academic Report Card 2012".
  19. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Sayre Area High School Academic Report Card 2011, September 29, 2011
  20. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2014). "State Academic Standards".
  21. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2014). "State Assessment System".
  22. ^ a b Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2012). "2011-2012 PSSA and AYP Results".
  23. ^ Pittsburgh Post Gazette (October 15, 2012). "How is your school doing?".
  24. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 21, 2012). "Sayre Area High School Academic Achievement Report Card 2012" (PDF).
  25. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (August 15, 2008). "2007-2008 PSSA and AYP Results".
  26. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2010). "2009-2010 PSSA and AYP Results".
  27. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Sayre Area High School Academic Achievement Report Card, 2007
  28. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "Sayre Area High School Academic Achievement Report Card 2011" (PDF).
  29. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "2010-2011 PSSA results in Science".
  30. ^ The Times-Tribune (2009). "Grading Our Schools database, 2009 Science PSSA results".
  31. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (January 20, 2009). "Pennsylvania College Remediation Report". Archived from the original on May 3, 2012.
  32. ^ Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (March 2010). "Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement".
  33. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2010). "Dual Enrollment Guidelines".
  34. ^ a b Sayre Area School Board, Sayre Area School District graduation requirements, 2011
  35. ^ Pennsylvania State Board of Education. "Pennsylvania Code §4.24 (a) High school graduation requirements".
  36. ^ Pennsylvania State Board of Education, Proposed changes to Chapter 4, May 10, 2012
  37. ^ Jan Murphey (February 3, 2016). "Wolf signs bill to suspend use of Keystone Exams as a graduation requirement". Pennlive.com.
  38. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2010). "Keystone Exam Overview" (PDF).
  39. ^ a b Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 2011). "Pennsylvania Keystone Exams Overview". Archived from the original on 2012-03-17.
  40. ^ a b Pennsylvania State Board of Education (2010). "Rules and Regulation Title 22 PA School Code CH. 4".
  41. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, State Board of Education Finalizes Adoption of Pennsylvania Common Core State Academic Standards and High School Graduation Requirements, March 14, 2013
  42. ^ PDE, Sayre Area High School Performance profile, November 6, 2014
  43. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2014). "SAT and ACT Scores".
  44. ^ College Board (2014). "2014 College-Bound Seniors State Profile Report" (PDF).
  45. ^ College Board (2013). "The 2013 SAT Report on College & Career Readiness".
  46. ^ The Center for Rural Pennsylvania (August 2006). "SAT Scores and Other School Data".
  47. ^ Pennsylvania Auditor General (December 22, 2008). "Classrooms for the Future grants audit" (PDF).
  48. ^ PSEA (2006). "Project 720 PDE Education Improvement Initiative Series" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04.
  49. ^ Center for Safe Schools (2015). "Sayre Area HIgh School School Safety Report 2014-15" (PDF).
  50. ^ Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Safe School Center (2012). "Pennsylvania Safe Schools Online Reports".
  51. ^ Safe & Responsive Schools Project (June 20, 2011). "Area high school students create anti-bullying mural". Williamsport Sun Gazette.
  52. ^ Sayre Area School Board (2012). "Bullying/Cyberbullying Policy 249".
  53. ^ Sayre Area School Board (February 13, 2012). "Policy Manual, Student Wellness Policy 246".
  54. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education – Division of Food and Nutrition. (July 2008). "Nutrition Standards for Competitive Foods in Pennsylvania Schools for the School Nutrition Incentive".
  55. ^ USDA, Child Nutrition Programs - Eligibility Manual for School Meals, 2012
  56. ^ Pennsylvania Hunger Action Center, The Pennsylvania School Breakfast Report Card, 2009
  57. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Health (2014). "Mandated School Health Screenings". Archived from the original on 2015-06-07.
  58. ^ Pennsylvania State Department of Health (2010). "Pennsylvania Bulletin Doc. No. 10-984 School Immunizations; Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases".
  59. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Health (2014). "School Immunization Requirements".
  60. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2013). "Disclosure of Interscholastic Athletic Opportunities".
  61. ^ Pennsylvania Office of the Governor Press Release (November 10, 2005). "Home-Schooled, Charter School Children Can Participate in School District Extracurricular Activities".
  62. ^ Eleanor Chute., New Pa. law expands clearance requirements for school volunteers, employees, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 15, 2014
  63. ^ Pennsylvania General Assembly (2014). "ACT 126 – Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Act".
  64. ^ Ali Stevens., Child Protective Services Law impacts schools, WKOK.com 1070AM, January 6, 2015
  65. ^ Sayre Area School Board, Sayre Area School District Teacher Union Contract, 2011
  66. ^ PA General Assembly (July 1, 2012). "Senate Bill 200 of Session 2011 Safety in Youth Sports Act".
  67. ^ UMPC Sports Medicine (2014). "Managing Concussions in Student Athletes: The Safety in Youth Sports Act".
  68. ^ Sayre Area School District Administration, Sayre Area School District website, April 2016
  69. ^ Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletics Association (2015). "PIAA School Directory".
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