New Oxford High School

Map of Adams County, Pennsylvania School Districts

New Oxford High School is a midsized public high school located in the borough of New Oxford, Pennsylvania. The school is part of the Conewago Valley School District. New Oxford High School serves students from a portion of eastern Adams County. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010, New Oxford High School reported an enrollment of 1,281 pupils in grades 9th through 12th, with 313 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced-price lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. The school is not a federally designated Title I school. New Oxford High School employed 78 teachers, yielding a student–teacher ratio of 16:1.^[3] According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 6 teachers were rated "Non‐Highly Qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. ^[4]

Tuition Students who live in the Conewago Valley 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 Conewago Valley School District. For these cases, the Pennsylvania Department of Education annually sets a unique tuition rate for each school district. It 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 was $8,514.19 for the New Oxford High School.^[5]

Graduation rate

In 2013, Conewago Valley School District's graduation rate was 90.96%. In 2012, New Oxford High School's graduation rate was 90%.^[6] In 2011, the graduation rate was 94%.^[7] In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate. Conewago Valley School District's rate was 93% for 2010.^[8]

According to traditional graduation rate calculations

• 2010 - 90%^[9]
• 2009 - 94%^[10]
• 2008 - 89%^[11]
• 2007 - 89%^[12]

Academics

2013 School Performance Profile

New Oxford Senior High School achieved 85.9 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement.^[13] In Algebra 1, 78% showed on grade level skills. In Biology, just 44% showed on grade level science understanding. In reading/literature - 78% were on grade level.^[14] 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. Instead, they now take the Keystone Exams at the end of the associated course.

AYP history

In 2012, New Oxford Senior High School declined again to Corrective Action Level I due to chronic low student achievement in both reading and mathematics.^[15]

In 2011, New Oxford Senior High School declined to School Improvement II AYP status due to low student academic achievement.

In 2010, New Oxford High School was in School Improvement I level due to chronic, low student achievement.^[16] Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the school administration was required to notify parents of the school's poor achievement outcomes. The Pennsylvania Department of Education required the High School Administration to develop a School Improvement Plan that focused on raising student academic achievement. The plan had to be submitted to the PDE for review. Under the Pennsylvania Accountability System, the school district must pay for additional tutoring for struggling students.^[17] New Oxford High School is eligible for extra funding under School Improvement Grants which the school must apply for each year. The funds must be used to raise student achievement.^[18]

• 2009 - declined to Warning status AYP
• 2003 - 2008 - achieved AYP status ^[19]

PSSA Results

PSSAs are NCLB related examinations which were administered from 2003 through 2012. 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

• 2012 - 68% on grade level (13% below basic). State - 67% of 11th graders are on grade level.^[20]
• 2011 - 61.4% (18.5% below basic). State - 69.1%^[21]
• 2010 - 62% (22% below basic). State - 67% ^[22]
• 2009 - 60%, State - 65% ^[23]
• 2008 - 61%, State - 65% ^[24]
• 2007 - 64%, State - 65% ^[25]

11th Grade Math:

• 2012 - 74% on grade level (9% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level.^[26]
• 2011 - 58.4% (21% below basic). State - 60.3% ^[27]
• 2010 - 65% (19% below basic). State - 59% ^[28]
• 2009 - 52%, State - 56% ^[29]
• 2008 - 55%, State - 56%^[30]
• 2007 - 53%, State - 53%

11th Grade Science:

• 2012 - 45% on grade level (7% below basic). State - 42% of 11th graders were on grade level.^[31]
• 2011 - 44.6% (16.8% below basic). State - 40%
• 2010 - 42% on grade level. State - 39% ^[32]
• 2009 - 34%, State - 40%
• 2008 - 38%, State - 39% ^[33]

Science in Motion New Oxford Senior High School did not utilize 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.^[34] Gettysburg College provides the science enrichment experiences to Adams County schools.

College remediation rate

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 42% of New Oxford Senior 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.^[35] 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.^[36] 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.

Graduation requirements

Among Pennsylvania's 500 public school districts, graduation requirements widely vary. The school board sets the specific requirements based on advise from the Administration and some state mandates. All New Oxford High School students are required to earn a minimum of 28 credits in grades 9 through 12 as follows: Language Arts 4 credits, Social Studies 4 credits, Mathematics 4 credits, Science 4 credits, Physical Education and Health 3 credits, Computer Technology 1 credit, Humanities, Practical Arts, or Fine Arts 2 credits and 6 credits of electives.^[37] Additionally, all students must take a core English, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science class in grades 9, 10, and 11.

By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students must complete a graduation 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.^[38] Effective with the graduating class of 2017, the Pennsylvania State Board of Education eliminated the state mandate that students complete a culminating project in order to graduate.^[39]

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.^[40][41][42] For the class of 2019, a composition exam will be added. For the class of 2020, passing a civics and government exam will be added to the graduation requirements. ^[43] 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.^[44] 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.

AP Courses

In 2013, New Oxford Senior High School offered 4 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.^[45] At New Oxford Senior High School less than 10 of the students who took an AP course earned a 3 or better on the exam.^[46]

Dual enrollment

New Oxford High School does not offer 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, including the graduation ceremony. 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.^[47] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.^[48]

SAT scores

In 2013, New Oxford Senior School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 492. The Math average score was 509. The Writing average score was 461. 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.^[49]

In 2012, 154 Conewago Valley School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 486. The Math average score was 514. The Writing average score was 462. The statewide Verbal SAT exams results were: Verbal 491, Math 501, Writing 480. In the USA, 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, 165 Conewago Valley School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 480. The Math average score was 502. The Writing average score was 454.^[50] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479. ^[51] In the United States, 1.65 million students took the exam in 2011. They averaged 497 (out of 800) verbal, 514 math and 489 in writing.^[52]

VoTech

High school students can attend the taxpayer funded 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 funding to buy laptop computers for each core curriculum high school class (English, Science, History, Math) and paid for teacher training to optimize the computers use. The program was funded from 2006-2009. Conewago Valley School District did not apply for funding in 2006-07. In 2007-08 it received $225,090. The High School received $57,804 in 2008-09 for a total funding of $282,894.^[53] Among Adams County public school districts, the highest funding was awarded to Gettysburg Area School District which received $341,842. The highest funding statewide was awarded to Philadelphia City School District in Philadelphia County - $9,409,073. The grant program was discontinued by Governor Edward Rendell as part of the 2009-10 state budget.

Extracurriculars

New Oxford High School offers a wide variety of: clubs, activities and a costly, extensive sports program. The Conewago Valley School Board sets policies regarding eligibility to participate in these activities.^[54] A student must be passing four (4) scholastic credits to participate. The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) requires regular school attendance, which must be strictly adhered to.^[55]

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.^[56]

Sports

The District funds:

The high school's sports program is fed by an extensive middle school program.

Middle School Sports

According to PIAA directory July 2013 ^[57]

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

Coordinates: 39°52′02″N 77°03′09″W / 39.86725°N 77.05255°W / 39.86725; -77.05255